Adolphe Clément
Encyclopedia
Gustave Adolphe Clément-Bayard (also spelled Gustave Adolphe Clément, Gustavus Adolphus Clément, Gustavus Adolphus Clément-Bayard; 22 September 1855 – 10 March 1928) was a French entrepreneur. An orphan who became a blacksmith and a Compagnon du Tour de France
, he went on to manufacture bicycles, pneumatic tyres, motorcycles, automobiles, aeroplanes and airships.
In 1894 he was a passenger in the winning vehicle in the world's first motor race. George Lemaitre's Peugot was judged to be the winner of the Paris-Rouen Competition for Horeseless Carriages (Concours des Voitures sans Chevaux).
He changed his name to Clément-Bayard five years after the successful launch of the Clément-Bayard automobile brand. It honoured the Chevalier
Pierre Terrail, seigneur de Bayard
who saved the town of Mézières
from an Imperial
army during the Siege of Mézières in 1521.
Clément-Bayard was appointed a Commander of the Légion d'honneur in 1912.
. He was the second of five children of Leopold Adolphus Clement and Julie Alexandrine Rousselle. His mother died when he was seven years old and although his father remarried he also died 2 years later when Adolphe was nine years old. For the next seven years he was raised by his stepmother who had remarried a school teacher. Adolphe studied at the primary school in Pierrefonds and then at the College of Villers-Cotterêts
. He worked in the family business by delivering groceries, and at 13 chose to be apprenticed to a farrier/blacksmith.
During the winter of 1871–1872, the 16 year old Adolphe left Pierrefonds to travel around France as a Compagnon du Tour de France
, an organization of craftsmen and artisans dating from the Middle Ages
. He had saved 30 francs (circa 100 Euros in 2006) by doing multiple jobs for three years. He subsisted in each city by working in forges owned by the Compagnons du Tour de France
, shoeing horses, repairing metal and doing any kind of work. He reached Paris in 1872 followed by Orléans
and Tours
where he encountered 'Truffault cycles'. This led him to acquire 2 wooden cart wheels and build an iron bicycle frame.
Cycle racing had begun in 1869 (Paris–Rouen), so in 1873 Truffaut lent the 18 year old Clement an iron bicycle with solid rubber tires to race in Angers
. He finished 6th and was exhilarated to read his name in the newspapers.
, Angèle, Jeanne and Maurice. Albert died while racing at the 1907 French Grand Prix. Angèle (1880–1972) was widowed from Albert Dumont, an engineer and director at the Levallois factory. Angele then remarried Numa Joseph Edouard "Petit" Sasias (1882–1927), a 'Fonctionnaire aux Affaires Etrangères, ex-Secrétaire à la Présidence du Conseil, with whom she had one son. Jeanne became divorced from Fernand Charron
, racing driver and manager of the plant at Levallois-Perret, subsequently living alone. Maurice married Renée Hammond and had three children Andrée, Jacqueline and Albert (nicknamed "Billy" to avoid confusion and memories of his uncle Albert).
The Domaine Bois D'Aucourt in Pierrefonds was originally a 17th century hunting lodge of the Sun King Louis XIV
which had been upgraded circa 1822. Located 1.5 kilometre (0.93205910497471 mi) west of both the Château de Pierrefonds
and his own birthplace on the rue du Bourg, Adolphe Clement bought the property around 1904 and employed architect Edward Redont to renovate and remodel it.
Latterly the mansion 'Domaine du Bois d'Aucourt' at Pierrefonds was used by his son Maurice, while Adolphe continued living at 35 Avenue du Bois de Boulogne, Neuilly-sur-Seine.
who also managed the Vélodrome Buffalo
, and its events were an integral part of Parisian life, being regularly attended by personalities such as Toulose Lautrec
. Clément reportedly sold or converted this around 1900.
On achieving business success he used the Latin
ate format of his name, Gustavus Adolphus, and later (circa 1909) received permission from the Conseil d'État to change his surname to Clément-Bayard.
The death of his son Albert while racing at the 1907 French Grand Prix
had a lasting effect on him. In 1913 he was elected as mayor of Pierrefonds and, on taking office he ceded control in 1914 of Clément-Bayard to his son Maurice who was passionate about aviation.
In 1928 he died of a heart attack while driving along the rue Laffitte to a meeting of a 'Board of Directors' in Paris.
, aged 21. The next stage of his business plan was to move to Marseille
where he learned how to manufacture steel tubes for bicycles. The following year he moved to Lyon
and began manufacturing whole bicycles under the name 'Clement SA cycles'.
At the end of 1878 Adolphe partnered the cycling champion Charles Terront
at the 'Six-Days' cycling event at the Agricultural Hall in London. He also opened a sales showroom at 31 rue 'du 4-September'
, in Paris and started a poster advertising campaign, a new concept.
In September 1879, Clement built an iron smelter
in Tulle
, in the Limousin
where there was a good supply of water power, but he did not have sufficient finance to make it viable and Tulle was too remote from Paris, so he had to sell the plant.
By 1880 the "Clément" cycle manufacturing business at Rue Brunel, had circa 150 employees building bicycles.(Image and description of 1880 Clément cycle) The machines were regarded as high quality and by 1890 Clément was the leading cycle brand in France.
, a French manufacturer of bicycles was founded by Alexandre Darracq
and Paul Aucoq in 1891 at Le Pré-Saint-Gervais
in north east Paris. Adolphe Clément was a major investor in this venture.
In 1895 Gladiator introduced its first internal combustion, a naphtha
powered tricycle.
In 1896 Adolphe Clément was associated with Lord Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, 20th Earl of Shrewsbury
and (yet to be convicted) fraudster Harry John Lawson
of the British Automobile Commercial Syndicate Ltd (BACS) They bought Gladiator which was then merged into a major bicycle manufacturing conglomerate of Clement, Gladiator & Humber
(France) Ltd valued at 22 million francs (circa €60–80 million Euro in 2006). In 1897 Lawson's BACS ltd collapsed so he (and Humber) parted company, but Clément and Talbot remained as directors. The range of cycles was expanded with tricycle
s, quadracycle
s, and in 1902 a motorised bicycle, then cars and motorcycles.
Shortly after the purchase of Gladiator cycles Adolfe Clément began to build the new factory at Levallois-Perret
in north west Paris, which also produced various cars from 1898, (see below) and went on to build the Citroën 2CV
for nearly forty years.
powered tricycle. In 1902 they offered a motorized bicycle with a 142 cc engine that had an automatic inlet valve, an overhead exhaust valve and an external flywheel. The combined oil and petrol tank was behind the saddle and the batteries were stored in a leather case strapped to the horizontal frame tube. This 'motorisation adaptation' was sold on both Clément and Gladiator cycles.
pneumatic tyre
in London and acquired the French manufacturing rights for 50,000 francs. This success lead to his millionaire status. The company he formed with a capital of 700,000 francs paid 100 per cent dividend in its first year of operation.
By 1898 the new Clement-Gladiator company was building cars and marketing them as both Clements and Gladiators. Gladiators were imported into England by the 'Motor Power Company' which was co-owned by S. F. Edge and Harvey du Cros
of the English branch of Dunlop
.
From 1901 Clément-Gladiator cars were built at the Levallois-Perret factory and by 1902 production was over 1,000 cars per annum, 800+ of which were sold in England.
After 1903 the Clément-Gladiator name continued to be used on the 'shaft-drive' cars made at the Pre-Saint-Gervais factory, whilst chain-driven vehicles were marketed as Gladiators. The Clément name was dropped in 1907 and in 1909 another French manufacturer, Vinot et Deguingand, took over Gladiator and transferred production to Puteaux. At this time the Pre-Saint-Gervais factory reverted to making bicycles.
on a former military site at Mézières (now Charleville-Mézières
). He chose the name Bayard in commemoration of the Chevalier
Pierre Terrail, seigneur de Bayard
who saved the town of Mézières in 1521. A statue of the Chevalier stood in front of the Mézières factory, and the image was incorporated into the company logo. After the split both marques built very similar cars, but the specifications gradually diverged.
In 1922 the Clément-Bayard company was sold to André Citroën
, in whom Adolphe also invested financially, and the factory at Levallois-Perret was the centre of 2CV
manufacturing for the next 40 years.
