Buchet
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive, Motorcycle manufacturing |
| Founded | 1888 |
| Founder | Élie-Victor Buchet |
| Defunct | 1930 |
| Fate | Ceased business |
| Headquarters | Levallois-Perret, later Billancourt , France |
| Products | Motorcycles, Automobiles, Engines |
Buchet () was a French enterprise engaged in the production of motorcycles and automobiles from 1899 until 1930.
Origins
Established in 1888 at Levallois-Perret, Société Buchet originally specialized in manufacturing lamps. In 1899, Élie-Victor Buchet commenced the production of engines intended for use by various automobile makers. From 1906 onwards, Buchet engines were also utilized to power aircraft produced by other companies, in addition to motorcycles.
The business
Buchet began manufacturing its own automobiles in 1911, starting operations at Levallois-Perret before relocating after 1919 to Billancourt.
In 1919, ownership transferred to Gaston Sailly, who renamed the company Gaston Sailly, Moteurs et Automobiles Buchet and shifted production facilities to Billancourt. Nevertheless, the vehicles continued to be marketed under the "Buchet" name.
Facing increasing competition from larger French automotive manufacturers during the late 1920s, Buchet halted factory production in 1929 and ultimately ceased business entirely in 1930.
Early cars
The initial Buchet automobile was equipped with a 12/20 horsepower four-cylinder engine displacing 1996 cc, paired with a three-speed gearbox.
Between 1914 and 1915, Buchet supplied chassis fitted with four-cylinder 10HP side-valve engines and transmissions to the Hollingdrake Automobile Company based in Stockport, England. Hollingdrake added coachwork—primarily open two-seaters and coupés—and retailed these Anglo-French vehicles under the Ascot brand at a price of £195.
At the 1919 Paris Motor Show, Buchet presented a model featuring a 1,456 cc (8CV) engine mounted on a wheelbase.
1920s
Following the move to Billancourt in 1919, Buchet adhered to traditional manufacturing approaches, resulting in a conservative image throughout the 1920s. In 1924, the firm offered the "Buchet Type B4 8/10HP," powered by a 1545cc four-cylinder side-valve engine. This was succeeded in 1925 by the "Buchet Type B5," which incorporated revised valvegear utilizing rocker arms. At the Paris Motor Show of 1924, the Type B4 was listed at 21,800 francs for the "Torpedo" body style and 27,950 francs for the "Conduite intérieure" sedan configuration. Additionally, Buchet marketed a light commercial vehicle called the "Normande" and produced a smaller model with a 1,131cc (6 CV) engine.
By the time production ended in 1929, Buchet's product range included both the 1,131cc four-cylinder variant and a newer six-cylinder model of 1,737cc (10 CV) introduced in 1928.
The motorcycles
From 1900 through to 1911, Buchet manufactured motorcycles alongside their automobile business. A notable example is their 1903 twin-cylinder motorcycle with a capacity of three litres, capable of achieving speeds up to , piloted by Maurice Fournier. This same chassis was adapted for Ernest Archdeacon's innovative propeller-driven Aéromotocyclette Anzani experiment in 1906.
La Foudre
La Foudre ("Lightning") was an early French motorcycle powered by a 350 cc Buchet engine featuring atmospheric inlet valves and pushrod-operated exhaust valves. It incorporated an accumulator and coil ignition system alongside a Longuemare carburettor. The machine was equipped with brakes on both front and rear wheels and mounted on 26-inch wheels.
Racing
In initial motor racing competitions, Buchet motorcycles demonstrated strong capabilities. On 25 February 1900 at the Circuit du Sud Ouest held in Pau, competitor Monsieur Marcellin completed the demanding 337 km course in less than six hours, securing first place among motorcycles and third overall. Earlier that same year on 23 February, Marcellin's seven-horsepower Buchet quadricycle achieved second place in the Turin-Pinerolo-Saluzzo-Cuneo-Racconigi-Turin race covering approximately 130 km in just over two hours and seventeen minutes.