Vermorel
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Engineering, Automotive, Agricultural machinery |
| Founded | 1850 |
| Founder | Antoine Vermorel |
| Defunct | 1965 |
| Headquarters | Villefranche-sur-Saône , France |
Area served | France |
Key people | Victor Vermorel, Édouard Vermorel, François Pilain, Claude Givaudan |
| Products | Automobiles, Commercial vehicles, Agricultural machinery |
Établissements V. Vermorel was a French engineering firm active from 1850 until 1965, maintaining family leadership until the passing of Édouard Vermorel in 1957. Although the company unveiled its initial automobile in 1899, it engaged in consistent car manufacturing primarily between 1908 and 1930, while commercial vehicle production extended through 1932.
Origins
The roots of Vermorel trace back to Antoine Vermorel’s agricultural machinery enterprise founded in 1843 at Beauregard near Lyon, specializing in threshing machines and woodworking tools. By 1850, the business relocated to larger premises in Villefranche-sur-Saône, concentrating on agricultural and woodworking machinery production. Victor Vermorel became part of the firm in 1863. Toward the end of the nineteenth century, Vermorel developed equipment for spraying sulfur-based insecticides and fungicides, catering to vineyards recovering from the devastation caused by the Phylloxera infestation.
In pursuit of diversification, Vermorel turned its attention to the nascent automobile industry. François Pilain (1859–1924), who had prior experience with Serpollet and La Buire and briefly operated his own car company starting in 1897, joined Vermorel. Pilain spearheaded the creation of Vermorel’s first automobile prototype, showcased at the 1899 Lyon Fair. This model featured a twin-cylinder engine transmitting power via chain drive to the rear wheels. Despite innovative transmission engineering, production ceased in 1901 when Pilain departed to found Société des Automobiles Pilain (SAP) in Lyon. Following his exit, Vermorel temporarily halted its automotive pursuits but recommenced regular car manufacturing in 1908.
Before the war
During the early 1900s, France was a global leader in automobile production; by 1911, Vermorel employed approximately 800 workers. The company’s first mass-produced vehicle launched in 1908 was principally designed by engineer Claude Givaudan and incorporated a 1.8-litre four-cylinder T-head engine, a four-speed gearbox, and three-quarter-elliptic rear suspension. By 1911, Vermorel had established a stable model lineup; by 1912, offerings included cars powered by 2.2 and 3.3 litre engines. In 1913, the firm introduced modern L-head engines for its "8/10 CV" and "16/20 CV" models with displacements of 1.5 and 2.8 litres respectively. The "12/16 CV" model with a 2.3 litre engine debuted in 1914 as Vermorel’s final pre-World War I car and was also the first to return after the conflict.
After the war
Within a year following World War I’s end, Vermorel concentrated on its "Type S" 12/16HP model equipped with a 2234cc four-cylinder engine mounted on a 3100mm wheelbase derived from pre-war designs. This vehicle was displayed at the 1919 Paris Motor Show and priced at 22,500 francs for a four-seat "Torpedo" body style.
In 1922, Vermorel launched the conservatively engineered "Type X" featuring a side-valve fixed-head engine of 1690cc displacement, coupled with a four-speed transmission and optional four-wheel braking system. By the time of the 1924 Paris Motor Show, this model was the sole offering presented; it was available both as a standard "Tourisme-ville" and an overhead valve "Sport" variant with wheelbases measuring 3100mm and 2950mm respectively. The "Torpedo" bodied version carried a price tag of 27,200 francs.
After Victor Vermorel passed away in 1927, leadership passed to his son Édouard; François Pilain had died three years earlier in 1924. At the Paris Motor Show of 1928, an updated "Type ZX" retained the same 1690cc engine but featured a slightly shortened wheelbase of 3050mm. It was offered in "Grand Tourisme" and "Sport" trims capable of reaching speeds up to 100 km/h. Additionally, a new premium model called "Type AH3" was introduced featuring a conventional yet advanced-for-the-era two-litre six-cylinder engine on a 3100mm wheelbase, equipped with a four-speed gearbox and twelve-volt coil ignition.
The advent of the Great Depression in 1929 coincided unfavorably with Vermorel’s upscale market ambitions. The automotive industry's shift toward all-steel bodies—dominated by large manufacturers such as Citroën—required substantial capital investments beyond what mid-sized producers could manage. As a result, Édouard Vermorel ended passenger car manufacturing by 1930; however, truck production persisted until 1932. The company then redirected focus towards agricultural machinery manufacturing, leveraging its extensive engineering background.
Following Édouard Vermorel’s death in 1957, ownership changed hands several times before the company ultimately ceased operations in 1965.
External links
- GTÜ Gesellschaft für Technische Überwachung mbH (German language) (retrieved 21 March 2013)
Recommended reading
- Harald Linz, Halwart Schrader: Die Internationale Automobil-Enzyklopädie. United Soft Media Verlag, Munich 2008, . (in German)
- George Nick Georgano (Editor-in-Chief): The Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile. Volume 3: P–Z. Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, Chicago 2001, . (in English)
- George Nick Georgano: Autos. Encyclopédie complète. 1885 à nos jours. Courtille, Paris 1975. (in French)