. It was designed by airship pioneer Commandant Arthur Krebs, of Panhard, and used a tubular chassis, centre-pivot steering, near-horizontal 3.5 hp rear-mounted engine with automatic inlet valve and hot-tube ignition, driving through a constant-mesh gear-train, and final drive by side chains and early models had no reverse gear.
On 11 October 1902 Clément-Talbot was formally incorporated, and subsequently 5 acres (20,234.3 m²) of land was purchased for a new factory in Ladbroke Grove
, North Kensington
in west London, between the Great Western Railway
line and the 'Edinburgh road' before it was renamed 'Barlby road'. The factory was a high status operation whose brick workshops used the latest saw-tooth roof line, glazed to maximise natural light. It was equipped with the most modern machine tools and the reception area was laid out like a miniature palace, marble Ionic columns
, gilded
fresco
es and stained glass
windows etched with the Shrewsbury coat of arms. The building is now known as Ladbroke Hall.
The company traded as Clément-Talbot and the factory was titled Clément-Talbot, but the cars were always known as Talbot
s.
who had been coachbuilders in Turin
since 1835. The cars, known as Torinos were built in Turin under licence from Clément. The first car was the 20-25HP which used a 3,770cc four cylinder engine. This was followed by a 10-12HP (1,884cc two-cylinder) and a 14-18HP (2,724cc four-cylinder). This series was a success and was followed by a six-cylinder model. In 1909 Clement left the business and the company was renamed 'Societa Fonderie Officine Frejus'.
's (Peugeot
) that was judged to be the 'official winner' of what is considered to be the world's first motor race on 22 July 1894, from Paris to Rouen.
The event was a publicity exercise organised by Pierre Giffard
of Le Petit Journal
newspaper and consisted of 69 cars starting a 50 kilometres (31.1 mi) selection event before 25 were allowed into the main event, the 127 kilometres (78.9 mi) race from Paris (Porte Maillot) to Rouen
. Georges Lemaître completed the course in 9 hour 18 minutes at an average speed of 13.6 kilometres per hour (8.5 mph), followed by Doriot
(Peugeot), René Panhard
(Panhard
) and Émile Levassor
(Panhard). Count Jules-Albert de Dion reached Rouen 3’30” ahead of Georges Lemaître but as cars were judged on speed, handling and safety characteristics the official winners were Peugeot and Panhard. De Dion's steam car needed a stoker which was forbidden.
Clément-Bayard started building automobiles in 1903 and then started building racing cars in 1904. The racing team included Albert Clément
, Jacques Guders, Rene Hanriot, Marc-Philippe Villemain, 'Carlès', "De la Touloubre" and A. Villemain, and Pierre Garcets.
on 20 May 1904. This was an eliminating contest for the French entry into the Coupe Internationale (Gordon Bennett Race) where only three cars were allowed per country. Clement finished in 7 hours 10 minutes 52.8 seconds.
Albert Clément won the II Circuit des Ardennes des Voiturettes on 24 July 1904 at Bastogne
in 4h 26m 52.6seconds at an average speed of 53.91 km/h.
Clément drove his Clement-Bayard into third place at the III Circuit des Ardennes race at Bastogne, on 25 July 1904.
Clément finished second at the 1904 I.W.K. Vanderbilt Cup Race on Long Island
on 8 October 1904.
on 16 June. This was a qualifier for the Coupe Internationale (Gordon Bennett Race).
At the 1905 Vanderbilt cup on Long Island Clément drove an 80-hp Clément-Bayard (France #12) but suffered reliability problems.
Clément retired his Clement-Bayard after the first 166 km lap of the II Coppa Florio at Brescia
Italy on 4 September 1905. His team-mate 'Carlès' retired after 2 laps.
at Le Mans
where Albert Clément finished third in his 100Hp machine. He completed the 1,238 km event in 12 hours 49 minutes 46.2seconds. Clément lead the race at the end of laps 2 and 5 on the second day. Punctures were common and Michelin
introduced a detachable rim, saving 11 minutes over manually replacing the tyre. This enabled Felice Nazzaro
(FIAT
) to take second place from Clément.
Albert Clément finished 6th in the V Circuit des Ardennes on 13 August 1906 at Bastogne. He completed the 7 lap 961 km race in 6 hours 2 minutes 55.2 seconds in a 100Hp Clement-Bayard. His team-mates A. Villemain and Pierre Garcet finished 11th and 12th.
At the 1906 Vanderbilt cup Clément finished 4th driving a 100 hp Clément-Bayard (France #15) and completing the ten laps averaging 59 mi/h.
on 17 May. Of the 3 other Clément-Bayard entries, Pierre Garcet and Elliott Shepard, finished 7th and eighth respectively. Clément's car was entered by 'Alezy' who retired after 4 laps.
, using a 12,963 cc six-cylinder overhead camshaft engine. Victor Rigal finished 4th.
.
The company worked with Louis Capazza
to produce the 'planeur (glider) Bayard-Clément' that was unveiled in L'Aérophile
on 15 May 1908.
The company also started working with Alberto Santos-Dumont
in 1908 to build his Demoiselle No 19
monoplane that he had designed to compete for the Coupe d'Aviation Ernest Archdeacon
prize from the Aéro-Club de France
. The plane was small and stable, but they planned a production run of 100 units, built 50 and sold only 15 for 7,500 francs for each airframe. It was the world's first series production aircraft. By 1909 it was offered with a choice of 3 engines, Clement 20 hp; Wright 4-cyl 30 hp (Clement-Bayard had the license to manufacture Wright engines); and Clement-Bayard 40 hp designed by Pierre Clerget. It achieved 120 km/h.
Pierre Clerget designed a range of Clement-Bayard aircraft engines including a 7-cylinder supercharged radial, the 4-cyl 40 hp used on the Demoiselle, a 4-cyl 100 hp used on 'Hanriot Etrich' monoplanes, and a V8 200 hp airship engine.
In 1910 the Clement-Bayard Monoplane No. 1 was introduced at the Paris show.
By 1912 Clément-Bayard built a biplane plus three different models of horizontally opposed aircraft engines.
In November 1912 The Clement-Bayard Monoplane No. 5 was introduced. It was powered by a Gnome 7 cylinder rotary engine producing 70 hp. The pilot sat in an aluminium and leather tub.
In 1913 a three-seater biplane was introduced as part of the military project, the Clement-Bayard No. 6. It was configured for two observers in front of the pilot, and was powered by either a 4-cyl 100 hp Clement-Bayard or 4-cylinder Gnome engine.
In 1914 Clément-Bayard produced a steel scouting monoplane powered by either an 80 hp motor or a 100 hp Gnome et Rhône
engine. The nickel steel armour was designed for protection against rifle fire.
In 1908 'Astra Clément-Bayard' began manufacturing airships at a new factory in La Motte-Breuil
in response to a French Army decision to commence airship operations.
The Clément-Bayard No.1
airship was offered to the French government but was too expensive so it was bought by Tsar Nicholas II
for the Russian army.
In 1910 the Clément-Bayard No.2
, piloted by Maurice Clément, was the first airship to cross the Channel, travelling over 380 km in 6 hours. The army ordered 3 copies.
The airship hangar in La Motte-Breuil is still maintained by Clément-Talbot Ltd.
, the Art Nouveau furniture and jewelry designer and father of Ettore Bugatti
who also lived in the town. Adolphe remained in Paris with his family.
Adolphe ceded control of Clément-Bayard to his son Maurice in 1914 before the start of the war, but the consequences for the company were disastrous. The La Macérienne factory at Mézières was lost to the Germans in the opening weeks, as were his home, mayoral town and factories at Pierrefonds. The industrial machinery was shipped back to Germany, and the forge
s, foundries
and smelter
were destroyed. La Macérienne was gutted and used as an indoor riding school for German officers.
Automobile production at Levallois-Perret in Paris was suspended in August 1914 and the factory was turned over to war production, military equipment and military vehicles, aero engines, airships and planes.
on 12 April 1922.
split France at the end of the 19th century over the guilt or innocence of a soldier, Alfred Dreyfus
, who had been convicted of selling secrets to the Germans. In 1900 Clément was one of the leading anti-Dreyfusard industrialists, along with comté Jules-Albert de Dion, who cancelled all advertising in the Drefusard newspaper Le Vélo
and started a rival daily sports paper, L'Auto-Velo
. The roots of both the Tour de France
cycle race and L'Équipe
newspaper, result from Clément's hostile anti-Dreyfusard stance. The Dreyfus affair
was eventually concluded with the official exoneration of Dreyfus (as an innocent person who had been framed). With the end of official inquiries it may be said that Clément and de Dion had been wrong for a decade.
