Somua
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Machinery, Vehicles, Defense |
| Headquarters | Saint-Ouen , France |
| Products | Trucks, Tanks, Railcars, Buses, Trolleybuses |
| Parent | Schneider-Creusot |
Somua, short for Société d'outillage mécanique et d'usinage d'artillerie, was a French manufacturer specializing in machinery and vehicles. The company operated out of Saint-Ouen, a suburb near Paris, and functioned as a subsidiary of Schneider-Creusot.
Overview
In 1930, Somua introduced trucks equipped with sophisticated diesel engines, featuring half cabins and three axles, capable of carrying payloads between 10 and 13 tonnes. Additionally, it produced lighter gasoline-powered trucks designed to handle loads from 5 to 8 tonnes. By 1936, the company had developed the XS 1 to 11 railcar for the PLM railway.
Among Somua’s most distinguished products was the 20-ton World War II tank known as the Somua S35, along with its successor, the Somua S40. The firm was also responsible for manufacturing France's inaugural tank in 1916, the Schneider CA1, and during World War I, it produced Renault FT tanks at its Saint-Ouen facility.
Production of trucks nearly ceased between 1943 and 1946. In 1944, Somua developed the JL 12 truck under license from Swedish manufacturer Hesselman; this model featured a flexible-fuel four-cylinder engine. However, following decisions by the "Commission des plans de modernisation de l'automobile" in 1946, Somua was merged with Willème and Panhard, resulting in the formation of Générale française de l'automobile (GFA).
That same year, Somua launched the JL 15 series of trucks, which included a five-speed gearbox paired with an 8.6-liter six-cylinder diesel engine producing 130 horsepower. This range offered six chassis lengths spanning from 6.30 to 10.89 meters and configurations with two or three axles, supporting payload capacities between 11 and 16 tonnes. The JL 15 was available in both truck (JL 15T) and bus (JL 15LO) versions.
In 1948, Somua constructed two double-unit EMU railcars powered by 1500 V DC for SNCF, primarily deployed in southwestern regions of France.
By the year 1950, Somua had begun supplying its OP5 bus model to Paris’s public transportation authority, RATP.
The JL 19 truck made its debut in 1955 featuring two or three axles and powered by a six-cylinder D615 diesel engine with a displacement of 9.3 liters delivering 180 horsepower. It came equipped with a ten-speed manual transmission and was available as either a carrier or tractor unit across five chassis variants. Engines from multiple manufacturers were utilized, enabling payloads up to 26 tonnes. Around this period, Somua merged with Latil under the LRS brand; this entity later evolved into Saviem, which continued producing the JL series as the Saviem JL 20 using proprietary diesel engines.
Somua’s role as a trolleybus manufacturer was limited, producing only 55 units between 1938 and 1955. During this era, most French trolleybuses were supplied by Vétra. Somua’s trolleybuses were equipped with electrical propulsion systems sourced from Westinghouse.
See also
References
- Davies, Peter J. (2003). L'Encyclopédie mondiale des camions. Genève: Manise. ()
- L'Atlas des camions français, éd. Atlas, éd. Glénat ()