Salmson
Encyclopedia
Salmson was a French engineering company, initially in the automobile and aeroplane manufacturing area,
turning to pump
manufacturing in the 1960s.
(1890),
making steam-powered compressors and centrifugal pumps for railway and military
purposes. Subsequently joined by engineers Canton and Unné, it was renamed Emile Salmson & Cie, building petrol-powered lifts and motors (1896).
The company became one of the first to make purpose-built aircraft engines, starting before World war I and continuing into World War II.
After World War I the company looked around for other work and started making car bodies and then complete cars.
Car production finished in 1957.
Focus also moved back to pump production and the facilities moved to Mayenne
in 1961. The firm was bought by ITT
-LMT in 1962 and then by Thomson
in 1976.
Its headquarters today are in Chatou
.
It moved to Billancourt
and manufactured the Salmson 9 series of water-cooled radial engines. During World War I
Salmson made its first complete aeroplanes, mainly the two-seat fighter/reconnaissance plane, the Salmson 2
A2. These were used in combat by both the French and the American Expeditionary force. The company also designed a prototype of a single seat scout/fighter, the Salmson 3, but this was not produced in large quantities.
Salmson aircraft were also used for air mail to India
in (1911).
Aeroplane manufacturing moved to Villeurbanne
near Lyon
.
Two world records were set by Maryse Bastié
who flew Le Bourget
to Moscow
(1931).
The firm also made the 2A2 de Aéropostale aeroplane.
The Billancourt factory became the car manufacturing plant directed by Emile Petit. As the firm had no direct car design expertise they started by building the British GN
cyclecar
under licence, displaying six cars at the 1919 Paris Salon.
In 1922 the car part of the business became a separate company, named Société des Moteurs Salmson.
The first Salmson car proper used a four-cylinder engine designed by Petit with unusual valve gear: a single pushrod actuated both inlet and exhaust valves pushing to open the exhaust and pulling to open the inlet. This was used in the AL models from 1921. Later the same year the company built its first twin-overhead-cam engine, which was fitted to the 1922 D-type, although most production at first used the pushrod engine.
Models included
Salmson won 550 automobile races and set ten world records (1921-28) before closing the racing department in 1929. The S-series cars took over from the D-type, starting in 1929 and becomong a long lived series.
After World War II
the Salmson Typ S4E and Salmson Type S4-61 were re-introduced. Initially, as before the war, they were in most respects mutually indistinguishable from the outside apart from the slightly longer nose on the Type S4-E, necessary to accommodate the six-cylinder in-line 2,312 cc engine. The Type S4-61 retained its four-cylinder in-line 1,730 cc engine. The standard body was a four-door sedan/saloon, 4510 mm in length for the four-cylinder car and 4610 mm with the larger engine. As well as the sedan/saloon there was a four-seater two-door coupe version of the S4-61 although this variant represented barely 10% of the post-war S4-61‘s total sales. A few two-door cabriolets were produced.
In October 1947 a substantially updated body appeared for the six-cylinder Type S4-E, featuring more flamboyant wheel arches and lowered headlights, now set into the body work rather than perching above the front wings. The revised frontal treatment also quickly found its way onto the coupé and cabriolet variants, making the six-cylinder cars easier to distinguish from the fours than hitherto. Like France’s other luxury car makers, Salmson sales suffered from a government taxation policy that penalised cars with large engines and a French economy which during the five year period from 1945 to 1950 resolutely failed to show significant signs of growth. Overall volumes were depressed. Nevertheless, the 336 cars produced in 1948 – split between the four-cylinder cars and the six-cylinder cars in a ratio of approximately 2:1 – did provide grounds for cautious optimism when compared to the 1947 volume of just 143 cars built.
In 1950 a new car arrived in the shape of the Randonnée E-72
. Car sales nevertheless continued to be slow in the postwar market. The company's passenger car production reached a postwar peak of 1,162 in 1950, but by 1952 had slumped to just 89. The company had been kept going by its aircraft engine sales, although the factory had to close for a period.
A new car, the 2300 S, was shown in 1953 and it even took part in the 1955, 1956 and 1957 Le Mans 24 hour race
s
After bankruptcy in 1953, all activities ended in 1957 and Renault
bought the factory.
turning to pump
Pump
A pump is a device used to move fluids, such as liquids, gases or slurries.A pump displaces a volume by physical or mechanical action. Pumps fall into three major groups: direct lift, displacement, and gravity pumps...
manufacturing in the 1960s.
History
It was established by Émile Salmson (1858-1917) as Emile Salmson, Ing. as a workshop in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
(1890),
making steam-powered compressors and centrifugal pumps for railway and military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
purposes. Subsequently joined by engineers Canton and Unné, it was renamed Emile Salmson & Cie, building petrol-powered lifts and motors (1896).
The company became one of the first to make purpose-built aircraft engines, starting before World war I and continuing into World War II.
After World War I the company looked around for other work and started making car bodies and then complete cars.