In 1928 he died of a heart attack while driving to a meeting of a 'Board of Directors' in Paris.
His tomb is located at the 'Domaine du Bois d'Aucourt d'Adolphe Clément-Bayard' at Pierrefonds which has been a protected Historic Monument since 2004.
The rue Clément-Bayard runs through the centre of Pierrefonds, Oise
.
In 2005 a 50 CHF
gold coin was minted to commemorate the centenary of the Geneva Motor Show, with the theme "Clément 1905"
Compagnons du Tour de France
The Compagnons du Tour de France are a French organization of craftsmen and artisans dating from the Middle Ages, but still active today. Their traditional, technical education techniques includes taking a tour, the Tour de France around France and being the apprentice of competent masters...
, he went on to manufacture bicycles, pneumatic tyres, motorcycles, automobiles, aeroplanes and airships.
In 1894 he was a passenger in the winning vehicle in the world's first motor race. George Lemaitre's Peugot was judged to be the winner of the Paris-Rouen Competition for Horeseless Carriages (Concours des Voitures sans Chevaux).
He changed his name to Clément-Bayard five years after the successful launch of the Clément-Bayard automobile brand. It honoured the Chevalier
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
Pierre Terrail, seigneur de Bayard
Pierre Terrail, seigneur de Bayard
Pierre Terrail LeVieux, seigneur de Bayard was a French soldier, generally known as the Chevalier de Bayard. Throughout the centuries since his death, he has been known as "the knight without fear and beyond reproach"...
who saved the town of Mézières
Charleville-Mézières
Charleville-Mézières is a commune in northern France, capital of the Ardennes department in the Champagne-Ardenne region. Charleville-Mézières is located on the banks of the Meuse River.-History:...
from an Imperial
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
army during the Siege of Mézières in 1521.
Clément-Bayard was appointed a Commander of the Légion d'honneur in 1912.
Early life
Adolphe Clément, the son of a grocer, was born at rue du Bourg, Pierrefonds, OisePierrefonds, Oise
Pierrefonds is a village in northern France. It is designated municipally as a commune within the département of Oise.-References:*...
. He was the second of five children of Leopold Adolphus Clement and Julie Alexandrine Rousselle. His mother died when he was seven years old and although his father remarried he also died 2 years later when Adolphe was nine years old. For the next seven years he was raised by his stepmother who had remarried a school teacher. Adolphe studied at the primary school in Pierrefonds and then at the College of Villers-Cotterêts
Villers-Cotterêts
Villers-Cotterêts is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-Geography:It is located NE of Paris via the RN2 facing Laon...
. He worked in the family business by delivering groceries, and at 13 chose to be apprenticed to a farrier/blacksmith.
During the winter of 1871–1872, the 16 year old Adolphe left Pierrefonds to travel around France as a Compagnon du Tour de France
Compagnons du Tour de France
The Compagnons du Tour de France are a French organization of craftsmen and artisans dating from the Middle Ages, but still active today. Their traditional, technical education techniques includes taking a tour, the Tour de France around France and being the apprentice of competent masters...
, an organization of craftsmen and artisans dating from the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. He had saved 30 francs (circa 100 Euros in 2006) by doing multiple jobs for three years. He subsisted in each city by working in forges owned by the Compagnons du Tour de France
Compagnons du Tour de France
The Compagnons du Tour de France are a French organization of craftsmen and artisans dating from the Middle Ages, but still active today. Their traditional, technical education techniques includes taking a tour, the Tour de France around France and being the apprentice of competent masters...
, shoeing horses, repairing metal and doing any kind of work. He reached Paris in 1872 followed by Orléans
Orléans
-Prehistory and Roman:Cenabum was a Gallic stronghold, one of the principal towns of the Carnutes tribe where the Druids held their annual assembly. It was conquered and destroyed by Julius Caesar in 52 BC, then rebuilt under the Roman Empire...
and Tours
Tours
Tours is a city in central France, the capital of the Indre-et-Loire department.It is located on the lower reaches of the river Loire, between Orléans and the Atlantic coast. Touraine, the region around Tours, is known for its wines, the alleged perfection of its local spoken French, and for the...
where he encountered 'Truffault cycles'. This led him to acquire 2 wooden cart wheels and build an iron bicycle frame.
Cycle racing had begun in 1869 (Paris–Rouen), so in 1873 Truffaut lent the 18 year old Clement an iron bicycle with solid rubber tires to race in Angers
Angers
Angers is the main city in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France about south-west of Paris. Angers is located in the French region known by its pre-revolutionary, provincial name, Anjou, and its inhabitants are called Angevins....
. He finished 6th and was exhilarated to read his name in the newspapers.
Family life
Adolphe Clément married Céleste Angèle Roguet and they had four children, AlbertAlbert Clément
Albert Clément was a French motor racing driver. In 1904 he won the II Ardennes Cup race and finished third in the III Ardennes Cup race at Bastogne. He also finished second in the Vanderbilt Cup on Long Island. In 1906 he finished third in the inaugural French Grand Prix and 4th in the...
, Angèle, Jeanne and Maurice. Albert died while racing at the 1907 French Grand Prix. Angèle (1880–1972) was widowed from Albert Dumont, an engineer and director at the Levallois factory. Angele then remarried Numa Joseph Edouard "Petit" Sasias (1882–1927), a 'Fonctionnaire aux Affaires Etrangères, ex-Secrétaire à la Présidence du Conseil, with whom she had one son. Jeanne became divorced from Fernand Charron
Fernand Charron
Fernand Charron was a French pioneer of motor racing. He started his sporting career as a successful cyclist.Between 1897 and 1903 he took part in 18 car races, 4 of which he won: Fernand Charron (1866 – 13 August 1928) was a French pioneer of motor racing. He started his sporting career as a...
, racing driver and manager of the plant at Levallois-Perret, subsequently living alone. Maurice married Renée Hammond and had three children Andrée, Jacqueline and Albert (nicknamed "Billy" to avoid confusion and memories of his uncle Albert).
The Domaine Bois D'Aucourt in Pierrefonds was originally a 17th century hunting lodge of the Sun King Louis XIV
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
which had been upgraded circa 1822. Located 1.5 kilometre (0.93205910497471 mi) west of both the Château de Pierrefonds
Château de Pierrefonds
The Château de Pierrefonds is a castle situated in the commune of Pierrefonds in the Oise département of France. It is on the southeast edge of the Forest of Compiègne, north of Paris, between Villers-Cotterêts and Compiègne....
and his own birthplace on the rue du Bourg, Adolphe Clement bought the property around 1904 and employed architect Edward Redont to renovate and remodel it.
Latterly the mansion 'Domaine du Bois d'Aucourt' at Pierrefonds was used by his son Maurice, while Adolphe continued living at 35 Avenue du Bois de Boulogne, Neuilly-sur-Seine.
Later life
By 1893 Clément owned the Vélodrome de la Seine near the site of the factory at Levallois-Perret. La plus belle et la plus vite piste du monde". It was managed by Tristan BernardTristan Bernard
Tristan Bernard was a French playwright, novelist, journalist and lawyer.-Life:Born Paul Bernard into a Jewish family in Besançon, Doubs, Franche-Comté, France, he was the son of an architect...
who also managed the Vélodrome Buffalo
Vélodrome Buffalo
The Vélodrome Buffalo and Stade Buffalo were cycling tracks in Paris. The first existed from 1893 until World War I, the second from 1922 until 1957....
, and its events were an integral part of Parisian life, being regularly attended by personalities such as Toulose Lautrec
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Henri Marie Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec-Monfa or simply Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was a French painter, printmaker, draughtsman, and illustrator, whose immersion in the colourful and theatrical life of fin de siècle Paris yielded an œuvre of exciting, elegant and provocative images of the modern...
. Clément reportedly sold or converted this around 1900.
On achieving business success he used the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
ate format of his name, Gustavus Adolphus, and later (circa 1909) received permission from the Conseil d'État to change his surname to Clément-Bayard.
