Louise Sarazin
Louise Sarazin | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1847-11-06 Foix, Ariège, France |
| Died | 1916-10-16 Paris, France |
| Other names | Louise Sarazin-Levassor |
| Occupation(s) | Industrial entrepreneur, businesswoman |
| Known for | Pioneering role in early automotive industry in France and Germany; managing automotive engine manufacturing rights and partnerships |
| Notable work | Negotiating and managing French manufacturing rights for Deutz and Daimler engines; partnership with Panhard & Levassor |
Louise Sarazin (also referred to as Louise Sarazin-Levassor), born on 6 November 1847 in Foix and passing away on 16 October 1916 in Paris, played a pivotal role in the nascent automotive industries of France and Germany. She was married to Edouard Sarazin, a Belgian industrial entrepreneur and patent attorney who collaborated with notable figures such as Émile Levassor, René Panhard, John Cockerill, Deutz AG, Gottlieb Daimler, and Wilhelm Maybach. In 1884, Edouard secured the French manufacturing rights for Deutz engines, entrusting production to Perin, Panhard & Cie based in Paris. By approximately 1886, he had also obtained licences for Daimler engines, commissioning Panhard & Levassor to build them domestically. Following Edouard’s death in 1887, Louise took charge of advancing these commercial alliances, negotiating directly with Daimler and Panhard et Levassor. She later wed Emile Levassor in 1890.[1][2][3][4]
Early life
Born Louise Cayrol in 1847 in Foix, located in the Ariège region of southern France, she was the daughter of Antoine Cayrol and Jeanne Cayrol (née Bonnafous). She also had a sister named Anne.[5]
In 1870, she entered into marriage with Edouard Sarazin, a patent attorney hailing from Liège, Belgium. Together they had three children: Jeanne (1878–1896), Auguste Henri (born 1880), and René (born 1887).[5]
Automotive industry
Edouard Sarazin was a forward-thinking industrialist and patent lawyer deeply involved in automotive collaborations with figures such as Émile Levassor, John Cockerill, Deutz AG, and the inventor Gottlieb Daimler. Acting on behalf of Gasmotorenfabrik Otto & Langen (Deutz AG) in 1884, he obtained the exclusive rights to produce Deutz engines within France, assigning manufacturing duties to Perin, Panhard & Cie in Paris. Around 1886 or 1887, he further secured licences to manufacture Daimler engines domestically and contracted Panhard & Levassor for production to adhere to French patent regulations.[1] After his passing in 1887, Louise took over the expansion of these business connections, successfully formalizing the agreement with Daimler. On 5 February 1889, she executed a contract that allocated Daimler 12% of revenues from all engines manufactured in France while receiving a 20% share from Panhard & Levassor.[2][5][3][1]
Final wishes
On his deathbed, Edouard advised his wife to uphold the business relationship with Daimler, stating: "For your own benefit and that of our children, I urge you to continue the partnership with Daimler. His invention is completely reliable and promises a future whose scale we cannot yet fully comprehend."
He also emphasized the importance of maintaining ties with Levassor and Panhard.
Levassor
In May of 1890, Louise Sarazin married Emile Levassor.
During the 1896 Paris–Marseille–Paris competition, Levassor was involved in an accident while attempting to avoid a dog; he sustained injuries that ultimately led to his death in Paris the following year.
Literature
- Reinhard Seiffert: Die Ära Gottlieb Daimlers. Neue Einblicke in die Frühgeschichte des Automobils und seiner Technik. Vieweg+Teubner, Wiesbaden 2009, ISBN 978-3-8348-0962-9.
- Reinhard Seiffert: The era of Gottlieb Daimler. Fresh insights into the early development of the automobile and its technology. Vieweg + Teubner, Wiesbaden 2009, ISBN 978-3-8348-0962-9.
See also
- De Boisse, co-owned by Levassor and Sarazin
External links
- French Motorcycles - Levassor and De Boisse
- History Garage.com - Emile Levassor
- Daimler.com - Louise Sarazin and Bertha Benz: Two pioneering women with "Gasoline in the Blood"
- Reinhard Seiffert: The era of Gottlieb Daimler
- John Cockerill and Co (Grace's guide)
- The Motor Museum in Miniature - Louise Sarazin-Levassor
- The Pit-crew Online - The Inventor, An Engine, A Love Story
- James M. Laux: In First Gear. The French automobile industry to 1914. McGill-Queen's University Press, Montreal 1976.
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedLaux - ↑ 2.0 2.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedSeiffert - ↑ 3.0 3.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedDaimler.com - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedCyber - ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedMMiM