We had a long telephone conversation with veteran expert Malcolm Jeal regarding the recent two cylinder 1899 Amédée Bollée quiz car. He was kind enough to take the time and look up whatever was available. Yet hasted to add that information regarding coachbuilder Dauplay is as scarce as information regarding Amédée itself. It is his impression that car journalists of the period were primarily interested in what happened in Paris. Le Mans was not the name that it is today.
Malcolm found:
"The information about Carrossier Dauplay is from L'Invention de L'Automobile by Jean-Pierre Delaperrelle, published in 1986. I can find no references to Dauplay in any of my French reference sources of the period, and if it comes to that, there's not that much about Amédée Bollée either, presumably because they were not in Paris! Apart from cars made in the Capital, and to a degree in Lyon, the staff of the French motoring press seems not to have travelled much.
I've included the picture of the 6-seater for three reasons.
One because I think it could well have been bodied by Dauplay as it has styling characteristics that are similar. Secondly, it is so odd, the 6 passengers must have made it really hard work for the driver to see where he was going, and yet he must have done so as it took part in the 1897 Paris-Amsterdam-Paris race in the Tourist Class. In the six-seater cars category it took first place but I wonder if it had any competitors?! Thirdly it survived at least until 1907 when it was exhibited in La Salon Rétrospective at the Paris Salon which had a wonderful display of historic vehicles.Attached the shot from a similar but even more commodious car than the one in the quiz, but very similar overall.
text: Malcolm Jeal
editor: any additional information about coachbuilding by Dauplay from Le Mans is most welcome