Vallée Vis-à-Vis 1897 - World Of Classic Cars

Vallée Vis-à-Vis 1897

Henri Vallée worked on the massive steam coach that Amadée Bollée built for the Marquis du Broc in 1885 and set up his own firm at Le Mans to make bicycles in 1890. Five years later, he built a tube-chassis car powered by a two-cylinder horizontal engine of his own manufacture. It was exhibited at the 1895 Cycle Salon in Paris. The following year brought two new models, a four-seat vis-à-vis and a four-seat Victoria.
In 1897, he was turning out automobiles of three-, four-, five-, and seven-horsepower, but by 1902, sales of Vallée cars had fallen, so Sté des Automobiles Vallée withdrew to motorcycle manufacture for several years before winding down.

Vallée Vis-à-Vis 1897

This car, being shown from a private Swiss collection, is one of the four-horsepower models. One of only two Vallées known to survive, it was part of the Henri Malartre Collection in Lyon until 1970. It is in original condition, but for a repaint in green and new black canvas. It also features Bleriot brass lighting and yellow wire wheels.