The death of his son Albert while racing at the 1907 French Grand Prix
1907 French Grand Prix
The 1907 French Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor race held at Dieppe on 2 July 1907.-The Race:38 cars set off at one minute intervals to complete 10 laps of a circuit on a triangular circuit near the city of Dieppe. The field was led away by Vincenzo Lancia's Fiat.The race was run under a 9.4 mpg...
had a lasting effect on him. In 1913 he was elected as mayor of Pierrefonds and, on taking office he ceded control in 1914 of Clément-Bayard to his son Maurice who was passionate about aviation.
In 1928 he died of a heart attack while driving along the rue Laffitte to a meeting of a 'Board of Directors' in Paris.
Cycle manufacture
In 1876, after 2 years of cycle racing, working and saving, Adolphe had enough money to start in business, so he opened a bicycle repair works in BordeauxBordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
, aged 21. The next stage of his business plan was to move to Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
where he learned how to manufacture steel tubes for bicycles. The following year he moved to Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
and began manufacturing whole bicycles under the name 'Clement SA cycles'.
Clément cycles
The following year, circa 1878, he moved to Paris and opened a cycle business, A. Clément & Cie, at 20 Rue Brunel near the Place de l'Etoile. Here he also ran a cycling school and was competing in cycle races. In Paris his business backers were monsieur de Graffenried and monsieur de Montgeron.At the end of 1878 Adolphe partnered the cycling champion Charles Terront
Charles Terront
Charles Terront was the first major French cycling star. He won sprint, middle distance and endurance events in Europe and the United States. In September 1891 he won the first Paris–Brest–Paris cycle race, which at was more than double the length of any previous event...
at the 'Six-Days' cycling event at the Agricultural Hall in London. He also opened a sales showroom at 31 rue 'du 4-September'
Quatre-Septembre (Paris Metro)
Quatre-Septembre is a station on Paris Métro Line 3.It is named for the date of 4 September 1870, the date Napoleon III fell and the Third French Republic was proclaimed.-History:...
, in Paris and started a poster advertising campaign, a new concept.
In September 1879, Clement built an iron smelter
Smelting
Smelting is a form of extractive metallurgy; its main use is to produce a metal from its ore. This includes iron extraction from iron ore, and copper extraction and other base metals from their ores...
in Tulle
Tulle
Tulle is a commune and capital of the Corrèze department in the Limousin region in central France. It is also the episcopal see of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tulle...
, in the Limousin
Limousin (région)
Limousin is one of the 27 regions of France. It is composed of three départements: Corrèze, Creuse and the Haute-Vienne.Situated largely in the Massif Central, as of January 1st 2008, the Limousin comprised 740,743 inhabitants on nearly 17 000 km2, making it the second least populated region of...
where there was a good supply of water power, but he did not have sufficient finance to make it viable and Tulle was too remote from Paris, so he had to sell the plant.
By 1880 the "Clément" cycle manufacturing business at Rue Brunel, had circa 150 employees building bicycles.(Image and description of 1880 Clément cycle) The machines were regarded as high quality and by 1890 Clément was the leading cycle brand in France.
Clément-Gladiator cycles
The Gladiator Cycle CompanyGladiator Cycle Company
The Gladiator Cycle Company was a French manufacturer of bicycles, motorcycles and cars based in Le Pré-Saint-Gervais, Seine.Throughout its productive life from 1891 until its demise in 1920 the company was variously owned by the founders Alexandre Darracq and Paul Aucoq; from 1896 by Adolphe...
, a French manufacturer of bicycles was founded by Alexandre Darracq
Alexandre Darracq
Alexandre Darracq was a French automobile manufacturer.Born Pierre Alexandre Darracq in Bordeaux, France, of Basque parents, he trained as a draftsman at the Arsenal in Tarbes, in the Hautes-Pyrénées département...
and Paul Aucoq in 1891 at Le Pré-Saint-Gervais
Le Pré-Saint-Gervais
Le Pré-Saint-Gervais is a commune in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. With a density of 23,396 inhabitants per square kilometres at the last French census of 1999, Le Pré-Saint-Gervais is officially the most densely populated municipality in...
in north east Paris. Adolphe Clément was a major investor in this venture.
In 1895 Gladiator introduced its first internal combustion, a naphtha
Naphtha
Naphtha normally refers to a number of different flammable liquid mixtures of hydrocarbons, i.e., a component of natural gas condensate or a distillation product from petroleum, coal tar or peat boiling in a certain range and containing certain hydrocarbons. It is a broad term covering among the...
powered tricycle.
In 1896 Adolphe Clément was associated with Lord Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, 20th Earl of Shrewsbury
Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, 20th Earl of Shrewsbury
Major Charles Henry John Chetwynd-Talbot, 20th Earl of Shrewsbury, 20th Earl of Waterford, 5th Earl Talbot , was a British peer.Talbot was the only son and heir of the Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, 19th Earl of Shrewsbury...
and (yet to be convicted) fraudster Harry John Lawson
Harry John Lawson
Henry John Lawson, also known as Harry Lawson, was a British bicycle designer, motor industry pioneer, and fraudster. As part of his attempt to create and control a British motor industry Lawson formed and floated The Daimler Motor Company Limited in London in 1896. It later began manufacture in...
of the British Automobile Commercial Syndicate Ltd (BACS) They bought Gladiator which was then merged into a major bicycle manufacturing conglomerate of Clement, Gladiator & Humber
Thomas Humber
Thomas Humber was a British cycle manufacturer who founded the Humber bicycle company in 1869 in Beeston, Nottinghamshire. By 1896 the company, under new management, ventured into Humber motor cars and became the first maker of series production cars in England.-Personal life:Thomas Humber was...
(France) Ltd valued at 22 million francs (circa €60–80 million Euro in 2006). In 1897 Lawson's BACS ltd collapsed so he (and Humber) parted company, but Clément and Talbot remained as directors. The range of cycles was expanded with tricycle
Tricycle
A tricycle is a three-wheeled vehicle. While tricycles are often associated with the small three-wheeled vehicles used by pre-school-age children, they are also used by adults for a variety of purposes. In the United States and Canada, adult-sized tricycles are used primarily by older persons for...
s, quadracycle
Quadracycle
A quadracycle is a four-wheeled human-powered vehicle. It is also referred to as a quadricycle, quadcycle pedal car or four-wheeled bicycle, amongst other terms....
s, and in 1902 a motorised bicycle, then cars and motorcycles.
Shortly after the purchase of Gladiator cycles Adolfe Clément began to build the new factory at Levallois-Perret
Levallois-Perret
Levallois-Perret is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris.-Name:The name Levallois-Perret comes from two housing developments, Champerret and Village Levallois , and which resulted in the incorporation of the...
in north west Paris, which also produced various cars from 1898, (see below) and went on to build the Citroën 2CV
Citroën 2CV
The Citroën 2CV |tax horsepower]]”) was an economy car produced by the French automaker Citroën between 1948 and 1990. It was technologically advanced and innovative, but with uncompromisingly utilitarian unconventional looks, and deceptively simple Bauhaus inspired bodywork, that belied the sheer...
for nearly forty years.
Clément and Gladiator
From 1895 Clément cycles started to focus on motorized vehicles. In 1895 it introduced its first internal combustion, a naphthaNaphtha
Naphtha normally refers to a number of different flammable liquid mixtures of hydrocarbons, i.e., a component of natural gas condensate or a distillation product from petroleum, coal tar or peat boiling in a certain range and containing certain hydrocarbons. It is a broad term covering among the...
powered tricycle. In 1902 they offered a motorized bicycle with a 142 cc engine that had an automatic inlet valve, an overhead exhaust valve and an external flywheel. The combined oil and petrol tank was behind the saddle and the batteries were stored in a leather case strapped to the horizontal frame tube. This 'motorisation adaptation' was sold on both Clément and Gladiator cycles.
Tyre manufacture
In 1889 Clément saw a DunlopDunlop Rubber
Dunlop Rubber was a company based in the United Kingdom which manufactured tyres and other rubber products for most of the 20th century. It was acquired by BTR plc in 1985. Since then, ownership of the Dunlop trade-names has been fragmented.-Early history:...
pneumatic tyre
Tire
A tire or tyre is a ring-shaped covering that fits around a wheel rim to protect it and enable better vehicle performance by providing a flexible cushion that absorbs shock while keeping the wheel in close contact with the ground...
in London and acquired the French manufacturing rights for 50,000 francs. This success lead to his millionaire status. The company he formed with a capital of 700,000 francs paid 100 per cent dividend in its first year of operation.
