Automobiles Grégoire was a French manufacturer of cars and aero engines, established in 1902 in operation for about 20 years. The company grew from an earlier enterprise making engines under the name "Cyclone", established in 1899 by Louis Soncin, in

Poissy Poissy () is a Communes of France, commune in the Yvelines Departments of France, department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris, from the Kilometre Zero, centre of Paris. Inhabitan ...

, but was largely the creation of Pierre Joseph Grégoire (1876 - 1962).

Cars

At the factory on the Boulevard Devaux in Poissy, Grégoire started off by manufacturing engines in 1903, but in 1904, the company started to manufacture automobiles. The design was easily recognisable by its pear-shaped

radiator A radiator is a heat exchanger used to transfer thermal energy from one medium to another for the purpose of cooling and heating. The majority of radiators are constructed to function in cars, buildings, and electronics. A radiator is always a ...

. The company made cars with single-, two- and

four-cylinder engine The engine configuration describes the fundamental operating principles by which internal combustion engines are categorized. Piston engines are often categorized by their cylinder layout, valves and camshafts. Wankel engines are often categoriz ...

s. In 1911, a six-cylinder and a four-cylinder sleeve-valve engine were also produced. The Grégoire company never sold many automobiles. In 1913, only 500 cars were made. Gregoire 1908

After

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, Grégoire introduced its first car with an overhead-valve engine. Although the engine was only 2.3 litre, the car could reach up to . The manufacture of this model was expensive, and it had disappointing financial results. In 1923, Grégoire only produced engines for the Bignan company. Grégoire closed its factory down in 1924.

Aero engines

At the 1902 Salon aéronautique, Grégoire offered engines for airships. From these, the company evolved towards aircraft engines- "Moteurs d'Aviation Grégoire-Gyp"- made at Suresnes. The initials of Pierre J. Grégoire (G.Y.P.) provided the name for these engines. They were built in various configurations, and in four variants by power and weight, from 25/30 cv, 60 kg, to 120/140 cv, 240 kg.

External links

*Eric Favre
Grégoire, à la recherche de l'aérodynamisme
''Gazoline'', 25 August 2003 Car brands Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of France Poissy Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1903 French companies established in 1903 {{motorvehicle-company-stub