Charron-Laycock

Charron-Laycock was an Anglo-French automobile manufacturer formed in 1919 by the merger of Charron Limited and W. S. Laycock Limited. Its roots reached back to the French company Automobiles Charron, Girardot et Voigt, commonly identified by the trade mark C.G.V., which had been established in 1902 by Fernand Charron, Léonce Girardot and Émile Voigt. The company operated from Puteaux, near Paris, while its corporate and administrative presence was connected with London. The predecessor C.G.V. combined sporting experience, engineering and sales activity. Its founders had participated in motor racing and had opened one of France’s early automobile dealerships on the Avenue de la Grande Armée in Paris. The firm displayed its first car in 1901 and subsequently built relatively expensive automobiles, including four-cylinder models. Production reached approximately 300 vehicles per year in the early twentieth century. Its clientele included prominent political, industrial and sporting figures such as Charles I, Louis Blériot, André Michelin, William Kissam Vanderbilt and James Gordon Bennett Jr. In 1905 the company also had a presence in the United States through Émile Voigt, who acted as its sole American importer. The business changed direction after Girardot resigned and Charron departed in 1906. With financial backing from English investors, Charron established Charron Limited, retaining production facilities at Puteaux but adopting a London-based legal and administrative structure. Fernand Charron later became involved with Clément-Bayard and established the Alda automobile business in 1912. During the First World War, military purchases helped the Charron operation survive, while the Puteaux works were also associated with vehicle production for Alda. After the war, Charron divested the Alda business and concentrated again on vehicles bearing the Charron name. In 1919, Davison Dalziel became chairman of W. S. Laycock Limited after the death of William Samuel Laycock and brought the two businesses together as Charron-Laycock. The first model associated with the merged company was designed by William Francis Bennet Milward. The company sought to combine French automotive experience with British chassis and manufacturing capability. A 1921 description in The Times characterized the marque as the “Rolls-Royce of small cars,” reflecting its perceived refinement and the demand for its products, although it remained a small-scale manufacturer. The postwar range included light cars and larger touring models. At the 1919 Paris Motor Show, the company exhibited the 6 HP Charron Type TC, a four-cylinder car of approximately 1.1 litres, and the larger 15 HP Type PGM with a 3.4-litre engine. A Type A was announced for 1920. By the 1924 Paris Motor Show, the range had narrowed toward smaller models, including the 1,057 cc Charronette, the 1,502 cc Type CV2 and the 1,843 cc Type CV1. Four-wheel brakes were introduced in 1925. Charron-Laycock operated in an increasingly difficult market. During the 1920s, larger French manufacturers gained advantages from scale, modern production methods and stronger distribution. The company’s vehicles were increasingly conservative compared with products from mass-production leaders, and production declined toward the end of the decade. The final range included the 12/14 CV model, an enlarged Charronette and a six-cylinder 1,806 cc car. Automobile production ended in 1930. The brand is therefore a defunct historical marque rather than an active automotive business.

Charron-Laycock’s history developed from the early French motor industry and from the commercial relationship between French automobile production and British capital. Automobiles Charron, Girardot et Voigt was founded in 1902 by Fernand Charron, Léonce Girardot and Émile Voigt. The founders had experience as racing cyclists and motorists, and their company was based at 7 rue Ampère in Puteaux. It had been preceded by an early dealership opened in Paris in 1897 and presented its first automobile in 1901. C.G.V. built comparatively costly cars and achieved annual output of roughly 300 vehicles during the early years. Its customers included members of royalty, aviation pioneers, industrialists and wealthy sportsmen. In 1904 the company produced 216 four-cylinder cars, while its range also included larger and smaller models. Voigt handled United States importing from 1905. Girardot left the business in 1906, and Charron also departed that year. English investment enabled Charron to create Charron Limited, which retained the Puteaux facilities but used a London head office at 32 Old Jewry. Charron’s subsequent business activities were divided among several automobile interests. He joined Clément-Bayard in 1908 and established Alda in 1912. The Charron operation survived the First World War partly through military orders. After the war, Charron sold Alda in 1920 to the Compagnie Générale d'Électricité, while continuing to focus on Charron-branded cars. By 1919, the company listed several models, though the postwar programme was soon reduced to a smaller and more manageable range. The decisive corporate change came in 1919. Davison Dalziel became chairman of W. S. Laycock Limited after the death of William Samuel Laycock in 1916. Charron Limited and W. S. Laycock were then combined under the Charron-Laycock name. The merged business attempted to unite French automotive design and manufacturing experience with British engineering and corporate resources. The first Charron-Laycock model was designed by William Francis Bennet Milward, and W. S. Laycock supplied the chassis for the car associated with the company’s 1921 reputation as the “Rolls-Royce of small cars.” The 1919 Paris Motor Show displayed the 6 HP Type TC and 15 HP Type PGM, while a Type A was announced for 1920. By 1924, the catalogue had shifted toward light cars: the Charronette remained, joined by the Type CV2 and Type CV1. Four-wheel brakes appeared in 1925. Later offerings included the 12/14 CV, an enlarged Charronette and a six-cylinder 1,806 cc model. The company faced the structural pressures affecting many smaller European manufacturers in the 1920s. Mass-production firms, particularly the larger French producers, could spread engineering, purchasing, marketing and factory costs over much greater volumes. Charron-Laycock’s products became less competitive as the decade progressed, and production was gradually reduced. Automobile manufacturing ended in 1930. No evidence in the supplied sources indicates that the marque continued as an independent producer afterward.

• 1930

  Automobile production ends

  [1]Charron-Laycocken.wikipedia.org

  Production concluded after the company’s remaining range was overtaken by larger and more efficient French manufacturers.

