Automobiles

In 1903 Adolphe Clement broke off from the hugely successful Clement Gladiator bicycle and tire company hed built, and set up an auto factory in Mezieres, France. He had to obtain permission to name his car after Bayard, the near-legendary knight who saved the city of Mezieres in 1521. The passengers in this image, hunched against the wind and dust, may not seem much of an advertisement for motoring, but alas, the windshield hadn't been invented yet. And so the motto beneath Bayards statue could also be the motto of early motoring: Without fear, without reproach.

SKU: (0000-1133)