Gladiator Cycle Company

The Société Gladiator was a 1891 founded by the French automobile pioneer Alexandre Darracq company to manufacture bicycles. Even at this stage company Darracq began with the construction of cars.

Company History

The founders sold the company five years later at a good profit and then founded the Automobiles Darracq SA, with which he only produced cars.

The buyer was Adolphe Clément, who with Charles Chetwynd - Talbot, 20th Earl of Shrewsbury ( 5th Earl Talbot, 1860-1921 ), behind which the financially strong group British Automobile Commercial Syndicate Ltd. had stood, and the French branch of " Humbert " together to form a group of companies.

Clément used his position as chairman of the group to the English in " Clément- Talbot " to rename the French branch in " Clément- Gladiator" and. With the construction of a second factory in Levallois -Perret, a western suburb of Paris, the engineer Leneveu was commissioned in 1897. There Clément built under the brand name "Gladiator " his first single-cylinder automobiles.

The group broke up in 1903. During Chetwynd - Talbot society Clement Talbot Ltd newly founded, took over Clément sold the licenses of its vehicles and founded his hand, a new company with a plant in the Picardie region.

Vinot & Deguingand bought 1909 gladiator. The next models were the models of Vinot & Deguingand.

Rolling stock

The first model had a single cylinder engine with 4 hp at the rear. 1899 was followed by models with front-wheel motors, two-speed gearbox and chain drive to the rear axle. Called are built-in motors of Aster 2.5 hp and 3.5 hp. 1905 there was a two-cylinder model and two models with four-cylinder engines with 3000 cc or 4000 cc and 28 hp.

1914, there were the four-cylinder models 12/14 CV with 1692 cc, 15.9 CV with 2210 cc capacity, 15/20 CV with 2612 cc and 25/30 CV with 4804 cc capacity. The two smaller models were still offered after the First World War until 1920.

Gladiator of 1901

Gladiator of 1902

Gladiator of 1902

Gladiator of 1904

Gladiator of 1907 at the Cité de l'Automobile - Musée National - Collection Schlumpf