1897 Vallée Vis-à-Vis
Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Paris, France | February 3, 2016
Vallèe is a name that pops up a few times during the course of automotive history. For instance, Paul Vallèe built microcars in the 1950s. Henri Vallèe, however, is the man behind this car. He got his start working with Amadée Bollée in the 1880s, building a steam car. Vallèe set up shop as a bicycle manufacturer shortly thereafter and built his first car in 1895.
Production followed in 1897 and offered a range of four different models. This is a four horsepower (second from the smallest) model powered by a 2.2-liter flat-twin. Production continued until 1902 when the company shifted focus to motorcycles before shutting down a few years later.
This is one of two known Vallèe automobiles in existence. This car is all original except for it’s paint and top. It’s pretty interesting and is coming from a Swiss collection. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.
Update: Sold $93,700.
Update: Sold, RM Sotheby’s, London 2016 $114,061.