Clément-Gladiator motorcars
In 1896 Adolphe Clément was associated with Lord Charles Chetwynd-Talbot and fraudster Harry Lawson's 'British Automobile Commercial Syndicate Ltd' which owned Humber cycles. Together they bought the Gladiator Cycle Company and merged it into a major bicycle manufacturing conglomerate of Clément, Gladiator & Humber (France) Ltd. Clément and Talbot remained as directors after the collapse of 'BACS Ltd'. and the range was expanded to include a motorised bicycle, cars and motorcycles.(See Clément Gladiator cycles above for further details)By 1898 the new Clement-Gladiator company was building cars and marketing them as both Clements and Gladiators. Gladiators were imported into England by the 'Motor Power Company' which was co-owned by S. F. Edge and Harvey du Cros
Harvey du Cros
Harvey du Cros was a Conservative Party politician of England. He was the son of Edouard Pierre du Cros and Maria Molloy and was educated at The King's Hospital, Dublin....
of the English branch of Dunlop
Dunlop Rubber
Dunlop Rubber was a company based in the United Kingdom which manufactured tyres and other rubber products for most of the 20th century. It was acquired by BTR plc in 1985. Since then, ownership of the Dunlop trade-names has been fragmented.-Early history:...
.
From 1901 Clément-Gladiator cars were built at the Levallois-Perret factory and by 1902 production was over 1,000 cars per annum, 800+ of which were sold in England.
After 1903 the Clément-Gladiator name continued to be used on the 'shaft-drive' cars made at the Pre-Saint-Gervais factory, whilst chain-driven vehicles were marketed as Gladiators. The Clément name was dropped in 1907 and in 1909 another French manufacturer, Vinot et Deguingand, took over Gladiator and transferred production to Puteaux. At this time the Pre-Saint-Gervais factory reverted to making bicycles.
Panhard et Levassor
In 1897 Clement invested 1 million francs (circa 3 million Euros at 2006 valuation) in Panhard & Levassor, part of their five million francs capitalisation. This established the main business and eventually lead to the creation of Clement Panhard marque.Clément-Bayard
Clément Gladiator was divided in 1903, Charles Chetwynd-Talbot founding the English arm "Clément-Talbot Ltd", while Adolphe Clément formed Clément-BayardClément-Bayard
Clément-Bayard was a French manufacturer of automobiles, aeroplanes and airships founded in 1903 by the entrepreneur Adolphe Clément-Bayard . The name celebrated the Chevalier Pierre Terrail, seigneur de Bayard who saved the town of Mézières in 1521...
on a former military site at Mézières (now Charleville-Mézières
Charleville-Mézières
Charleville-Mézières is a commune in northern France, capital of the Ardennes department in the Champagne-Ardenne region. Charleville-Mézières is located on the banks of the Meuse River.-History:...
). He chose the name Bayard in commemoration of the Chevalier
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
Pierre Terrail, seigneur de Bayard
Pierre Terrail, seigneur de Bayard
Pierre Terrail LeVieux, seigneur de Bayard was a French soldier, generally known as the Chevalier de Bayard. Throughout the centuries since his death, he has been known as "the knight without fear and beyond reproach"...
who saved the town of Mézières in 1521. A statue of the Chevalier stood in front of the Mézières factory, and the image was incorporated into the company logo. After the split both marques built very similar cars, but the specifications gradually diverged.
In 1922 the Clément-Bayard company was sold to André Citroën
André Citroën
André-Gustave Citroën was a French industrialist. He is remembered chiefly for the make of car named after him, but also for his application of double helical gears.- Life and career :...
, in whom Adolphe also invested financially, and the factory at Levallois-Perret was the centre of 2CV
Citroën 2CV
The Citroën 2CV |tax horsepower]]”) was an economy car produced by the French automaker Citroën between 1948 and 1990. It was technologically advanced and innovative, but with uncompromisingly utilitarian unconventional looks, and deceptively simple Bauhaus inspired bodywork, that belied the sheer...
manufacturing for the next 40 years.
Clément-Panhard
Clément was a director of Panhard-Levassor, and when the factory could not meet the production requirements for circa 500 units of the 1898 'voiture légère' ('dog cart') model, he undertook manufacture under licence at his factory in Levallois-PerretLevallois-Perret
Levallois-Perret is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris.-Name:The name Levallois-Perret comes from two housing developments, Champerret and Village Levallois , and which resulted in the incorporation of the...
. It was designed by airship pioneer Commandant Arthur Krebs, of Panhard, and used a tubular chassis, centre-pivot steering, near-horizontal 3.5 hp rear-mounted engine with automatic inlet valve and hot-tube ignition, driving through a constant-mesh gear-train, and final drive by side chains and early models had no reverse gear.
Clément-Stirling
Some of the Clément Panhards were exported to Great Britain where they were variously sold as 'Clément-Stirling' and 'Stirling-Panhard', by the Scottish coachbuilder 'Stirling'.Clément-Talbot
After the division of Clément-Gladiator in 1903 Charles Chetwynd-Talbot headed the English arm "Clément-Talbot Ltd". Adolphe Clément was a major shareholder in the company, along with Talbot, A. Lucas, and E. Lamberjack. After the split both marques ( Clément-Bayard and Clément-Talbot) built very similar cars, but by 1907 the specifications diverged.On 11 October 1902 Clément-Talbot was formally incorporated, and subsequently 5 acres (20,234.3 m²) of land was purchased for a new factory in Ladbroke Grove
Ladbroke Grove
Ladbroke Grove is a road in west London, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is also sometimes the name given informally to the immediate area surrounding the road. Running from Notting Hill in the south to Kensal Green in the north, it is located in North Kensington and straddles...
, North Kensington
North Kensington
North Kensington is an area of west London lying north of Notting Hill Gate and south of Harrow Road.North Kensington is the key neighbourhood of Notting Hill...
in west London, between the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
line and the 'Edinburgh road' before it was renamed 'Barlby road'. The factory was a high status operation whose brick workshops used the latest saw-tooth roof line, glazed to maximise natural light. It was equipped with the most modern machine tools and the reception area was laid out like a miniature palace, marble Ionic columns
Ionic order
The Ionic order forms one of the three orders or organizational systems of classical architecture, the other two canonic orders being the Doric and the Corinthian...
, gilded
Gilding
The term gilding covers a number of decorative techniques for applying fine gold leaf or powder to solid surfaces such as wood, stone, or metal to give a thin coating of gold. A gilded object is described as "gilt"...
fresco
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
es and stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
windows etched with the Shrewsbury coat of arms. The building is now known as Ladbroke Hall.
The company traded as Clément-Talbot and the factory was titled Clément-Talbot, but the cars were always known as Talbot
Talbot
Talbot was an automobile marque that existed from 1903 to 1986, with a hiatus from 1960 to 1978, under a number of different owners, latterly under Peugeot...
s.
Diatto-Clément
In 1905 Adolphe Clément created the 'Diatto-Clement Societa Anonima' in partnership with DiattoDiatto
Diatto was an Italian car maker founded in 1905 in Turin but its history started 175 years ago.1835-The year the company is founded.- In 1835, in Turin, on the banks of the river Po, Guglielmo Diatto founds a workshop for the construction of carriages for nobility.- The Diatto “Manifattura di...
who had been coachbuilders in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
since 1835. The cars, known as Torinos were built in Turin under licence from Clément. The first car was the 20-25HP which used a 3,770cc four cylinder engine. This was followed by a 10-12HP (1,884cc two-cylinder) and a 14-18HP (2,724cc four-cylinder). This series was a success and was followed by a six-cylinder model. In 1909 Clement left the business and the company was renamed 'Societa Fonderie Officine Frejus'.
Clément
Motorcars may also have been manufactured and sold under the Clément brand between 1907 (1908) and 1914. The company is recorded as Clément Motor company Ltd., Coventry, Warwickshire.Worlds first motor race
Adolphe Clément had no direct involvement in the nascent motor industry until around 1897, but he was a passenger in Georges LemaîtreGeorges Lemaître
Monsignor Georges Henri Joseph Édouard Lemaître was a Belgian priest, astronomer and professor of physics at the Catholic University of Louvain. He was the first person to propose the theory of the expansion of the Universe, widely misattributed to Edwin Hubble...
