Gallery: Gawk at the Inner Workings of France's Pre-War Classic Cars
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The Mullin Automotive Museum in Los Angeles opened up some of its antique French cars earlier this month, giving visitors a rare look inside the lovely machines.
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Even though René Panhard and Émile Levassor created the "Système Panhard" in 1891, their 1902 B1 was one of the first cars they made using the front-mounted engine, rear-wheel drive setup that dominated the auto industry for decades.
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Thanks to a radiator that used convection cooling, Louis, Marcel, and Fernand Renault were able to make this 1910 car without a water pump. This being a fancy ride, they threw in leather fenders and a rather luxurious cabin.
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Hispano-Suiza built this car, dubbed the Alfonso, in 1911 at the order of one Mssr. Albert Roulinat, who drove it until his business crashed and he sold it in 1914. Collector Jorge Fernandez bought the car in 2001 and had it restored, though the engine still doesn't look like it can keep up with today's machines.
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Ettore Bugatti designed the BP1, aka the Bébé, but it was Peugeot that actually built the thing. This 1913 car offered well-to-do Frenchies rack and pinion steering and a drive shaft instead of a chain drive, modern features for the period.
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Renault's 1922 Type JV boasted 40 horsepower, quite a pile of *sacré bleu* for any flapper who landed behind the wheel. Power brakes were a helpful feature for keeping the 19-foot long luxury ride in control.
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This 1926 Bugatti Type 37 started its life with one Basle Karrer in Zurich, but by 1958 had ended up in a circus act near the Swiss-German border, with extra seats welded to the back. Bugatti collector Guy Huet bought the car, brought it to Amsterdam, and restored it with a supercharger for a power boost.
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Monsieur Gardahaut showed a lack of imagination when he named his company GAR, but his skills as an engineer made up for it, kinda. This 1930 Type B5 came with a 1375-cc engine and could hit 80 mph, but better race cars from Bugatti and Voisin soon surpassed it.
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This 1931 Bugatti Type 51 made its racing debut at the 10-hour Belgian Grand Prix at Spa, where Formula One cars still compete today. At the hands of a few different owners, it successfully raced all over France and North Africa.
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Hispano-Suiza's J12, which it built from 1931 to 1938, carried a 9.4-liter V12 engine that generated 220 horsepower, the kind of ooh-la-la you need to move a car this grandiose.
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Though the varied owners of this 1938 Delahaye Type 145 changed its engine multiple times, the car now carries a 4.5-liter V12 engine that cranks out 184 brake horsepower, controlled via a four speed manual gearbox, with drum brakes on the wheels to bring it to a halt.
