This quiz was indeed a tricky one, as most were put off by the double name. But you might have recognized the big suitcase at the rear as the owner and his 1903 Léon-Buat are regular contenders at the London to Brighton. Correct answers came from Ariejan Bos, Fredi Vollenweider, Andrew Winter and jury member Fried Stol. Several mentioned Lacoste & Battmann. This was partly right as this company supplied many chassis to different car manufacturers. And it is said, according to Fried Stol, that cars sold under Léon-Buat's name were actually Lacoste et Battmann's. However Ariejan Bos doubts this as he wrote: "This car is a Buat or
Léon Buat of 1903. Léon Buat produced motor cars from 1901 to 1906 in Senlis (Oise) just north of Paris. As he was himself a carriage builder, he purchased his chassis at Lacoste & Battmann (though I have some doubt about this because of some obvious differences from the L&B design). It seems that he used the name Buat for his motor cars, but that he advertised for carriages and car bodies as Léon Buat. As this trade apparently did not prosper, he restricted himself again to building carriages and car bodies from 1907." This third correct answer earns you a well-deserved place amongst our distinguished jury members. Congratulations Ariejan!
We took the pictures of this Léon-Buat at last year's Techno Classica in Essen where it was displayed at the stand of the '
Allgemeiner Schnauferl Club'. Essen is as always a great show. This year's edition
will be held from April 10-14. Don't forget!
.
