Majola
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive |
| Founded | 1908 |
| Founder | Jean Majola |
| Defunct | 1928 |
| Fate | Ceased vehicle production |
| Headquarters | Saint-Denis, later Chatou , France |
| Products | Automobile engines, Automobiles |
Majola was a French company specializing in the production of engines and automobiles, established in 1908 and manufacturing vehicles from 1911 until 1928.
The business
The enterprise was founded by Jean Majola in 1908 in Saint-Denis, initially concentrating on the creation of automobile engines. Early automobile designs, developed by F. Doutré, were launched in 1911. Around 1920, the company was taken over by Georges Irat, and by 1925, manufacturing operations were relocated to Irat's native town of Chatou. Vehicle production ended in 1928.
The cars
Majola's inaugural model, the "Type A" (1911), was equipped with a 1.3-litre four-cylinder engine, soon complemented by the smaller "Type B" featuring a 1-litre power unit. Both models resumed production following the First World War.
At the 1919 Paris Motor Show, Majola presented two compact four-cylinder automobiles: the Majola 10/20 HP with a 1,390cc engine and the 6/12 HP powered by a 983cc engine. Their wheelbases measured and , respectively. Both were available with four- or two-seat "Torpedo" style bodies.
By the time of the 1924 Paris Motor Show, Majola continued to offer two small vehicles with revised engines: the larger model retained its 1,390cc displacement; meanwhile, the smaller model's bore was increased to achieve 1,088cc, marketed as "7 HP". Wheelbases measured for the larger car and for the smaller one. The cost for four-seat Torpedo-bodied versions was set at 24,300 and 18,900 francs respectively.
Following a pause in participation during the 1925 Exhibition of Decorative Arts, Majola reappeared at the 1926 Motor Show with unchanged "7 HP" and "10 HP" models. Additionally, they introduced a new 5 HP Cyclecar equipped with an air-cooled engine designed by Vaslin, noted for his expertise in lightweight aviation engines.
Competition
A Majola vehicle with a sporting body and a 1,390cc engine competed in the 1925 24 Hours of Le Mans, driven by Jean Majola alongside Fernand Casellini; however, it retired after completing only 14 laps without achieving significant results.
Reading list
- Harald Linz, Halwart Schrader: Die Internationale Automobil-Enzyklopädie. United Soft Media Verlag, München 2008, . (German)
- George Nick Georgano (Ed.): The Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile. Volume 3: P–Z. Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, Chicago 2001, . (English)
- George Nick Georgano: Autos. Encyclopédie complète. 1885 à nos jours. Courtille, Paris 1975. (French)