c.1901 Croizemarie Type AC Tonneau Car
Chassis no. 4245
Engine no. 3959

Around 1900 there were over 1,000 different makes of car in France, many of which made only one vehicle, and nothing is known of the origins of this almost certainly unique motor car. In the pioneering days of motor manufacturing in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, it was not at all uncommon for enterprising individuals to build their own automobiles, and there are numerous instances of local cycle shop owners, blacksmiths, carriage makers and mechanical engineers constructing one-off vehicles using proprietary components. Indeed, many of the world's great makes started out in this way.

Of right-hand drive configuration, the two-seater Croizemarie is powered by a single-cylinder water-cooled De Dion engine dating from 1901 and rated at 5CV, approximating to a capacity of around 500cc, which drives via a three-speeds-plus-reverse gearbox. There is a foot brake on the transmission and a hand brake operating on the rear wheels. The hand crafted steel body is said to date from circa 1908 while the front screen is a latter addition.

The car's history in unknown prior to 1999 when it appeared at an auction in France. At that time it was in un-restored condition and was said to have belonged to the same family since 1921, when its old Carte Grise was issued. The purchaser restored the car and registered it for road use again in 2004. Originally brown, the car has been refinished in light green with black wings and retains its original black-upholstered seats, while other noteworthy features include wire wheels and a lovely wicker trunk at the rear. A letter on file dated May 2011 states that the car was in perfect running condition at that time but had not been driven for a few years. Accompanying documentation consists of the aforementioned Carte Grise, four photographs dated 2003 showing the car before restoration, and copies of two newspaper articles concerning the 1999 auction.