The Bignan was a French automobile manufactured between 1918 and 1931 on the north side of central

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, in

Courbevoie Courbevoie () is a commune located in the Hauts-de-Seine Department of the Île-de-France region of France. It is in the suburbs of the city of Paris, from the center of Paris. The centre of Courbevoie is situated from the city limits of Par ...

. The business was created, and till the mid 1920s-headed up, by Jacques Bignan.

History

Jacques Bignan produced bespoke engines before the

war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

, but only after the cessation of hostilities did he register, in 1918, the company ''"Établissements Industriels J. Bignan"'', and emerged as an automobile manufacturer on his own account, taking stand number 84 at the

Motor Show An auto show, also known as a motor show or car show, is a public exhibition of current automobile models, debuts, concept cars, or out-of-production classics. It is attended by automotive industry representatives, dealers, auto journalists a ...

in October 1919. The first Bignan was powered by a 2,940 cc (25 CV/HP) four-cylinder engine and sat on a wheelbase. At the end of 1919, the manufacturer was quoting a list price for the car of 30,000 francs in bare chassis form. Tires were not included in the price, which was at this time not unusual. The manufacturer was also listing a price of 38,500 francs for a "torpedo-bodied" car. The majority of the vehicles produced had tourer bodies. Several of these cars were used as official vehicles for the 1920 Tour de France. Two new models were launched in 1922 - the 11CV, with a 2-litre engine, and a badge-engineered version of the Salmson AL3, a one-litre four-cylinder powered sports car. The 11CV had a four-speed gearbox and servo-assisted brakes. The production model developed 50 bhp, but the competition version developed 70 bhp, due to the use of

desmodromic valve :''In general mechanical terms, the word ''desmodromic'' is used to refer to mechanisms that have different controls for their actuation in different directions.'' A desmodromic valve is a reciprocating engine poppet valve that is positively clos ...

s. Only two of these competition models were built, but they were considered fast and reliable. The best competition result was a class victory at

Spa-Francorchamps The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps (), frequently referred to as ''Spa'', is a motor-racing circuit located in Stavelot, Belgium. It is the current venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix, hosting its first Grand Prix in 1925, and has he ...

. The 11CV was redesigned in 1926, with an eight-valve engine featuring twin oil pumps, giving 60 bhp. The company collapsed in 1926, and were taken over by the Société La Cigogne, after which Jacques Bignan had to leave the company. Several owners in succession now acquired and tried to preserve the company, which by 1928 was in the hands of Mécanique-Outillage-Pièces détachés (MOP), presumably primarily a tools/auto-parts business. Two cars, now listed with the name "MOP-Bignan", were still being promoted at the

Paris Motor Show The Paris Motor Show (french: Mondial de l'Automobile) is a biennial auto show in Paris. Held during October, it is one of the most important auto shows, often with many new production automobile and concept car debuts. The show presently take ...

in October 1928. These were the 2-litre "11CV" model and a "14CV" overhead valve

S.C.A.P. S.C.A.P. (Société de Construction Automobile Parisienne) was a French manufacturer of cars and proprietary engines, existing between 1912 and 1929. Products S.C.A.P mainly manufactured small four-cylinder engines, with capacities from 894 ...

straight-8, 2.5-litre engined car, both of which continued in production until the company finally went out of business in 1931.

Motorsport

Three Type B cars were entered in the 1920 GP de Voiturettes at

Le Mans Le Mans (, ) is a city in northwestern France on the Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Man ...

, with the cars of Nogue and Delauney finishing second and third behind a

Bugatti Type 13 The Bugatti Type 13 was the first true Bugatti car. Production of the Type 13, and later Types 15, 17, 22, and 23, began with the company's founding in 1910 and lasted through 1920, with 435 examples produced. Most road cars used an eight-valve ...

. By 1923 the 2-litre 11CV had become a mainstay of the range, and it was a Bignan powered by one of these engines that achieved a podium finish, coming in third overall, at the first Le Mans 24 Hour race. Although they never did so well again, Bignan returned to Le Mans in

1924 Events January * January 12 – Gopinath Saha shoots Ernest Day, whom he has mistaken for Sir Charles Tegart, the police commissioner of Calcutta, and is arrested soon after. * January 20– 30 – Kuomintang in China hol ...

and in 1925 24 Hours of Le Mans, 1925, when a Bignan finished in twelfth place. One of these engines also powered a Bignan to victory in the Monte Carlo Rally#1911–1929, 1924 Monte Carlo Rally. A feature of the engine with which other auto-makers only caught up many decades later was the incorporation, on the "competition" version, of four valves per cylinder. Appropriately, the company's slogan at the motor show in October 1924 was "Toujours en avant du progres" (''"Always ahead of progress"''). A 11CV saloon driven by Jacques Edouard Ledure won the 1924 Monte Carlo Rally.

References

External links

1921 Bignan Type B tourer
Car brands Vintage vehicles Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of France Car manufacturers of France Manufacturing companies based in Paris French brands {{Automotive industry