Turcat-Méry

In 1895 Alphonse Méry of Marseille bought a Panhard et Levassor and a Peugeot. His younger brother Simon Méry and his brother in law Léon Turcat, both engineers, decided to improve on both models with their own design, a 2.6-litre, four-cylinder, five-speed car with electric ignition, radiators at each end of the engine and two speeds in reverse. Thus in 1899, when the car was ready for sale, they founded Turcat-Méry & Cie. They then established a partnership with Baron Adrien de Turckheim of the De Dietrich and Lorraine-Dietrich, and produced cars whose slogan was The Car of the Connoisseur.

Henri Rougier became the Paris agent and chief publicist for both Turcat-Méry and Lorraine-Dietrich which he achieved by a long and successful career in motor racing and rallying.

Turcat-Méry's liaison with Lorraine-Dietrich lasted until the outbreak of World War I in 1914. Turcat-Méry ceased production in 1928.

The 1899 Turcat-Méry had a 2.6-litre four-cylinder engine with magneto ignition. It also had a radiator at each end of the engine, chain drive and a five-speed gearbox with two speeds in reverse.

Some Turcat-Méry designs were produced by the De Dietrich. In 1907 Turcat-Méry produced their first six-cylinder model, but the four-cylinder models from 2.6 to 6.3 litres continued until the outbreak of World War I in 1914.

After World War I production concentrated on the 15/25 hp (RAC rating of 15.9 hp) with a 3-litre, four-cylinder long-stroke, fixed head engine. It also had a cone clutch and a foot-operated transmission brake.

In the early/mid-1920s, Turcat-Méry introduced an advanced, overhead-camshaft engine.