Darracq 8-hp Two-seater

An average car at the start of the last century looked like this Darracq. Engine in the front, a slightly slanted steering wheel with gear lever, and a tubular radiator.

A large driveshaft drove the rear axle, whose wheels were a little larger than those at the front. Note the beautiful deep-button leather bench of this two-seater. The car is of the 8-HP type and was one of the first production models of the then very successful Darracq make. In 1904 Darracq was the largest car manufacturer in the world with an annual production of 1,600 cars, which represented 10% of the total car production in France at that time. The founder, Alexandre Darracq, never learnt to drive himself and didn’t even like to be driven. In 1912 he turned his back on the automobile industry and invested his money in a casino in Deauville.