Dufaux automobile
Encyclopedia
Dufaux was a Swiss car manufacturer established Geneva in 1904 by Charles and Frédéric Dufaux.
The first Dufaux was built to enter the famous Gordon Bennett
cup race, held that year in the region of Taunus near Frankfurt/Main. The car had an eight-in-line engine with a displacement of no less than 12,760 cc, delivering 80 bhp at 1300 rpm. The event was a total failure for the Dufaux brothers as their car with the number 7 not even could start because of a broken wheel. This car still exists and is permanently exhibited at the Musée Nationale de l'automobile (Collection Schlumpf / Cité de l’Automobile) in Mulhouse
(France
). As Frenchman Léon Théry
on Richard-Brasier
won the race, France had to organize the cup for 1905.
Later, the brothers won a race at Geneva
over a distance of one kilometer at an average speed of 72 mi/h.
At a second race in Paris
, the brothers came in second place. The car had actually been driven from Switzerland
to Paris in less than 10 hours.
The official Gordon Bennett homepage mentions an 80 HP Dufaux with a straight eight-cylinder engine entering the 1905 event. The race was held in the Auvergne
near Paris. As the result list neither mentions the Dufaux brother nor their car it is safe to conclude that they didn't make it to the start. Again, Léon Théry on Richard-Brasier won the cup. This was the last Gordon Bennett cup for automobiles.
Another model built by the brothers was given a monstrouos four-cylinder engine with 26,400 cc. This big engine gave more than 150 bhp. Frédéric Dufaux broke with this car the world record on 13 November 1905 at a speed of 98 mi/h . He completed a kilometer in just 23 seconds.
In 1906, more cars were built. Most of them had a smaller four-cylinder engine. An eight-cylinder with 120 bhp was also built. In a hill climb in Marchairuz in 1906, four Dufaux models took place in the starting line. Two of them were eight-cylinders with 12'760 cc and 14,449 cc, respectively, and one a more modern four-cylinder with 4'400 cc.
Unfortunately, manufacturing of race cars became too expensive, so they ceased production in 1907.
The first Dufaux was built to enter the famous Gordon Bennett
Gordon Bennett
-People:*Gordon Bennett , Australian artist*Gordon Bennett , US Roman Catholic priest*Gordon Bennett , UK football coach*Gordon Bennett , Australian soldier...
cup race, held that year in the region of Taunus near Frankfurt/Main. The car had an eight-in-line engine with a displacement of no less than 12,760 cc, delivering 80 bhp at 1300 rpm. The event was a total failure for the Dufaux brothers as their car with the number 7 not even could start because of a broken wheel. This car still exists and is permanently exhibited at the Musée Nationale de l'automobile (Collection Schlumpf / Cité de l’Automobile) in Mulhouse
Mulhouse
Mulhouse |mill]] hamlet) is a city and commune in eastern France, close to the Swiss and German borders. With a population of 110,514 and 278,206 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2006, it is the largest city in the Haut-Rhin département, and the second largest in the Alsace region after...
(France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
). As Frenchman Léon Théry
Léon Théry
Léon Théry, , was a French racing driver who won the premier European race, the Gordon Bennett Cup, twice in 1904 and 1905.-Career:...
on Richard-Brasier
Richard-Brasier
Richard-Brasier was the successor of the early French automobile maker Georges Richard from 1902. The firm made large chain-driven cars.Léon Théry drove the cars to victory in the Gordon Bennett Cup races in 1904 and 1905...
won the race, France had to organize the cup for 1905.
Later, the brothers won a race at Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
over a distance of one kilometer at an average speed of 72 mi/h.
At a second race in Paris
Paris
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...
, the brothers came in second place. The car had actually been driven from Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
to Paris in less than 10 hours.
The official Gordon Bennett homepage mentions an 80 HP Dufaux with a straight eight-cylinder engine entering the 1905 event. The race was held in the Auvergne
Auvergne (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....
near Paris. As the result list neither mentions the Dufaux brother nor their car it is safe to conclude that they didn't make it to the start. Again, Léon Théry on Richard-Brasier won the cup. This was the last Gordon Bennett cup for automobiles.
Another model built by the brothers was given a monstrouos four-cylinder engine with 26,400 cc. This big engine gave more than 150 bhp. Frédéric Dufaux broke with this car the world record on 13 November 1905 at a speed of 98 mi/h . He completed a kilometer in just 23 seconds.
In 1906, more cars were built. Most of them had a smaller four-cylinder engine. An eight-cylinder with 120 bhp was also built. In a hill climb in Marchairuz in 1906, four Dufaux models took place in the starting line. Two of them were eight-cylinders with 12'760 cc and 14,449 cc, respectively, and one a more modern four-cylinder with 4'400 cc.
Unfortunately, manufacturing of race cars became too expensive, so they ceased production in 1907.
See also
- The 1904 Dufaux Gordon Bennett racer is exhibited at the Musée Nationale de l'automobile (Collection Schlumpf / Cité de l’Automobile)
External links
- Dufaux models-http://www.conceptcarz.com/view/model/552/Dufaux/model.aspx
- Dufaux in the Swiss transportation Museum-http://www.verkehrshaus.ch/en/museum/strassenverkehr/bestof.php
- Homepage for Gordon Bennett cup races 1900 - 1905 http://gordon-bennett.com