Gobron-Brillié
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive |
| Founded | 1898 |
| Founder | Eugène Brillié, Gustave Gobron |
| Defunct | 1930 |
| Fate | Bankruptcy |
| Headquarters | Boulogne-sur-Seine (later Paris and Levallois-Perret) , France |
Area served | France, Belgium, England |
Key people | Eugène Brillié, Gustave Gobron |
| Products | Automobiles, opposed-piston engines |
Gobron-Brillié was a pioneering French automobile manufacturer active from 1898 until 1930. The enterprise, known as Société des Moteurs Gobron-Brillié, was established in 1898 at Boulogne-sur-Seine near Paris by engineer Eugène Brillié and industrialist Gustave Gobron.
Prior to 1898
Eugène Brillié, an alumnus of the École centrale des arts et manufactures, was employed from 1887 to 1898 by the Compagnie des chemins de fer de l'Ouest. Gustave Gobron (1846–1911) previously managed Godillot, a military supply firm, before serving in the National Assembly between 1885 and 1889. Subsequently, he launched an automobile manufacturing business under his own name. The two men joined forces to create Société des Moteurs Gobron-Brillié.
1898–1903
Brillié engineered a novel internal combustion engine design that incorporated two opposed pistons within each cylinder. During the compression phase, the pistons moved inward toward one another, igniting the fuel mixture between them. Both inlet and exhaust valves were situated at the point where the pistons were closest.
The lower piston was connected directly to the crankshaft in a conventional manner, while the upper piston was linked through an overhung yoke equipped with two connecting rods. Instead of utilizing a carburettor, fuel delivery was managed by a rotating petrol distributor that dripped fuel, enabling the use of various types of fuels.
The engine was mounted at the rear on a triangulated tubular frame, transmitting power to the wheels via chain drive. By 1899, manufacturing operations had relocated to 17 rue Philippe de Girard in Paris.
By 1900, production volumes reached roughly 150 automobiles annually. The design was licensed domestically as La Nanceene, in Belgium under the name Gobron-Nagant, and sold in England by Botwoods of Ipswich as Teras.
1904–1914
Following Brillié’s exit in 1903, the company transitioned to a pressed-steel ladder-frame chassis and repositioned the engine to the front of the vehicle. The petrol distributor was replaced with a carburettor, although the opposed-piston engine configuration persisted.
Between 1906 and 1908, notable models included:
- Four-cylinder 24/35 horsepower
- Four-cylinder 7.6-litre 40/60 horsepower
- Six-cylinder 11.4-litre 60/75 horsepower
The final large-displacement model was manufactured in 1910. Around 1909–1910, Gobron-Brillié developed an eight-cylinder X-type engine intended for aviation use.
A Gobron-Brillié fire engine from 1907 is exhibited at England’s National Motor Museum.
1918–1922
Post-World War I, the firm rebranded as Automobiles Gobron and shifted operations to Levallois-Perret. It continued producing opposed-piston engines until 1922, including a 25-horsepower model.
1922–1930
In 1922, the company adopted conventional Chapuis-Dornier engines of 1.5 litres and marketed vehicles under the Stabilia marque; however, sales were disappointing. Production peaked near 250 units annually by 1927 but dwindled to only two cars by 1930, culminating in bankruptcy.
Brillié’s career after 1903
After leaving in 1903, Brillié joined Ateliers Schneider at Le Havre where he concentrated on touring cars and commercial vehicles. Schneider gradually shifted focus from touring cars to utility vehicles and delivered its first buses for Paris in 1906. Due to insufficient facilities at Le Havre, production moved to plants in Chalon and Champagne-sur-Seine. By March 1914, Schneider’s automotive division was transferred to the Société d’outillage mécanique et d’usinage d’artillerie.
In December 1915, Brillié collaborated with Colonel Estienne on a tank development project that led to Joffre’s January 1916 approval for producing 400 "terrestrial battleships" armed with a 75 mm cannon—marking France’s first tank: the Schneider CA1.
Competitions and Achievements
- In the 1901 Paris-Berlin event, several Gobron-Brillié and Nanceenes automobiles took part
- Louis Rigolly secured third place in the 1901 Circuit du Nord race, which was specifically for alcohol-fueled vehicles, driving a Gobron-Brillié
- Rigolly emerged victorious in his category at the 1902 Château-Thierry hill climb
- The 1902 Circuit des Ardennes alcohol-fuel race saw Rigolly competing behind the wheel of a Gobron-Brillié
- During the 1903 Paris–Madrid race, a trio of cars driven by Rigolly, Arthur Duray, and Koechlin—each equipped with 13.5-litre four-cylinder engines—participated; although they did not finish among the leaders, they achieved multiple wins in speed hill-climb and sprint events
- The year 1903 brought numerous triumphs including wins at the Gordon Bennett Cup, Castlewellan hill-climb, Ostend speed meeting, as well as races at Grenoble, Laffrey, and Château-Thierry
- Arthur Duray claimed victory at Dourdan in 1903, reaching speeds of 136 km/h
- By March 1904, both Rigolly and Duray became the first drivers to surpass the 150 km/h mark
- On July 17, 1904, during Ostende Automobile Week, Rigolly set a new record by exceeding 100 mph (160 km/h), achieving an average speed of 103.56 mph over one kilometer in a 15-litre four-cylinder Gobron-Brillié
- The brand competed in significant events such as the 1906 French Grand Prix and in 1907 participated in the Targa Florio, Kaiser Preis, and French Grand Prix races
- Due to engine displacement rules, Gobron-Brillié vehicles were banned from entering the first formula-regulated French Grand Prix in 1908
- In 1930, a sports car designed and driven by Chabreiron with a 1.5-litre engine secured class victories at both the Six Hours of Burgundy and Circuit des Routes Pavées races