About Chenard & Walcker
Chenard-Walcker, also known as Chenard & Walcker and Chenard et Walcker was a French automobile manufacturer, from 1900 to 1946. The factory was at first in Asnières-sur-Seine moving to Gennevilliers in 1906.
Ernest Chenard (1861-1922) was a railway engineer and maker of bicycles with a factory in Asnières-sur-Seine. He joined with mining engineer Henri Walcker (1877-1912) in 1898 to make motor tricycles. They formally founded Chenard, Walkcer et Compagnie in 1900 with Chenard in charge of design and Walcker sales and finance. In the same year made their first four wheel car. This had a two cylinder, 1160 cc engine of their own design which drove the rear wheels through a four speed gearbox and an unusual transmission system. From the gearbox their were two drive shafts, one to each rear hub, with the hubs driven by gear teeth cut on the inside. The car was shown at the 1901 Paris Salon.
In March 1906 the company went public and became the Société Anonyme des Anciens Étabissements Chenard et Walcker and moved to a new factory at Gennevilliers in 1908. The new name has caused confusion over the years as to whether the cars should be called Chenard-Walcker or Chenard et Walkcer, both names seem to have been used. Annual production steadily increased with a major market being the supply of taxis especially in Paris. In 1910 they made over 1500 cars making them the 9th largest maker in France. A six cylinder car of 4.5 litre joined the line up in 1913 and at the outbreak of war in 1914 the model range consisted of the six cylinder and fours of 2.0, 2.6 and 3 litre capacities.
During World War I Hispano-Suiza arcraft engines were made as well as military versions of the Type U car.
