Lorraine-Dietrich
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive, Aircraft engines |
| Predecessor | Société Lorraine des Anciens Etablissements de Dietrich et Cie de Lunéville |
| Founded | 1884 (as Société Lorraine des Anciens Etablissements de Dietrich et Cie de Lunéville) |
| Founder | Jean de Dietrich |
| Defunct | 1935 (ceased automobile production) |
| Fate | Ceased automobile manufacturing; shifted focus to aircraft engines and military vehicles |
| Headquarters | Lunéville, later Argenteuil (post-WWI) , France |
Area served | France, United Kingdom (via Ariel Mors Limited) |
Key people | Baron Adrien de Turckheim, Ettore Bugatti, Marius Barbarou |
| Products | Automobiles, Aircraft engines, Military vehicles |
| Owner | De Dietrich family (until 1928) |
| Parent | Société Générale Aéronautique (from 1930 for Argenteuil facility) |
Lorraine-Dietrich was a French manufacturer specializing in automobiles and aircraft engines from 1896 until 1935. The company emerged when the railway locomotive producer Société Lorraine des Anciens Etablissements de Dietrich et Cie de Lunéville, established in 1884 by Jean de Dietrich, diversified into the automotive sector. The Franco-Prussian War caused production to be divided between Niederbronn-les-Bains in Alsace and Lunéville in Lorraine.
Beginnings
In 1896, Baron Adrien de Turckheim, director of the Lunéville facility, secured rights to a design by Amédée Bollée that featured a front-mounted horizontal twin-cylinder engine with sliding clutches and belt transmission. Initially relying on Bollée engines, De Dietrich soon began manufacturing complete automobiles.
The Torpilleur racer appeared in 1898, equipped with a four-cylinder engine and front independent suspension, competing in the Paris-Amsterdam Trial. Although driver Etienne Giraud experienced a crash, he still managed to finish third. This achievement generated revenues exceeding one million gold francs. In 1899, the company introduced a model with an underslung chassis and rear-mounted monobloc four-cylinder engine; however, it failed to complete the Tour de France due to inadequate preparation.
After reaching an agreement with Turcat-Méry in 1901, De Dietrich replaced the Bollée-derived design with a licensed Belgian Vivinus voiturette at Niederbronn and adopted Turcat-Méry models at Lunéville.
In 1902, the firm employed 21-year-old Ettore Bugatti, who developed an overhead valve 24 hp four-cylinder engine paired with a four-speed gearbox to succeed the Vivinus. Bugatti also designed the 30/35 model in 1903 before departing for Mathis in 1904.
That same year marked the end of car production at Niederbronn, leaving Lunéville as the sole manufacturing site. Meanwhile, Alsace marketed badge-engineered Turcat-Méry cars under the De Dietrich name. To differentiate these vehicles, Lunéville incorporated the cross of Lorraine emblem on their grilles. Lorraine-Dietrich gained recognition as a prestigious brand alongside Crossley and Itala, attempting to penetrate the ultra-luxury market between 1905 and 1908 with six-wheeled £4,000 limousines de voyage.
The brand's reputation was partly built on motorsport participation—consistent though not always victorious—including Charles Jarrott’s third-place finish in the 1903 Paris–Madrid race and a dominant 1-2-3 victory at the 1906 Circuit des Ardennes led by Arthur Duray.
In 1907, De Dietrich acquired Isotta Fraschini and produced two overhead camshaft cars based on their designs, including a 10 hp model reportedly designed by Bugatti. The company also took control of Birmingham's Ariel Mors Limited to offer its only British model—a 20 hp four-cylinder displayed at the 1908 Olympia Motor Show—available as either chassis or coachbuilt versions. This British venture lasted approximately one year.
By 1908, De Dietrich’s lineup included chain-driven touring fours ranging from 18/28 hp to 60/80 hp priced between £550 and £960, alongside a six-cylinder 70/80 hp model costing £1,040; British versions were equipped with shaft drive. That year marked the rebranding of both automotive and aero-engine divisions under the Lorraine-Dietrich name.
By 1914, all vehicles featured shaft-driven transmissions, including models such as the 12/16, 18/20, new 20/30 tourers, and sporty four-cylinder 40/75 variants manufactured at Argenteuil—the site that would become the postwar headquarters.