• 1925

  Four-wheel brakes introduced

  [1]Charron-Laycocken.wikipedia.org

  Four-wheel braking was added to the company’s automobiles.

• 1924

  Light-car range displayed

  [1]Charron-Laycocken.wikipedia.org

  The Paris catalogue included the Charronette, Type CV2 and Type CV1, showing the company’s emphasis on smaller cars.

• 1921

  Acclaimed as a small-car Rolls-Royce

  [1]Charron-Laycocken.wikipedia.org

  The Times described the marque as the “Rolls-Royce of small cars,” highlighting its perceived quality and positioning.

• 1919

  Charron-Laycock formed

  [1]Charron-Laycocken.wikipedia.org

  Charron Limited merged with W. S. Laycock Limited under the Charron-Laycock name, with Davison Dalziel as the central business figure.

• 1919

  Postwar range exhibited in Paris

  [1]Charron-Laycocken.wikipedia.org

  The company showed the 6 HP Type TC and 15 HP Type PGM at the Paris Motor Show and announced the Type A for 1920.

• 1912

  Alda founded

  [1]Charron-Laycocken.wikipedia.org

  Fernand Charron established the Alda automobile business, which later became separate from the Charron operation.

• 1906

  Charron Limited established

  [1]Charron-Laycocken.wikipedia.org

  Following changes among the original partners, Fernand Charron established Charron Limited with English financial support and a London head office.

• 1905

  United States importing arranged

  [1]Charron-Laycocken.wikipedia.org

  Émile Voigt became the sole importer of C.G.V. automobiles in the United States.

• 1902

  Automobiles Charron, Girardot et Voigt founded

  [1]Charron-Laycocken.wikipedia.org

  Fernand Charron, Léonce Girardot and Émile Voigt established the French manufacturer commonly known as C.G.V.

• 1901

  First C.G.V. automobile shown

  [1]Charron-Laycocken.wikipedia.org

  Automobiles Charron, Girardot et Voigt presented its first car before the company’s formal 1902 foundation.

• 1897

  Early Paris dealership established

  [1]Charron-Laycocken.wikipedia.org

  The future C.G.V. founders opened an early French automobile dealership on the Avenue de la Grande Armée in Paris.

A small-volume, technically sophisticated automobile marque combining French design and engineering heritage with British corporate and chassis interests. In 1921, The Times presented it as the “Rolls-Royce of small cars,” positioning it above ordinary light-car manufacturers while emphasizing compact luxury and refinement.

• Light car · 1914

  Charronette

  The Charronette was the company’s small-car line and originated in prewar form. The 1919 Type TC version used a four-cylinder engine of approximately 1,057 cc, a front-mounted radiator and a 2,300 mm wheelbase. It remained in the catalogue through the 1920s, with an enlarged version included among the final models.

• Light automobile · 1919

  Charron Type TC

  Shown at the 1919 Paris Motor Show, the Type TC represented a postwar return to the compact Charronette concept. It had a four-cylinder engine of approximately 1,057 cc and a wheelbase of about 2,300 mm. The radiator was positioned ahead of the engine, distinguishing it from the earlier dashboard-radiator arrangement associated with some Charron cars.

• Large touring automobile · 1919

  Charron Type PGM

  The Type PGM was the larger of the two cars displayed by Charron at the 1919 Paris Motor Show. It used a four-cylinder engine of approximately 3,392 cc and had a long wheelbase of around 3,420 mm, placing it well above the compact Charronette in size and intended touring capability.

• Passenger automobile · 1920

  Charron Type A

  Announced for 1920, the Type A was specified with a four-cylinder engine of approximately 2,995 cc and a wheelbase of around 3,360 mm. The supplied historical material identifies it as an announced model but does not establish the extent of its production or commercial success.

• Light automobile · 1924

  Charron Type CV1

  Listed at the 1924 Paris Motor Show, the Type CV1 was a smaller postwar model with an engine displacement of approximately 1,843 cc and a stated output classification of 12/14 HP. It formed part of the company’s narrowed light-car range during a period when smaller manufacturers were under increasing competitive pressure.

• Light automobile · 1924

  Charron Type CV2

  The Type CV2 was a 1924 light car using a four-cylinder engine of approximately 1,502 cc. It was positioned between the smaller Charronette and the larger Type CV1 in the company’s motor-show range. Pricing was generally supplied on application, reflecting the period practice of selling chassis and body configurations separately or through coachbuilt arrangements.

• Passenger automobile · 1925

  Charron 12/14 CV

  The 12/14 CV was one of the models retained into the company’s final production period. It originated in the 1925 range and remained alongside an enlarged Charronette and a six-cylinder 1,806 cc model. The available source material does not provide complete body, performance or production details.

• 1925

  Adoption of four-wheel brakesStrategy

  Background

  The company was updating its cars during a period when safety and chassis features were becoming more important in the European automobile market.

  Action taken

  Four-wheel brakes were added to Charron automobiles.

  Aftermath

  The change formed part of the marque’s later technical development, although it did not reverse the broader competitive decline of the business.

  Source

• 1919

  Merger of Charron Limited and W. S. LaycockM&A

  Background

  After the First World War, the two businesses brought together French automobile manufacturing experience, the Charron name and W. S. Laycock’s British engineering and corporate connections.

  Action taken

  The companies were combined under the Charron-Laycock name, with Davison Dalziel serving as the central chairman and business leader.

  Aftermath

  The merged company introduced a postwar range and briefly gained a reputation for refined small cars, but production later declined as larger manufacturers achieved greater economies of scale.

  Source

1. 1Charron-Laycocken.wikipedia.org