Million-Guiet
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Coachbuilding, automotive components, bus manufacturing |
| Founded | 1854 in Paris, France |
| Fate | Closed in 1943 (coachbuilding and components production) |
| Headquarters | Paris , France |
| Products | Carriages, automobile bodies, automotive components, buses, trolleybuses |
Million-Guiet was a French firm specializing in coachbuilding.
History
Established in Paris in 1854 initially to build carriages, Million-Guiet transitioned to crafting automobile bodies around 1900 in Levallois-Perret. Their early designs, however, were regarded as outdated until the outbreak of World War I in 1914.
In 1919, the company secured a license from Gustave Baehr to manufacture lighter vehicle bodies using chassis from various manufacturers including Chenard & Walcker, Hispano-Suiza, Panhard & Levassor, Peugeot, and Voisin.
Ownership changed hands in 1928 when Luis Sanz and M. Mossier assumed control of Million-Guiet. By 1930, they obtained a patent for the Toutalu construction technique developed by Jean de Vizcaya and granted production rights to D'Ieteren. This innovative approach incorporated lightweight metal materials and allowed Million-Guiet to expand its clientele to prestigious marques such as Alfa Romeo, Bugatti, Citroën, Delage, Hispano-Suiza, Lorraine-Dietrich, Panhard & Levassor, and Talbot. They also designed bodies for vehicles like the Cord L-29, Lancia Dilambda, and Renault Vivastella. Additional significant partnerships included Ballot, Bugatti Types 46 and 50, Farman, Isotta Fraschini, Lincoln, Minerva, Rochet-Schneider, Rolls-Royce, and Turcat-Méry.
Although recognized for their craftsmanship, Million-Guiet's angular styling lost popularity as aerodynamic designs dominated the 1930s market. Production of complete automobile bodies ended by 1936, yet the company continued producing automotive components until its closure in 1943.
From 1950 to 1954, operating under the names Million-Guiet-Tubauto, they manufactured buses and trolleybuses marketed under the MGT and Tubauto brands.