Clement and Clement-Bayard 1898 - 1922
1898-1903 Clement et Compagnie, Levallois-Perret, Seine, France.
1903-1922 Ste Anonyme des Etablissments Clement-Bayard, Lvallois-Perret, Seine; Meziers, France.
These cars were made by one of the greatest figures in the early French motor industry, Adolphe Clement (1855-1928). Having made a fortune in the bicycle and pneumatic tyre industries, Clement entered the motor trade through his involvement with Gladiator and in 1897 joined the board of Panhard et Levassor, becoming chairman in 1900. This led to the first car to bear his name, The Clement-Panhard which was introduced at the Paris Salon in December 1898. Designed by Commandant Krebs of Panhard, it had a rear mounted 763cc 3.5hp inclined single cylinder engine with automatic inlet valve and "hot tube ignition". Tubular extensions from the body sides extended forward to a steering head from which the front wheels were steered from a central pivot. Surprisingly the steering was controlled by a wheel rather than a tiller. It was in several ways an archaic design, yet it sold in reasonable numbers. A reverse gear was provided in 1899 and in 1901 a 3 seater "vis-a-vis" was added to the 2 seater. At the same time power was increased to 4.5hp and electric ignition supplemented the hot tube system; either could be used at the drivers choice. About 200 were imported into Scotland by James Stirling, and sold under the names Stirling-Panhard or Clement-Stirling.
Although carrying the Panhard name, the Clement-Panhard was not made by them but by Clement in his own factory at Lavallois-Perret, where he was also making a light voiturette with a 2.5hp De Dion Bouton engine geared to the rear axle. To complete his range Clement imported Columbia Electric carsfrom the United States, and which he fitted with French bodies and sold them under the na,e Electromotion. In 1900 the Levallois works employed 400 men, while he had another factory at Mezieres near the Belgian border, which made components for bicycles and cars, and from which Panhard was also su[[lied with components. By the end of 1901 Clements were front-engined light cars designed by Marius Barbarou; they had 7hp single cylinder, 8hp twin and 12hp engines and shaft drive. For 1903 the range was extended to include 16hp 4 cylinder models, with mechanically operated overhead inlet valves.
Clements and Gladiators were being made in the same factory - the main difference was that Gladiators were chain driven, while the Clements had shaft drive. In October 1903 Clement resigned from the boards of both Gladiator and Panhard, and as cars bearing the name Clement were still being made in the Gladiator factory, he chose a new name for his cars, Clement-Bayard (sometimes Bayard-Clement), after the Chevalier Bayard who had saved Mezieres from the Duc de Nassau in 1521.
Clement-Bayard cars were sold in England by the British Automobile Commercial Syndicate, backed by the Earl of Shrewsbury and Talbot, and managed by Danny Wegel. In 1903 a factory was built at Ladbroke Grove in West London. At first the cars made there were almost identical to the French product, and were known as Clement-Talbots. Later they became plain talbot, although the company name remained Clement-Talbot Ltd until 1938, long after Adolphe Clement and his cars had departed from the scene.
Cl;ement was one of the largest car makers in Europe in 1904, with an output of some 1200 vehicles. The Levallois factory employed 1500 men, with a further 400 working at Mezieres. The two factories made all the parts except tyres. The machinery at Lavallois was mostly American. The 1904 Clement-Bayard range consisted of five models, all shaft driven, a 6hp single, 7hp twin and fours of 14, 20 and 27hp. Racing cars with engines up to 100hp (16,786cc) were made, and competed with some success in the Gordon Bennett Races and, from 1906, Grand Prix races. Adolphe Clement's son Albert was killed in practice for the 1907 Grand Prix, and after the 1908 season his father gave up his interest in racing. The 1906 touring car range was more extensive than ever, consisting of six models, from a 1361cc 8hp twin to two large chain driven fours of 6330cc (35/45hp) and 9232cc (50hp). In that year Clement sold a licence to Diatto in Turin, Italy for the manufacture of several 2 and 4 cylinder models which were marketed up to 1910. Adolphe Clement was a director of Diatto from 1906 to 1909.
In 1908 an important new model was introduced. This was the 1590cc 10/12hp 4 cylinder with monobloc engine andf dashboard radiator, a feature which was to be typical of Clement-Bayard's up to 1914. The last year for the big chain driven 35/45hp and 50/60hp cars was 1911, and thereafter the whole range had shaft drive and dashboard radiators. Commercial vehicles were also made, including light vans from 1903 and heavier trucks from 1906. Taxicabs were a speciality; in 1909 there were 456 Clement-Bayard cabs in Paris, where they were second in popularity to Renault.
In 1911 three models of 6 cylinder car were introduced , of 15, 20 and 30hp, and in 1912vtherewas a 20hp 4 cylinder with Knight sleeve-valveengine. These did not last long, and the 1914 range consisted entirely of fours, from a 1356cc 8hp to a 6838cc 30hp. The smaller cars made up the bulk of the business; they could only be bought ready bodied, whereas those of 12hp and above could be had in chassis form. 1500 cars were made in 1913, which meant that Clement was no longer among the industry leaders (Peugeot made about 5000 and Renault 4700 that year), but they were still amongst the top dozen French car makers.
In 1915 they broke with tradition and gave the 8hp car a front radiator, although it was not greatly changed mechanically.
Adolphe Clement retired in 1914, and doubtless the absence of his dynamic personality was partly responsible for the firm's decline in the 1920's. The 8hp was revived in 1919, joined by a new 2601cc 12hp, but they were undistinguished cars and few were made. The Mezieres factory was sold soon after World War 1, and in 1922 Citroen took over the premises at Lavallois.
