Whaddyacallit #204 - Solved! 1940 Faure Electrique

[ImpishGrin]

This is why we can see two photographs just above, I suppose,...
(and one of them taken in the street showing that the car has been dutifully registered.)
I know it may be only a prototype, but a driveable prototype then. Thank you for the information anyway, Arunas. But what about checking it before pasting it?

The quote "Whether such a vehicle was built is not known; no photographs survive. " clearly refers to the 3-seater chauffeur-driven version, which we don't see on any of the photos.

[Ray B.]

The quote "Whether such a vehicle was built is not known; no photographs survive. " clearly refers to the 3-seater chauffeur-driven version, which we don't see on any of the photos.

If so, I apologize to Arunas. It wasn't obvious to me that there were two different cars. I thought only two different seat arrangements. I am not completely convinced, though. Maybe whoever wrote these lines (there is no credit) just ignored those photos.

[Paul Jaray]

"The Faure was one of a number of small electric cars wich acheived some sales during World War II in France, but could not compete when petrol returned. It was a 4-wheeled coupe with independent suspension on all wheels, a maximum speed of 28mph and a range on one charge of 43 miles. It made one appearance at a post war show, the 1946 Paris Salon"
there is a picture of a 1941's Faure Electra electric coupe' totally different from both these other pictures here!!

Credit: The New Encyclopedia of automobiles by G.N. Georgano

[Carnut]

What's this, by whom, from when - for 1 pint?:

Remember - solving puzzles using 'Google Search by Image' is BANNED on AutoPuzzles!

[Carnut]

Experts?

[shamrock]

a FAURE electric car, Pierre Faure , 1941

[Carnut]

a FAURE electric car, Pierre Faure , 1941

Yes!
Well done.

[Wendax]

The badge:

[58_spyder]

There is one up for auction at the Artcurial auction at Retromobile in Paris next week:

Sold without registration - In exceptional original condition - A very rare model (approximately 20 made) - In the same family since new - No reserve The Pierre Faure microcar is one of the many responses to the shortage of raw materials during World War II. With its backbone chassis and electric engine powered by six batteries, it could reach 40km/h and range was estimated at 50 to 70km. This car on offer was bought new by Yves Le Bihan, an engineer of l'école Centrale and the former director of the Compagnie des Chemins de Fer du Nord. This automobile enthusiast with a fascination for propulsion systems (he had filed a patent for a combustion engine, and also for a machine that could measure the strength of a horse in horsepower!), he acquired this car for economic reasons during the occupation, and it is registered 7858 FJ 3. As a mute witness of this dark period, the car still has its "Ausweis" ("Pass") that is fixed behind the windscreen and the headlights are still equipped with shutters! After the war, the car was stored by his son, in Brittany, in a former stable, and it has not moved since then. When emptying the room where the car was stored, the family remembered the car, and it is precisely in the same place that we found it. The granddaughter of Yves Le Bihan, who was a child in the 1950s, remembers having played in this strange machine, heading out for long imaginary journeys. The car is complete (except for batteries), the front bumper has been removed and everything is in strict original condition, only the hood and left front fender have been damaged during storage. Even the oil dispenser can still be found in the engine compartment, and the key still hangs on the dashboard. The transmission chains and two replacement crown/pinions come with the car. This rare car is a touching witness to a difficult period in history, where ingenuity made up for the shortages. Moreover, it has gone through the years without being cannibalized and deserves a beautiful restoration.

Estimation 15 000 - 25 000 € 

[Carnut]

Amazing!

[Wendax]

Another picture, taken in 1943: