About Cottin-Desgouttes
Cottin & Desgouttes was a French automobile manufacturer from the beginning of the 20th century.
History
The Beginning
In 1904, Pierre Desgoutte started manufacturing automobiles under the name "Desgouttes & Cie", in Lyon, France. The first model was the type A, powered by a 9.5-liter, 45 hp, six-cylinder engine. Only two cars of this type were built.
In December 1905, a chassis with a four-cylinder, 24/40 hp engine was presented at the Salon de Paris. It exhibited many innovative features and enjoyed a huge success. At the beginning of 1906, Pierre Desgoutte was joined by a wealthy industrial partner, Cyrille Cottin. They decided to call the new company "Automobiles Cottin & Desgouttes", Pierre Desgoutte acting as Technical Director, whereas Cyrille Cottin would manage Sales.
The pre-World War One period
The company progressively specialized in luxury and sports models.