's (Peugeot
Peugeot
Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion...
) that was judged to be the 'official winner' of what is considered to be the world's first motor race on 22 July 1894, from Paris to Rouen.
The event was a publicity exercise organised by Pierre Giffard
Pierre Giffard
Pierre Giffard was a French journalist, a pioneer of modern political reporting, a newspaper publisher and a prolific sports organiser...
of Le Petit Journal
Le Petit Journal
Le Petit Journal was a daily Parisian newspaper published from 1863 to 1944. It was founded by Moïse Polydore Millaud. In its columns were published several serial novels of Émile Gaboriau and of Ponson du Terrail.- Publishing :...
newspaper and consisted of 69 cars starting a 50 kilometres (31.1 mi) selection event before 25 were allowed into the main event, the 127 kilometres (78.9 mi) race from Paris (Porte Maillot) to Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
. Georges Lemaître completed the course in 9 hour 18 minutes at an average speed of 13.6 kilometres per hour (8.5 mph), followed by Doriot
Doriot
Doriot is a French surname, and may refer to:* Georges Doriot , one of the first American venture capitalists.* Jacques Doriot , a French communist, later fascist...
(Peugeot), René Panhard
René Panhard
Louis François René Panhard was a French engineer, merchant and a pioneer of the automobile industry in France....
(Panhard
Panhard
Panhard is currently a French manufacturer of light tactical and military vehicles. Its current incarnation was formed by the acquisition of Panhard by Auverland in 2005. Panhard had been under Citroën ownership, then PSA , for 40 years...
) and Émile Levassor
Emile Levassor
Émile Levassor was a French engineer and a pioneer of the automobile industry and car racing in France.- Biography :...
(Panhard). Count Jules-Albert de Dion reached Rouen 3’30” ahead of Georges Lemaître but as cars were judged on speed, handling and safety characteristics the official winners were Peugeot and Panhard. De Dion's steam car needed a stoker which was forbidden.
Clément-Bayard
- For main article see Clément-Bayard, Motor racing
Clément-Bayard started building automobiles in 1903 and then started building racing cars in 1904. The racing team included Albert Clément
Albert Clément
Albert Clément was a French motor racing driver. In 1904 he won the II Ardennes Cup race and finished third in the III Ardennes Cup race at Bastogne. He also finished second in the Vanderbilt Cup on Long Island. In 1906 he finished third in the inaugural French Grand Prix and 4th in the...
, Jacques Guders, Rene Hanriot, Marc-Philippe Villemain, 'Carlès', "De la Touloubre" and A. Villemain, and Pierre Garcets.
1904 season
Albert Clément finished 10th at the I Eliminatoires Françaises de la Coupe Internationale, held at the Forest of ArgonneForest of Argonne
The Forest of Argonne is a long strip of rocky mountain and wild woodland in north-eastern France.In 1792 Charles François Dumouriez outmaneuvered the invading forces of the Duke of Brunswick in the forest before the Battle of Valmy....
on 20 May 1904. This was an eliminating contest for the French entry into the Coupe Internationale (Gordon Bennett Race) where only three cars were allowed per country. Clement finished in 7 hours 10 minutes 52.8 seconds.
Albert Clément won the II Circuit des Ardennes des Voiturettes on 24 July 1904 at Bastogne
Bastogne
Bastogne Luxembourgish: Baaschtnech) is a Walloon municipality of Belgium located in the province of Luxembourg in the Ardennes. The municipality of Bastogne includes the old communes of Longvilly, Noville, Villers-la-Bonne-Eau, and Wardin...
in 4h 26m 52.6seconds at an average speed of 53.91 km/h.
Clément drove his Clement-Bayard into third place at the III Circuit des Ardennes race at Bastogne, on 25 July 1904.
Clément finished second at the 1904 I.W.K. Vanderbilt Cup Race on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
on 8 October 1904.
1905 season
Rene Hanriot finished tenth in 8 hours 23 minutes 39.6s at the II Eliminatoires Françaises de la Coupe Internationale at the AuvergneAuvergne (province)
Auvergne was a historic province in south central France. It was originally the feudal domain of the Counts of Auvergne. It is now the geographical and cultural area that corresponds to the former province....
on 16 June. This was a qualifier for the Coupe Internationale (Gordon Bennett Race).
At the 1905 Vanderbilt cup on Long Island Clément drove an 80-hp Clément-Bayard (France #12) but suffered reliability problems.
Clément retired his Clement-Bayard after the first 166 km lap of the II Coppa Florio at Brescia
Brescia
Brescia is a city and comune in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, between the Mella and the Naviglio, with a population of around 197,000. It is the second largest city in Lombardy, after the capital, Milan...
Italy on 4 September 1905. His team-mate 'Carlès' retired after 2 laps.
1906 season
Clément-Bayard entered 3 cars for the inaugural 1906 French Grand Prix1906 French Grand Prix
The 1906 Grand Prix de l'Automobile Club de France, commonly known as the 1906 French Grand Prix, was a motor race held on 26 and 27 June 1906, on closed public roads outside the city of Le Mans...
at Le Mans
Le Mans
Le Mans is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Mans. Le Mans is a part of the Pays de la Loire region.Its inhabitants are called Manceaux...
where Albert Clément finished third in his 100Hp machine. He completed the 1,238 km event in 12 hours 49 minutes 46.2seconds. Clément lead the race at the end of laps 2 and 5 on the second day. Punctures were common and Michelin
Michelin
Michelin is a tyre manufacturer based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne région of France. It is one of the two largest tyre manufacturers in the world along with Bridgestone. In addition to the Michelin brand, it also owns the BFGoodrich, Kleber, Riken, Kormoran and Uniroyal tyre brands...
introduced a detachable rim, saving 11 minutes over manually replacing the tyre. This enabled Felice Nazzaro
Felice Nazzaro
Felice Nazzaro was an Italian racecar driver, a native of Turin. He won the Kaiserpreis in 1907 as well as the French Grand Prix in 1907 and 1922 and Targa Florio in 1907 and 1913. His European wins in 1907 resulted in an invitation to compete in the 1908 American Grand Prize in Savannah, Georgia,...
(FIAT
Fiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
) to take second place from Clément.
Albert Clément finished 6th in the V Circuit des Ardennes on 13 August 1906 at Bastogne. He completed the 7 lap 961 km race in 6 hours 2 minutes 55.2 seconds in a 100Hp Clement-Bayard. His team-mates A. Villemain and Pierre Garcet finished 11th and 12th.
At the 1906 Vanderbilt cup Clément finished 4th driving a 100 hp Clément-Bayard (France #15) and completing the ten laps averaging 59 mi/h.
1907 season
Albert Clément died while practising for the 1907 French Grand Prix1907 French Grand Prix
The 1907 French Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor race held at Dieppe on 2 July 1907.-The Race:38 cars set off at one minute intervals to complete 10 laps of a circuit on a triangular circuit near the city of Dieppe. The field was led away by Vincenzo Lancia's Fiat.The race was run under a 9.4 mpg...
on 17 May. Of the 3 other Clément-Bayard entries, Pierre Garcet and Elliott Shepard, finished 7th and eighth respectively. Clément's car was entered by 'Alezy' who retired after 4 laps.
1908 season
The company entered 3 cars for the 1908 French Grand Prix1908 French Grand Prix
The 1908 French Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor race held at Dieppe on 7 July 1908.-Formula Changes:The race was run under a new formula agreed in Ostend in 1907...
, using a 12,963 cc six-cylinder overhead camshaft engine. Victor Rigal finished 4th.
Other events
In 1905 Clément-Bayard won the Coupe de Calais and 'finished well' at the Course de Dourdan. In both 1907 and 1908 Clément Bayard won the Coupe de l’Automobile-Club de Cannes', and in 1908 it also won the Tour de France AutomobileTour de France Automobile
Tour de France Automobile was a sports car race held on roads around France, first held in 1899 at speeds of 30 mph . The first event was won by René de Knyff driving a Panhard et Levassor...
.
