Georges Bouton

Georges Thadé Bouton (Paris, November 22, 1847 – Paris, October 31, 1938) was a French engineer who, together with his business partner, Marquis Jules-Albert de Dion, founded the automobile and railway company De Dion-Bouton in 1883.

He was the nominal winner of the first automobile race in the world, held on April 28, 1887, when he drove a De Dion-Bouton vehicle along a 2-kilometer route between the Pont de Neuilly and the Bois de Boulogne.

Life and Work

Bouton was the son of a painter and learned mechanics in the coastal town of Honfleur and later in Paris. Together with his brother-in-law Charles Trépardoux, he ran a small shop specializing in scientific toys in the Passage de Léon, near Rue de la Chapelle in Paris.

The origins of De Dion-Bouton date back to 1881, when De Dion saw a steam-powered toy locomotive displayed in the shop window and asked the toymakers how to build another one. At the time, engineers Georges Bouton and Charles Trépardoux were struggling to make a living selling scientific toys. Trépardoux had long dreamed of building a steam-powered automobile, but lacked the financial resources. De Dion, who at that time was interested in steam locomotives for railways, decided to finance the project.

The company De Dion, Bouton et Trépardoux was founded in Paris in 1883. The three had first collaborated in 1882 to produce a self-propelled steam vehicle. This successful endeavor led to the official establishment of the company, which over time became known simply as De Dion-Bouton.

De Dion-Bouton went on to become the world's largest automobile manufacturer for a period, renowned for its quality, reliability, and durability. Despite this success, engineer Bouton outlived the company he helped create: De Dion-Bouton ceased operations in 1932.