Darl'mat
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive |
| Founded | 1923 |
| Headquarters | Paris , France |
| Products | Coachbuilt Peugeot sports cars, bespoke Peugeot-bodied vehicles |
Émile Darl'mat (1892–1970) established a Peugeot dealership and coachbuilding enterprise on rue de l'Université (Paris) in 1923. During the 1930s, his company earned a reputation for producing limited-edition sports cars derived from Peugeot models. Although operations were halted during WWII, Darl'mat resumed crafting bespoke Peugeot-bodied vehicles after the war, albeit with production volumes that never reached the pre-war scale due to the prevailing economic climate in France.
Building the business
At first, Darl'mat’s automobiles were manufactured within Paris workshops. Starting in 1936, production transitioned to the Peugeot factory located in Sochaux, where Darl'mat’s coupés and cabriolets became part of Peugeot’s official range.
The standout model was a sports car built on the Peugeot 302 chassis, equipped with the engine from the Peugeot 402. Multiple Peugeot-Darl'mat 402 "spécial sport" editions participated successfully in the 24 Hours of Le Mans races of 1937 and 1938. These exclusive vehicles were available in roadster, coupe, and drop-head coupe forms.
Post-war developments
Following WWII, the firm introduced a compact two-door fastback coupé based on the Peugeot 202. In 1947, this model achieved three speed records within the under-1100 cc category at Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry, averaging speeds over distances up to , while maintaining fuel consumption near 10 L/100 km (23.3 mpg). It was presented at that year’s Paris Motor Show but did not proceed to significant commercial production.
Darl'mat gained greater recognition for its two-door cabriolet adaptations of the Peugeot 203, with registrations exceeding 150 by early 1953. Another highlight was a gull-wing coupe prototype developed in April 1953, influenced by the design of the Mercedes-Benz 300SL. The company’s final automotive endeavor involved a coupé based on the Peugeot 403, with merely five units completed before shifting focus back to its original Peugeot dealership business founded in 1923.