Aeroplane manufacture
Clément-Bayard was an early French manufacturer of aircraft engines and lighter-than-air vehicles, with the earliest flights occurring in 1908. Clément-Bayard created the world's first series production aircraft.The company worked with Louis Capazza
Louis Capazza
Louis Henri Capazza was a French semi-professional balloonist. He was born in Bastia, Corsica on January 17, 1862. He lived in Belgium from 1892-1898 then emigrated to the USA in about 1920...
to produce the 'planeur (glider) Bayard-Clément' that was unveiled in L'Aérophile
L'Aérophile
L’Aérophile was a French aviation magazine published from 1893 to 1947. It has been described as "the leading aeronautical journal of the world" around 1910.- History and contents :L’Aérophile was founded and run for many years by Georges Besançon...
on 15 May 1908.
The company also started working with Alberto Santos-Dumont
Alberto Santos-Dumont
Alberto Santos-Dumont , was a Brazilian early pioneer of aviation. The heir of a wealthy family of coffee producers, Santos Dumont dedicated himself to science studies in Paris, France, where he spent most of his adult life....
in 1908 to build his Demoiselle No 19
Santos-Dumont Demoiselle
-External links:...
monoplane that he had designed to compete for the Coupe d'Aviation Ernest Archdeacon
Ernest Archdeacon
Ernest Archdeacon , was a prominent French lawyer of Irish descent who was associated with pioneering aviation in France before the First World War. He made his first balloon flight at the age of 20. He commissioned a copy of the 1902 Wright No. 3 glider but had only limited success...
prize from the Aéro-Club de France
Aéro-Club de France
The Aéro-Club de France was founded as the Aéro-Club on 20 October 1898 as a society 'to encourage aerial locomotion' by Ernest Archdeacon, Léon Serpollet, Henri de la Valette, Jules Verne and his wife, André Michelin, Albert de Dion, Alberto Santos-Dumont, Henry Deutsch de la Meurthe, and Henry de...
. The plane was small and stable, but they planned a production run of 100 units, built 50 and sold only 15 for 7,500 francs for each airframe. It was the world's first series production aircraft. By 1909 it was offered with a choice of 3 engines, Clement 20 hp; Wright 4-cyl 30 hp (Clement-Bayard had the license to manufacture Wright engines); and Clement-Bayard 40 hp designed by Pierre Clerget. It achieved 120 km/h.
Pierre Clerget designed a range of Clement-Bayard aircraft engines including a 7-cylinder supercharged radial, the 4-cyl 40 hp used on the Demoiselle, a 4-cyl 100 hp used on 'Hanriot Etrich' monoplanes, and a V8 200 hp airship engine.
In 1910 the Clement-Bayard Monoplane No. 1 was introduced at the Paris show.
By 1912 Clément-Bayard built a biplane plus three different models of horizontally opposed aircraft engines.
In November 1912 The Clement-Bayard Monoplane No. 5 was introduced. It was powered by a Gnome 7 cylinder rotary engine producing 70 hp. The pilot sat in an aluminium and leather tub.
In 1913 a three-seater biplane was introduced as part of the military project, the Clement-Bayard No. 6. It was configured for two observers in front of the pilot, and was powered by either a 4-cyl 100 hp Clement-Bayard or 4-cylinder Gnome engine.
In 1914 Clément-Bayard produced a steel scouting monoplane powered by either an 80 hp motor or a 100 hp Gnome et Rhône
Gnome et Rhône
Gnome et Rhône was a major French aircraft engine manufacturer. Between 1914 and 1918 they produced 25,000 of their 9-cylinder Delta and Le Rhône 110 hp rotary designs, while another 75,000 were produced by various licensees, powering the majority of aircraft in the first half of the war on...
engine. The nickel steel armour was designed for protection against rifle fire.
Airship manufacture
Trosly-Breuil
Trosly-Breuil is a village in northern France. It is designated municipally as a commune within the département of Oise....
in response to a French Army decision to commence airship operations.
The Clément-Bayard No.1
Clément-Bayard No.1
right|thumb|300px|The "Adjudant Vincenot" circa 1910. Caption from [[Popular Mechanics]] magazine 1910right|thumb|300px|The "Adjudant Vincenot" circa 1910. Caption from [[Popular Mechanics]] magazine 1910...
airship was offered to the French government but was too expensive so it was bought by Tsar Nicholas II
Nicholas II of Russia
Nicholas II was the last Emperor of Russia, Grand Prince of Finland, and titular King of Poland. His official short title was Nicholas II, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias and he is known as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer by the Russian Orthodox Church.Nicholas II ruled from 1894 until...
for the Russian army.
In 1910 the Clément-Bayard No.2
Clément-Bayard No.2
|-References:*...
, piloted by Maurice Clément, was the first airship to cross the Channel, travelling over 380 km in 6 hours. The army ordered 3 copies.
The airship hangar in La Motte-Breuil is still maintained by Clément-Talbot Ltd.
Clément-Bayard dirigibles
Seven Clément-Bayard airships were completed.- N° 1 was 56.25 metres long, 10.58 metres wide, 3,500 m3, powered by 2 Clément Bayard 115 cv engines. First flew on 28 October 1908.
- N° 2 was 76.50 metres long, 13.22 metres wide, 7,000 m3, powered by 2 Clément Bayard 120 cv engines. Top speed 54 km/h. First flew on 1 June 1910.
- N° 3 Dupuy de Lôme, 89 metres long, 13.5 metres wide, 9,000 m3, powered by 2 Clément Bayard 120 cv engines. First flew on 1 May 1912.
- N° 4 Adjudant Vincenot, 88.5 metres long, 13.5 metres wide, 9,800 m3, powered by 2 Clément Bayard 120 cv engines. Top speed 49 km/h. First flew in 1911.
- Adj Vincenot modified, 87.3 metres long, 13.5 metres wide, 9,800 m3, powered by 2 Clément Bayard 120 cv engines. Top speed 53 km/h. First flew on 13 August 1913.
- N° 5 livré à la Russie, 86 metres long, 13.5 metres wide, 9,600 m3, powered by 2 Clément Bayard 130 cv engines. First flew on 9 February 1913.
- Montgolfier, 73.5 metres long, 12.2 metres wide, 6,500m3, powered by 2 Clément Bayard 90 cv engines. Top speed 60 km/h. First flew on 31 July 1913.
Factories used by Adolphe Clement
- In September 1879, Clement built an iron smelterSmeltingSmelting is a form of extractive metallurgy; its main use is to produce a metal from its ore. This includes iron extraction from iron ore, and copper extraction and other base metals from their ores...
in TulleTulleTulle is a commune and capital of the Corrèze department in the Limousin region in central France. It is also the episcopal see of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tulle...
, in the LimousinLimousin (région)Limousin is one of the 27 regions of France. It is composed of three départements: Corrèze, Creuse and the Haute-Vienne.Situated largely in the Massif Central, as of January 1st 2008, the Limousin comprised 740,743 inhabitants on nearly 17 000 km2, making it the second least populated region of...
where there was a good supply of water power, but he did not have sufficient finance to make it viable and Tulle was too remote from Paris, so he had to sell the plant.
- In 1880 he moved his small cycle business and established the "Clément" cycle manufacturing business at 20 Rue Brunel, Place de l'Étoile, in central Paris, where 150 employees built bicycles.
- The Gladiator Cycle Company built bicycles at Le Pré-Saint-GervaisLe Pré-Saint-GervaisLe Pré-Saint-Gervais is a commune in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. With a density of 23,396 inhabitants per square kilometres at the last French census of 1999, Le Pré-Saint-Gervais is officially the most densely populated municipality in...
in north east Paris.
- In 1894 he started construction work on a former military site in the Faubourg Saint-Julian at Mézières, to build a new factory, which would become known as La Macérienne. Clément personally supervised the work remotely using photographs taken every day and visiting the site once a week. By 1897 it was producing components and spokes for the Gladiator Cycle Company. It covered 15,000 m2 and using a hydraulic turbine power plant, a steam room, large machine hall, a foundry, a workshop for the nickel processing, the operation with the manufacturing of nuts and spokes on a bike. The factory building still exists but in the spring of 2006 it was transformed into a cultural center.
- After World War I Maurice Clement-Bayard undertook to rescue La Macérienne from the physical, social and commercial ravages of war. He visited the United States and by 1925 had a contract to manufacture for the 'Allied Machinery Company' (Almacoa hoists and Cletrac tractors). By 1928 it produced Almacoa excavators, tractors and forklifts, plus Cletrac crawler tractors were exclusive to Clement-Bayard for Europe and North Africa.
