Darracq for sale
A 50-year-old car named "Genevieve" was given the star role in a 1953 film by Henry Cornelius. It was an old Darracq that had been found all run-down in a hedge in Britain and was lovingly restored to its original state. But it rose to fame with the popularity of the movie, leading to worldwide interest for the first time ever in restoring old cars as a hobby.The history of the Darracq automobile goes back to 1896, when the company was founded in the Parisian suburb of Suresnes by Alexandre Darracq. To fund the project, Darracq used some of the profits he made from selling his successful Gladiator bicycle factory. The company built electric motor carriages and then produced its first cars with a gas engines in 1900. The production model, the “Flying 15,” was so popular that Darracq was producing 10 percent of all automobiles in France by 1904.
Darracq was an astute businessman and moved quickly to form business ventures across Europe. He partnered with German businessman Adam Opel to produce the “Opel Darracq.” He expanded manufacturing facilities to Britain, incorporating the A. Darracq Company in 1905. In 1906, he expanded into Italy, establishing what would later become the automaker Alfa Romeo. And in 1907, Darracq expanded manufacturing into Spain.
Ironically, Darracq himself was reportedly not fond of driving or even being driven in an automobile, and was said to be interested only in manufacturing them and making money. He apparently did, however, recognize the value of racing cars and the publicity it would bring to his company and brand. With hired drivers, Darracq automobiles entered a number of major races in the early 1900s and won several, including the Vanderbilt Cup in the United States in 1905 and 1906 and setting speed records in 1904 and 1905.
At the peak of success in 1912, Darracq sold out his enire share in Darracq to British investors and went on to pursue other interests including hotels and casinos in Belgium and France. The automobile company he had started went on to take over British Talbot in 1919, which made cars under the name Talbot-Darracqs, and then reorganized as part of the Sunbeam-Talbot-Darracq conglomerate in 1920. In 1935, that company was purchased by the Rootes Group.
Main road models during the Darracq years from 1896 through 1920 included the Type C, Type K, Type X, Type SS 20/28, C11, V14, and Type A 25CV.
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