Car production finished in 1957.
Focus also moved back to pump production and the facilities moved to Mayenne
Mayenne
Mayenne is a department in northwest France named after the Mayenne River.-History:Mayenne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. The northern two thirds correspond to the western part of the former province of Maine...
in 1961. The firm was bought by ITT
ITT Corporation
ITT Corporation is a global diversified manufacturing company based in the United States. ITT participates in global markets including water and fluids management, defense and security, and motion and flow control...
-LMT in 1962 and then by Thomson
Thomson SA
Technicolor SA , formerly Thomson SA and Thomson Multimedia, is a French international provider of solutions for the creation, management, post-production, delivery and access of video, for the Communication, Media and Entertainment industries. Technicolor’s headquarters are located in Issy les...
in 1976.
Its headquarters today are in Chatou
Chatou
Chatou is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris from the center...
.
Aircraft manufacture
Billancourt
Billancourt is a commune in the Somme department in northern France....
and manufactured the Salmson 9 series of water-cooled radial engines. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
Salmson made its first complete aeroplanes, mainly the two-seat fighter/reconnaissance plane, the Salmson 2
Salmson 2
|-References:* Davilla, James J., & Soltan, Arthur M., French Aircraft of the First World War. Stratford, Connecticut: Flying Machines Press, 1997. ISBN 0-9637110-4-0...
A2. These were used in combat by both the French and the American Expeditionary force. The company also designed a prototype of a single seat scout/fighter, the Salmson 3, but this was not produced in large quantities.
Salmson aircraft were also used for air mail to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in (1911).
Aeroplane manufacturing moved to Villeurbanne
Villeurbanne
Villeurbanne is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France.It is situated northeast of Lyon, with which it forms the heart of the second-largest metropolitan area in France after that of Paris. Villeurbanne is the second-largest city in the department.-History:The current location of...
near 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....
.
Two world records were set by Maryse Bastié
Maryse Bastié
Maryse Bastié was a French aviator. Born Marie-Louise Bombec in Limoges, Haute-Vienne, at age eleven Bastié's father died and her family struggled to survive. However, as an employee in a shoe factory, money was scarce and an early marriage that failed left her with a child and limited means...
who flew Le Bourget
Le Bourget
Le Bourget is a commune in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.A very small part of Le Bourget airport lies on the territory of the commune of Le Bourget, which nonetheless gave its name to the airport. Most of the airport lies on the territory of the...
to Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
(1931).
Aero-enginges
- 3Ad
- Salmson 5Ac
- 5Ap-01
- 5Aq-01
- Salmson 6Ad
- Salmson 7Ac
- 7Aca
- 7Aq
- Salmson 7M
- Salmson 7Om
- 9 A
- 9 AB
- 9 ABC 172 kW (230 hp)
- 9 AC
- 9 AD
- 9 ADB 134 kW (180 hp)
- 9Adr
- 9 AZ
- 9 A2C
- 9 CM
- 9 M
- 9 ND 131 kW (175 hp)
- 9 P
- 9 Y
- Salmson-(Canton-Unne) Z9 172–190 kW (230–250 hp) water-cooled
- Salmson 9Za
- Salmson 9Zm
- Salmson-(Canton-Unne) Z9
- Salmson 11 B
- Salmson 12 C W-12
- Salmson 18 Ab
- Salmson 18 Cm
- Salmson 18 Z
- Salmson C
- Salmson E
- Salmson K
Aircraft
- Salmson-MoineauSalmson-MoineauThe Salmson-Moineau or Salmson-Moineau S.M.1 was a French armed three-seat biplane long range reconnaissance aircraft of the First World War designed by René Moineau for the Salmson company....
A92H, S.M.1 & S.M.2 Salmson 1 A.3 (3-seat Artillery Spotter) - Salmson SAL-2Salmson 2|-References:* Davilla, James J., & Soltan, Arthur M., French Aircraft of the First World War. Stratford, Connecticut: Flying Machines Press, 1997. ISBN 0-9637110-4-0...
Salmson 2 A.2 (2-seat Artillery Spotter) - Salmson SAL-2 BerlineSalmson 2|-References:* Davilla, James J., & Soltan, Arthur M., French Aircraft of the First World War. Stratford, Connecticut: Flying Machines Press, 1997. ISBN 0-9637110-4-0...
(Transport version of 2 A.2) - Salmson SAL-3 Salmson 3 C.1 (Single seat fighter)
- Salmson SAL-4 Salmson 4 Ab.2 (ground attack aircraftGround attack aircraftGround-attack aircraft are military aircraft with primary role of attacking targets on the ground with greater precision than bombers and prepared to face stronger low-level air defense...
; notably the first French armored aircraft) - Salmson SAL-5 Salmson 5 A.2 (2-seat Artillery Spotter)
- Salmson SAL-6 Salmson 6 A.2 (2-seat Artillery Spotter)
- Salmson SAL-7 Salmson 7 A.2 (2-seat Artillery Spotter)
- Salmson SAL-16 Salsmon 16 A.2 (2-seat Artillery Spotter)
- Salmson D-1 PhryganeSalmson Phrygane-See also:...