- Clement-Bayard was situated at the Boulevard de la Saussaye 57 in Neuilly in west Paris. Between 1899 and 1922, three wheelers and cars were built there.
- Shortly after the purchase of Gladiator cycles in 1896 Adolfe Clément began to build the new factory at Levallois-PerretLevallois-PerretLevallois-Perret is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris.-Name:The name Levallois-Perret comes from two housing developments, Champerret and Village Levallois , and which resulted in the incorporation of the...
in north west Paris. This produced cycles and various cars from 1898, (Clément-Panhard, Clément-Gladiator from 1901, Clément-Bayard from 1903), and went on to build various Citroën models including the Citroën 2CVCitroën 2CVThe Citroën 2CV |tax horsepower]]”) was an economy car produced by the French automaker Citroën between 1948 and 1990. It was technologically advanced and innovative, but with uncompromisingly utilitarian unconventional looks, and deceptively simple Bauhaus inspired bodywork, that belied the sheer...
for nearly forty years from 1948–1988. From August 1914 it was dedicated to wartime production.
- On 11 October 1902 Clément-Talbot was formally incorporated, and subsequently 5 acres (20,234.3 m²) of land was purchased for a new factory in Ladbroke GroveLadbroke GroveLadbroke Grove is a road in west London, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is also sometimes the name given informally to the immediate area surrounding the road. Running from Notting Hill in the south to Kensal Green in the north, it is located in North Kensington and straddles...
, North KensingtonNorth KensingtonNorth Kensington is an area of west London lying north of Notting Hill Gate and south of Harrow Road.North Kensington is the key neighbourhood of Notting Hill...
in west London, between the Great Western RailwayGreat Western RailwayThe Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
line and the 'Edinburgh road' before it was renamed 'Barlby road'. The factory was a high status operation whose brick workshops used the latest saw-tooth roof line, glazed to maximise natural light. It was equipped with the most modern machine tools and the reception area was laid out like a miniature palace, marble Ionic orderIonic orderThe Ionic order forms one of the three orders or organizational systems of classical architecture, the other two canonic orders being the Doric and the Corinthian...
, gildedGildingThe term gilding covers a number of decorative techniques for applying fine gold leaf or powder to solid surfaces such as wood, stone, or metal to give a thin coating of gold. A gilded object is described as "gilt"...
frescoFrescoFresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
es and stained glassStained glassThe term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
windows etched with the Shrewsbury coat of arms. It is now known as 'Ladbroke Hall'.
- In 1908 'Astra Clément-Bayard' began manufacturing airships at a new factory in La Motte-BreuilTrosly-BreuilTrosly-Breuil is a village in northern France. It is designated municipally as a commune within the département of Oise....
.
- In 1911 Adolphe built a pottery factory at Pierrefoids.
War activity
By 1910 Clément-Bayard vociferously warned of Germany's warlike ambitions, and in 1912 he was assaulted by a hostile German mob. Thus when Germany invaded France he was a marked man. In September 1914 the Germans reached the outskirts of Pierrefonds and shelled the Domaine du Bois d'Aucourt, although by then it was being looked after by Carlo BugattiCarlo Bugatti
Carlo Bugatti was a notable decorator, architect , designer and manufacturer of Art Nouveau furniture, models of jewelry, musical instruments.- Biography :Son of Giovanni Luigi Bugatti, a specialist on internal decorations, Carlo studied at the Brera Academy...
, the Art Nouveau furniture and jewelry designer and father of Ettore Bugatti
Ettore Bugatti
right|thumb|Ettore Bugatti in 1932Ettore Arco Isidoro Bugatti was an Italian-born and French naturalized citizen automobile designer and manufacturer....
who also lived in the town. Adolphe remained in Paris with his family.
Adolphe ceded control of Clément-Bayard to his son Maurice in 1914 before the start of the war, but the consequences for the company were disastrous. The La Macérienne factory at Mézières was lost to the Germans in the opening weeks, as were his home, mayoral town and factories at Pierrefonds. The industrial machinery was shipped back to Germany, and the forge
Forge
A forge is a hearth used for forging. The term "forge" can also refer to the workplace of a smith or a blacksmith, although the term smithy is then more commonly used.The basic smithy contains a forge, also known as a hearth, for heating metals...
s, foundries
Foundry
A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal in a mold, and removing the mold material or casting after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals processed are aluminum and cast iron...
and smelter
Smelting
Smelting is a form of extractive metallurgy; its main use is to produce a metal from its ore. This includes iron extraction from iron ore, and copper extraction and other base metals from their ores...
were destroyed. La Macérienne was gutted and used as an indoor riding school for German officers.
Automobile production at Levallois-Perret in Paris was suspended in August 1914 and the factory was turned over to war production, military equipment and military vehicles, aero engines, airships and planes.
Bank of Ardennes
In 1922, Adolphe was appointed director and vice-president of the new Bank of Ardennes, which was established in CharlevilleCharleville-Mézières
Charleville-Mézières is a commune in northern France, capital of the Ardennes department in the Champagne-Ardenne region. Charleville-Mézières is located on the banks of the Meuse River.-History:...
on 12 April 1922.
Dreyfus affair
The Dreyfus affairDreyfus Affair
The Dreyfus affair was a political scandal that divided France in the 1890s and the early 1900s. It involved the conviction for treason in November 1894 of Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a young French artillery officer of Alsatian Jewish descent...
split France at the end of the 19th century over the guilt or innocence of a soldier, Alfred Dreyfus
Alfred Dreyfus
Alfred Dreyfus was a French artillery officer of Jewish background whose trial and conviction in 1894 on charges of treason became one of the most tense political dramas in modern French and European history...
, who had been convicted of selling secrets to the Germans. In 1900 Clément was one of the leading anti-Dreyfusard industrialists, along with comté Jules-Albert de Dion, who cancelled all advertising in the Drefusard newspaper Le Vélo
Le Vélo
-External links:*...
and started a rival daily sports paper, L'Auto-Velo
L'Équipe
L'Équipe is a French nationwide daily newspaper devoted to sports, owned by Éditions Philippe Amaury. The paper is noted for coverage of football , rugby, motorsports and cycling...
. The roots of both the Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
cycle race and L'Équipe
L'Équipe
L'Équipe is a French nationwide daily newspaper devoted to sports, owned by Éditions Philippe Amaury. The paper is noted for coverage of football , rugby, motorsports and cycling...
newspaper, result from Clément's hostile anti-Dreyfusard stance. The Dreyfus affair
Dreyfus Affair
The Dreyfus affair was a political scandal that divided France in the 1890s and the early 1900s. It involved the conviction for treason in November 1894 of Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a young French artillery officer of Alsatian Jewish descent...
was eventually concluded with the official exoneration of Dreyfus (as an innocent person who had been framed). With the end of official inquiries it may be said that Clément and de Dion had been wrong for a decade.
Death, honours and commemoration
In 1912 Clément was appointed a Commander of the Légion d'honneur.In 1928 he died of a heart attack while driving to a meeting of a 'Board of Directors' in Paris.
His tomb is located at the 'Domaine du Bois d'Aucourt d'Adolphe Clément-Bayard' at Pierrefonds which has been a protected Historic Monument since 2004.
The rue Clément-Bayard runs through the centre of Pierrefonds, Oise
Pierrefonds, Oise
Pierrefonds is a village in northern France. It is designated municipally as a commune within the département of Oise.-References:*...
.
In 2005 a 50 CHF
Swiss franc
The franc is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein; it is also legal tender in the Italian exclave Campione d'Italia. Although not formally legal tender in the German exclave Büsingen , it is in wide daily use there...
gold coin was minted to commemorate the centenary of the Geneva Motor Show, with the theme "Clément 1905"
Other Sources
Gallery of images
- Pdf about Adolphe Clément-Bayard, (French) containing 95 images, posters and diagrams of cycles, cars, planes, airships, houses and factories.
- http://www.flickr.com/photos/w10/2249393580/Flickr, Description and image of Clément-Talbot works at Ladbroke GroveLadbroke GroveLadbroke Grove is a road in west London, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is also sometimes the name given informally to the immediate area surrounding the road. Running from Notting Hill in the south to Kensal Green in the north, it is located in North Kensington and straddles...
] - Internal image of 'Ladbroke Hall', once the Clément-Talbot works at Ladbroke Grove