Clément Bayard, pionnier industriel
Orphaned at a very young age, Adolphe Clément (1855-1928), a self-made man, became the French number one in cycles at the age of 45, then he threw himself with ardor into the automobile industry, building in Mézières and Levallois two extraordinary factories of modernity, the two largest in Europe, it was said at the time, before launching into the aeronautics industry in 1908. His monogram A.C. appeared proudly above the entrance gates of his factories.
The war of 1914-1918 ruined him, yet the man raised his head and handed over to a young engineer and entrepreneur who had good ideas for producing a popular automobile at a low price: André Citroën. Having become his banker, Adolphe Clément sold him his factories, and, as he himself said, he did not even have to change the monogram.
The result of several years of study in multiple sources, municipal and departmental archives, archives of institutions such as the Aéro-Club de France, family archives, this book traces the life of an extraordinary character, Adolphe Clément and the history of his company.
Information
| Author: | Gérard Hartmann |
|---|---|
| Details: | 176 pages, 28 x 21.5 cm / 11 x 8.5 in, hardback |
| Illustrations: | 381 b&w and colour photos |
| Publisher: | ETAI (F, 2013) |
| ISBN: | 9782726896730 |