(1934) - Salmson D-2 PhryganeSalmson Phrygane-See also:...
- Salmson D-3 PhryganetSalmson Phrygane-See also:...
- Salmson D-4 Phrygane MajorSalmson Phrygane-See also:...
- Salmson D-6 CriCriSalmson Cricri|-References:*...
(1936) - Salmson D-7 CriCri MajorSalmson Cricri|-References:*...
- Salmson D-21 PhryganeSalmson Phrygane-See also:...
- Salmson D-211 PhryganeSalmson Phrygane-See also:...
- Salmson D-57 PhryganetSalmson Phrygane-See also:...
The firm also made the 2A2 de Aéropostale aeroplane.
Car manufacture
GN (car)
thumb|right|200px|Richard Scaldwell's JAP-engined GN Grand Prix special at the VSCC SeeRed race meeting, Donington Park, September 2007. The GN has a 5.1 litre V8 aero-engine shoehorned into its lightweight cyclecar frame....
cyclecar
Cyclecar
Cyclecars were small, generally inexpensive cars manufactured mainly between 1910 and the late 1920s.-General description:Cyclecars were propelled by single cylinder, V-twin or more rarely four cylinder engines, often air cooled. Sometimes these had been originally used in motorcycles and other...
under licence, displaying six cars at the 1919 Paris Salon.
In 1922 the car part of the business became a separate company, named Société des Moteurs Salmson.
The first Salmson car proper used a four-cylinder engine designed by Petit with unusual valve gear: a single pushrod actuated both inlet and exhaust valves pushing to open the exhaust and pulling to open the inlet. This was used in the AL models from 1921. Later the same year the company built its first twin-overhead-cam engine, which was fitted to the 1922 D-type, although most production at first used the pushrod engine.
Models included
- AL (cyclecar, 1920),
- D-type (1922)
- VAL3 (1922),
- AL3 (1923),
- GSC San Sebastian,
- Gran Sport (GS, 1924-30),
- 2ACT (1926).
Salmson won 550 automobile races and set ten world records (1921-28) before closing the racing department in 1929. The S-series cars took over from the D-type, starting in 1929 and becomong a long lived series.
- S4 (1929-32)
- S4C (1932)
- S4D (1934)
- S4DA (1935-38)
- S4-61 (1938-51)
- S4E (1938-51).
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the Salmson Typ S4E and Salmson Type S4-61 were re-introduced. Initially, as before the war, they were in most respects mutually indistinguishable from the outside apart from the slightly longer nose on the Type S4-E, necessary to accommodate the six-cylinder in-line 2,312 cc engine. The Type S4-61 retained its four-cylinder in-line 1,730 cc engine. The standard body was a four-door sedan/saloon, 4510 mm in length for the four-cylinder car and 4610 mm with the larger engine. As well as the sedan/saloon there was a four-seater two-door coupe version of the S4-61 although this variant represented barely 10% of the post-war S4-61‘s total sales. A few two-door cabriolets were produced.
In October 1947 a substantially updated body appeared for the six-cylinder Type S4-E, featuring more flamboyant wheel arches and lowered headlights, now set into the body work rather than perching above the front wings. The revised frontal treatment also quickly found its way onto the coupé and cabriolet variants, making the six-cylinder cars easier to distinguish from the fours than hitherto. Like France’s other luxury car makers, Salmson sales suffered from a government taxation policy that penalised cars with large engines and a French economy which during the five year period from 1945 to 1950 resolutely failed to show significant signs of growth. Overall volumes were depressed. Nevertheless, the 336 cars produced in 1948 – split between the four-cylinder cars and the six-cylinder cars in a ratio of approximately 2:1 – did provide grounds for cautious optimism when compared to the 1947 volume of just 143 cars built.
In 1950 a new car arrived in the shape of the Randonnée E-72
Salmson Randonnée
The Salmson Randonnée is a luxury car produced by Société des Moteurs Salmson from Autumn 1950 till 1954. It was introduced as the Randonnée E-72, but in February 1951 this was superseded by the broadly similar Randonnée G-72.- The engine :...
. Car sales nevertheless continued to be slow in the postwar market. The company's passenger car production reached a postwar peak of 1,162 in 1950, but by 1952 had slumped to just 89. The company had been kept going by its aircraft engine sales, although the factory had to close for a period.
A new car, the 2300 S, was shown in 1953 and it even took part in the 1955, 1956 and 1957 Le Mans 24 hour race
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
s
After bankruptcy in 1953, all activities ended in 1957 and Renault
Renault
Renault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, and in the past, autorail vehicles, trucks, tractors, vans and also buses/coaches. Its alliance with Nissan makes it the world's third largest automaker...
bought the factory.