The Ateliers Germain was a Belgian engineering manufacturing company based in

Monceau-sur-Sambre Monceau-sur-Sambre ( wa, Moncea-so-Sambe) is a town of Wallonia and a district of the municipality of Charleroi, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, ...

near

Charleroi Charleroi ( , , ; wa, Tchålerwè ) is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. By 1 January 2008, the total population of Charleroi was 201,593.

. The company manufactured motorcars under license in the early 20th century until the First World War, after which is concentrated on rail vehicle manufacture. It merged with the

Société Anglo-Franco-Belge Lactalis is a French multinational dairy products corporation, owned by the Besnier family and based in Laval, Mayenne, France. The company's former name was Besnier SA. Lactalis is the largest dairy products group in the world, and is the sec ...

in the 1960s shortly before becoming defunct.

History

The ''Société des Ateliers Germain (Matériel de Chemins de Fer & Tramways, Voitures Automobiles)'' was founded 30 October 1897, with a factory at

, Belgium.Sources: * * The company initially manufactured automobiles under license from Daimler-Phoenix and

Panhard-Levassor Panhard was a French motor vehicle manufacturer that began as one of the first makers of automobiles. It was a manufacturer of light tactical and military vehicles. Its final incarnation, now owned by Renault Trucks Defense, was formed ...

, and later small automobiles (

Voiturette A voiturette is a miniature automobile. History ''Voiturette'' was first registered by Léon Bollée in 1895 to name his new motor tricycle. The term became so popular in the early years of the motor industry that it was used by many makers t ...

s) under license from Elan,

Renault Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English; legally Renault S.A.) is a French multinational automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company produces a range of cars and vans, and in the past has manufactured ...

, and Hardt. The company used the brand names "Germain", "Panhard belges" and "Daimler belges". Car production continued up to the beginning of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. During the conflict British battle tanks captured at the battle of Cambrai were repaired at the factory, and used by the Germans at the battle of St. Quentin. After the end of the first world war the automobile production ceased, and the primary product was rail vehicles. NMBS 4403

In 1964 the company merged with the

to form the ''Etablissements Germain Anglo''. The defunct factory in Monceau sur Sambre was demolished and redeveloped in the 1990s.Sources: * *

Notable staff

* Paul Mossay, Belgian

electrical engineer Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems which use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...

worked for the company briefly before setting up his consultancy in London in 1913.

References

External links

{{commons category, Ateliers Germain Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of Belgium Rail vehicle manufacturers of Belgium Companies based in Hainaut (province)