Four-Wheeled Darmont

1934 Darmont Type V Junior

Offered by Bonhams | Paris, France | February 4, 2016

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Darmont was a car manufacturer from just outside Paris that was founded in 1919 when Robert Darmont began importing three-wheeled Morgans from the U.K. When the war ended, he teamed up with his brother André and to build Morgans under license under the name Darmont-Morgan. Darmont-branded cars went on sale in 1926 and lasted through 1939.

The Type V Junior was the last new model introduced by the company and it was the only four-wheeled car the company produced. Going on sale in 1935, the car was powered by a 1.1-liter V-twin engine.

Production ended in ’39 and this one features an “older” restoration. These are rare and it’s unknown how many were built. It should bring between $22,000-$33,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $20,619.

Darmont-Morgan

1921 Darmont-Morgan Three-Wheel Runabout

Offered by RM Auctions | Nysted, Denmark | August 12, 2012

I don’t think there is any way, without breaking my legs into smaller pieces, that I would be able to fit in this car – which is a shame because I think it is really cool. H.F.S. Morgan began marketing his three-wheelers in 1911 and within a few years he was exporting them to France where a few many handled the importing duties. There are a few names on the importers list – two of them being the brothers Darmont (Roger and Andre).

Three-wheeled Morgans became popular in motorsports for a few reasons. One, they were light, and their small v-twin motorcycle engines weren’t necessarily overworked trying to keep them moving. They began taking victories in Europe and after World War One, a Morgan Three-Wheeler scored an improbable victory at a race in France. Roger Darmont quickly entered an agreement with Morgan to build the cars in France, where their popularity had exploded. These were called Darmont-Morgans.

Built in a Parisian suburb, the cars were, initially, the same as those being built in Malvern Link, but over time they grew into their own and in the mid-1930s, Darmont introduced a four-wheeled car of his own design. The company closed at the outbreak of the Second World War.

This rare survivor is a fine example of an early Morgan but in even scarcer form – a Darmont. It’s also a great example of a cyclecar – a style very popular in 1920s France. This car looks like it’s probably been in a museum for quite a while – tended to as needed, but never restored. It’s really cool.

No estimates have been published yet for this sale, but for more information, click here. And for more from this incredible sale, click here.

Update: Sold $41,700.