Gladiator Cycle Company

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Gladiator Double Phaeton of 1907, 2 cylinder, 2423 Cubikcentimeter, 12 PS, 45 km/h, Cité de l'Automobile – Musée National – Collection Schlumpf, Mulhouse, France
Gladiator Double Phaeton of 1907, 2 cylinder, 2423 Cubikcentimeter, 12 PS, 45 km/h, Cité de l'Automobile – Musée National – Collection Schlumpf, Mulhouse, France

The Gladiator Cycle Company was a French manufacturer of bicycles and cars based in Pré St Gervais, Seine and founded by Alexandre Darracq and Paul Aucoq in 1891.[1]

Darracq sold the company in 1896 to a syndicate formed by Adolphe Clément and Lord Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, 20th Earl of Shrewsbury, with the British Automobile Commercial Syndicate Ltd and renamed it Clement, Gladiator & Humber (France) Ltd. They added a range of cars and motorcycles to the bicycles.

Clément renamed the French branch "Clément-Gladiator" and the English branch "Clément-Talbot". The company was divided in 1903, Charles Chetwynd-Talbot getting "Clément-Talbot Ltd" and Adolphe Clément forming Clément-Bayard.

In 1906 Gladiator was bought by Vinot et Deguingand who transferred production to their factory at Puteaux.[1] The Pré St Gervais works continued to make bicycles.

The Gladiator name was dropped from the cars in 1920.[1]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c Georgano, N. (2000). Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile. London: HMSO. ISBN 1-57958-293-1. 

[edit] External links

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