A pre-war Mathis.
Vic, who has an interest in identifying early car registration numbers and plates, sent this and several other old car photos over. This one shows a French Mathis car, viewed from the front and captured on film in Cairo. The car is righthand drive, and only has a modicum of tread remaining on it's tyres. Although not clear, I think this is a two door Mathis, dating to the very early 1930s.
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The founder of this car manufacturer, one Emile Mathis, started out his career dealing in various motorcars from his base in Strasbourg. His name first appeared on a car in 1905, but it was in 1913 that the first Mathis proper rolled out of the door. This model was the Babylette. Soon after there would be a Mathis Baby (1327cc), plus three larger models, the biggest being the 4.4 litre Mathis Knight.
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Following WW1, the company prospered, making it one of the largest French motorcar manufacturers of the day. The range of cars was considerable, with both small motorcars, and large-engined machines, being on offer. Mathis developed a number of small six cylinder-powered cars, as well as an OHC straight eight of just 1.7 litres, in 1925. In the late 1920s however, the range of cars was significantly rationalised, with the 1.2 litre Mathis MY of
1927, and the 1.8 litre Emysix of 1928. In 1930, two six- and two eight-cylinder models were also introduced, although they didn't feature in the showrooms for long. In 1933 they introduced the Emyquatre and the Emyhuit.
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In the years after WW2, Mathis experimented with several other new designs, but in 1954 the factory was taken over by Citroen, the Mathis firm having ceased operations some four years previously. The company founder died in 1956.
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Return to Old Car Photos Page No. 9.
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