Post-World War I
Following World War I and Lorraine’s reintegration into France, production of both automobiles and aircraft engines recommenced. Their twelve-cylinder aero engines were supplied to manufacturers including Breguet, IAR, and Aero.
In 1919, technical director Marius Barbarou launched the A1-6 and B2-6 models, followed by the B3-6 in 1922. These vehicles featured six-cylinder engines with overhead valves, hemispherical combustion chambers, aluminium pistons, and four-bearing crankshafts, all classified within the 15 CV fiscal horsepower category.
By 1923, three touring cars performed commendably during the inaugural 24 Hours of Le Mans, leading to the introduction of the 15 Sport in 1924. This model incorporated twin carburetors, enlarged valves, and uncommon four-wheel servo-assisted brakes. It secured second and third places at Le Mans while competing against formidable three-litre Bentleys. The 15 CV Sport achieved victory at Le Mans in 1925 and accomplished a historic 1-2-3 finish in 1926, becoming Lorraine-Dietrich’s second consecutive Le Mans winner.
This racing triumph increased demand for touring versions bodied by Gaston Grümmer, renowned for coachwork on brands such as Aurora and Olympia. The range expanded to include a twelve CV four-cylinder (produced until 1929) and a thirty CV six-cylinder (offered until 1927). The fifteen CV remained available through to 1932; its Sport variant concluded production after its final competitive appearance at the 1931 Monte Carlo Rally.
Corporate renaming
After the De Dietrich family divested their shares, the firm adopted the name Lorraine starting in 1928.
Cessation of car manufacturing
The 15 CV model was succeeded by the 20 CV, which featured a larger engine; however, production numbers remained limited to a few hundred units. Due to ongoing financial losses in the automotive segment and the underperformance of the 20 CV, vehicle manufacturing was discontinued in 1935.
In 1930, the Argenteuil facility was integrated into Société Générale Aéronautique, transitioning its focus to aircraft engine production and manufacturing licensed six-wheeled trucks from Tatra. By 1935, Lorraine-Dietrich had fully withdrawn from the car industry. Prior to World War II, the company concentrated on military vehicle production, including the Lorraine 37L armoured personnel carrier.
Meanwhile, the Lunéville factory resumed locomotive construction for railways. During the 1950s, it was acquired by the American corporation General Trailers and operated under the name Trailor (Trailmobile Lorraine), specializing in truck manufacturing.
Aviation engines
- Lorraine 5P – radial engine with five cylinders
- Lorraine 6A (AM) – 110 horsepower
- Lorraine 7M Mizar – seven-cylinder radial design
- Lorraine 8A – V-8 configuration
- Lorraine 8B – V-8 engine
- Lorraine 9N Algol – nine-cylinder radial type
- Lorraine Dietrich 12Cc
- Lorraine 12 D – V-12 engine
- Lorraine 12E Courlis – W-12 delivering 450 hp
- Lorraine 12F Courlis – W-12 rated at 600 hp
- Lorraine 12H Pétrel – V-12 design
- Lorraine 12Q Eider
- Lorraine 12R Sterna – V-12 producing 700 hp
- Lorraine 12Rcr Radium – inverted V-12 with turbochargers, outputting 2,000 hp
- Lorraine 14A Antarès – fourteen-cylinder radial, generating 500 hp
- Lorraine 14E – fourteen-cylinder radial engine with 470 hp
- Lorraine 18F Sirius – eighteen-cylinder radial configuration
- Lorraine 18G Orion – W-18 engine type
- Lorraine 18K – W-18 powerplant
- Lorraine-Dietrich 18Kd
- Lorraine 24 – W-24 delivering around 1,000 hp
- Lorraine 24E Taurus – twenty-four-cylinder radial (possibly six banks of four inline cylinders), producing approximately 1,600 hp
- Lorraine AM (moteur d’Aviation Militaire) – based on German six-cylinder inline engines
- Lorraine Algol Junior – rated at 230 hp
- Lorraine-Latécoère 8B
- Lorraine Diesel – developed in 1932, with a power rating of 200 hp
Related topics
References
- Burgess-Wise, David. "De Dietrich: France's Veteran Car Manufacturer," featured in The World of Automobiles, volume five, Orbis Publishing, London, 1974.
- Georgano, G. N. Cars: Early and Vintage 1886-1930, Grange-Universal, London, 1990.
- Hartmann, Gérard. Liore et Olivier, E-T-A-I, Boulogne-Billancourt, 2002.