MOTORING.

Inquire · Offered by Peter Harrington

Automobiles de Dion-Bouton - Voitures et Moteurs à pétrole de Dion-Bouton. Excellent copy of this rare turn of the 20th century trade catalogue for the famous French marque. Founded in 1883 to produce steam cars, early on the company made the decision to invest in internal combustion engine technology producing their first four-wheeler in 1898, by 1901 they were the largest automobile producer in the world.The catalogue features the full range of de Dion-Bouton vehicles and engines, from the basic two-seater Voiture 8 HP (type AL) through to the 24 HP (type AP) with a choice of Limousine or Landaulet bodywork, the 22-seater 24 HP omnibus, and a similarly powerful camion, or truck, to carry up to five tonnes. Additionally the company offered single-, two- and four-cylinder engines, and generators with a range of output from 1,100 watts to 48,000 watts.Autogarage Gatti, whose copy this was and whose somewhat enthusiastic stamping shows how keen they were to hold onto it, was one of a number of purpose-built garages that sprung up on the site of former carriage workshops on the via Emilia Est in Modena. It was from humble beginnings at Gatti that Enzo Ferrari was to begin his career as a race car developer and team manager following his retirement from driving in 1932. Annual productions, and handled in an inimical environment, these catalogues are inevitably uncommon the more so in clean condition. WorldCat traces just a couple of copies of the edition for 1907.

Found via Rare Books Intel, a search across rare-book dealers, auction houses and marketplaces worldwide.