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Derby (automobile)

Derby
Private
Industry Motoring
Founded 1921
Defunct 1936
Headquarters Courbevoie, Seine, France
Products Motor cars

Derby (DAR-bi) is a former vintage era automobile maker based in Courbevoie, Seine, France.

Derby was founded in Courbevoie by Bertrand Montet in 1921 to build voiturettes (cyclecars). These were powered by American vee-twin motorcycle engines, which were shortly replaced with Chapuis-Dorniers. In this form, it became a close copy of Citroën's 5CV ("five horsepower"); at 195 for the two-seat roadster, it was competitive with the contemporary Austin Seven (₤225).

Shown at the 1923 Olympia Motor Show, Derby failed to gain many sales in Britain. It was there, however, the company displayed the 9 HP, a British-bodied Sports model with wire wheels, priced at ₤275. This followed the 1923 racer, which had competed at the Brooklands 200 mi (320 km) event. Production peaked at approximately 200 cars a year in 1925, falling to approximately 100 a year between 1928 and 1931.

By 1927, the car was being sold as a Vernon-Derby, taking the name of the marque's sales agent, Vernon Balls. The company offered the 8 HP with four-speed manual transmission in place of the previous three-speed. The next year, the lineup had expanded to three models: the 8 HP sports car (typically with a 1.1 L Chapuis-Dornier four) and two new sporty two-seater sixes, a 1.5 L sidevalve and the 14 HP. The 1.5-litre was replaced the next year by a smaller-displacement 12 HP sidevalve six. Derby showed a two-seater sportsman coupé at the 1930 London Motor Show, the 16 HP, with a 18,475 cc (1,127.4 cu in) six, which resembled the Bugattis of the era.


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