Clément-Bayard

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Clément-Bayard was a French automobile manufacturer from 1903 to 1922.

The company was founded in Mézières (now Charleville-Mézières) by Gustave Adolphe Clément just after he left his earlier firm, Clément, which continued automobile production under the name Clément-Gladiator. The name Bayard was chosen because a statue of the Chevalier who saved the town of Mézières in 1521 stood in front of the Mézières factory. The Chevalier was also featured on the logo of the company.

Initially, there was much in common between the cars made by both factories. Clément-Bayard cars were imported to Britain under the Talbot brand.

In 1907, however, 10/12 hp, a new model appeared, with unit gearbox and dashboard radiator. Clément-Bayard models were of high quality, continued after the World War I with an 8 hp (6 kW) and a 17.6 hp (13.1 kW) model. The factory was taken over by the quickly expanding Citroën and from then on, only spare parts were produced.

From 1908, the firm built a number of military airships.