A.M. (automobile)
| Industry | Engines Automobiles Tractors |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1898 |
| Founder | Adolphe de Mesmay |
| Defunct | 1936 |
| Headquarters | , |
Number of employees | 40 (1924) |
The A.M. designation referred to a series of automobiles crafted by Ateliers Veuve A. de Mesmay, based in Saint-Quentin, Aisne, France, produced between 1906 and 1914. Known commercially as Automobiles Abeille de Mesmay (hence the abbreviation AM), these cars were equipped with petrol engines developed in-house and marketed under the Abeille ("Bee") label. Identical engines and chassis were utilized in the AML and AMC commercial vehicle ranges.
Following the death of founder Adolphe de Mesmay, the company was overseen by his widow Amélie de Mesmay (née Belin), who had initiated production of the Abeille marine petrol engine back in 1898.
Between 1911 and 1914, the enterprise expanded its portfolio to include light agricultural tractors and offered marine and stationary engines featuring 1-, 2-, and 4-cylinder configurations. While automobile manufacturing halted with the outbreak of World War I, engine production persisted until the firm's eventual dissolution in 1936.
'Abeille' engines
In 1898, engineer Adolphe de Mesmay founded a manufacturing facility on Quai Gayant in Saint-Quentin dedicated to producing his 'Abeille' marine engine, operating alongside his wife Amélie. The 'Abeille' trademark was officially registered in 1899; these engines powered motorboats that achieved competitive success.
The firm developed a range of 'Abeille' engines, including two- and four-cylinder variants documented in 1901 by La Locomotion. These power units were also supplied to other manufacturers such as Rocourt-Merlin (1901) and Brush (1902).
Automobile and commercial vehicle production
After Adolphe’s passing in 1903, Amélie de Mesmay continued running the business under the name Ateliers Mme Veuve A. de Mesmay, appointing Louis Demilly as director. Starting around 1906, the company manufactured automobiles branded as Automobiles 'Abeille' de Mesmay, offering fully assembled vehicles or rolling chassis for coachbuilders. The 1906 lineup included two four-cylinder models rated at 12 and 20 hp, along with a two-cylinder 12 hp car. By approximately 1909, they developed a carburettor inspired by Daimler’s design. Between 1908 and 1911, production facilities expanded to encompass three locations within Saint-Quentin.
Catalogues from roughly 1910 to 1914 detail five different four-cylinder engine sizes powering AM passenger vehicles (models AM 1–5), AML delivery vans (I-III), and AMC trucks (I-II). Smaller engines featured monobloc cylinder construction, whereas larger units employed separate cylinders. Available body styles ranged from two-seat runabouts to landaulettes, limousines, and double-phaetons.
The 'Abeille' marine engine range included one-, two-, and various four-cylinder types; notably, the four-cylinder T-5 model (~30 hp) was selected by the French Navy for export patrol boats.
At the Paris General Agricultural Exhibition in 1910, the company presented an innovative naphthalene-fueled engine that used heated naphthalene granules as fuel—a remarkable development despite its lower energy density compared to gasoline.
Beginning in 1911, Ateliers Veuve A. de Mesmay produced the 'Tracteur FT', a lightweight four-wheel-drive agricultural tractor powered by an 'Abeille' engine. Weighing approximately 1,050 kg and featuring a fixed plough mounted beneath its chassis, this model was marketed under the name 'Houe-tracteur'.
Beyond vehicles, the company also supplied 'Abeille' stationary engines and generator sets designed for lighting applications and cinemas; for example, in 1913 an Abeille engine was factory-installed to power electric lighting via a Jacquet dynamo. Additionally, gas-powered engines were manufactured under the Moteurs A. de Mesmay brand.
Automobile production ceased on August 26, 1914, shortly after World War I commenced. Prior to that date, total annual output of Abeille engines is estimated at about 215 units. Workforce numbers increased from around 20–30 employees in 1900 to approximately 80–90 by 1914 before declining to roughly 40 by 1924.
First World War
In September 1914, the German Army took control of Saint-Quentin, converting the factory into a Krupp facility dedicated to repairing artillery, machine guns, and manufacturing barbed wire. During the fierce battles of 1916, German forces forced the evacuation of local inhabitants and dismantled much of the industrial machinery.
Post-war
Following the conflict, Amélie Mesmay partially restarted engine manufacturing in Mantes-la-Jolie before moving back to the reconstructed Saint-Quentin factories in 1920. She passed away in 1922, after which François Thellier assumed leadership of the enterprise. Production of 'Abeille' marine engines by Ateliers Veuve A. de Mesmay persisted into the 1930s until the company ceased operations in 1936. In 1949, the workshops merged with Maumaire Dubua et Cie, a foundry and tap manufacturer; ultimately, the site was closed during the 1990s.
Engines and applications
The firm offered a variety of 'Abeille' engines featuring one, two, and four cylinders, available in multiple configurations and cylinder dimensions.
| Bore x stroke (mm) |
Power (hp) | Automobile model |
Commercial model |
Marine model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70 x 106 | 8/11 | AM 1 | AML-I | Monobloc I-IV |
| 82 x 110 | 10/14 | AM 2 | AML-II | Monobloc J-IV |
| 90 x 130 | 14/18 | AM 3 | AML-III | |
| 100 x 130 | 18/24 | AM 4 | AMC-I | F-IV? |
| 112 x 130 | 24/30 | AM 5 | AMC-II | |
| 112 x 140 | ? | Monobloc T-5 |
At the 1908 Franco-British Exhibition in London, a Renard Road Train was powered by an Abeille engine rated at 40 hp; a second train was also present for passenger rides. Frédéric Airault, Technical Director of Société des Trains Renard and like Adolphe de Mesmay connected to Saint-Quentin’s mechanical sector, had previously been employed at Anciennes usines Buchet in Levallois near Paris—a site also associated with Filtz motor company whose 72 hp engine powered the Renard train.
Disambiguation
The name Abeille also identified a prominent horse-drawn hire cab company operating in Paris; prior to the debut of the Renault Taxi de la Marne in 1904, Abeille ranked among the largest cab operators alongside Compagnie Générale des Voitures and Urbaine.
References
- Notes
- Citations
- Sources
External links
- Photograph showing a large engine undergoing testing at de Mesnay works circa 1910–1914
- Image gallery featuring AM badges, factory scenes, and automobiles (Russian site). Accessed 21 March 2016
- [http://mototracteurs.forumactif.com/t16125p330-cartes-postales-anciennes?highlight=Machine+Caf%C3%A9 Forum containing photographs of various de Mesnay stationary engines and video footage of a Winterthur gas engine installed at the factory (in French). Retrieved 21 March 2016