Vintage black and white photograph taken in Rethel, Ardennes, France of the Bauchet car with driver and two passengers. Probably Henry Bauchet himself.
Henry Bauchet was a French ingénier (1879-1970) and inventor. He was born on 22 April 1879 in Frevent, Pas-de-Calais and died on 19 December 1970 in Lyon. He designed and manufactured the first prototype of modern automobile, called "La Sirène" from 1899 to 1907. He graduated from School of Arts and Crafts in Châlons-en-Champagne and was one of the first holders of a driving licence in France. After a life dedicated to the automobile, in 1963, in Valencia, he was knocked down by a car, which left him with a slight limp. A street in Rethel is named after him. In 1899, in Rethel in the Ardennes, a vehicle called La Sirène designed by engineers Henry Bauchet and his collaborator Charles Schmidt took to the road. Until then, automobiles looked more like carriages with large wooden wheels with a motor under the seats. La Sirène was an innovative car with a look close to the ones we know today, with a hooded engine at the front, a steering wheel, a body and four metal wheels equipped with all-new tires invented in 1891 by the Michelin brothers. It had a 5/8 cv twin-cylinder engine, 4-speed transmission and shaft drive. It was fitted with a 4-seat tonneau body. Wikipedia
Size: 7015px × 4960px
Location: Rethel, Ardennes, France
Photo credit: © photo-fox / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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