Berliet

Berliet was a Car manufacturer French, founded by Marius Berliet. It was in the beginning a manufacturer specialized in the car, and more particularly the car of luxury, but it is especially its activity Heavy truck S which is known.

Origins of the Mark

Marius Berliet begins his automobile experiment in 1894 by construction from one-cylinder cars, followed in 1900 by models twin-cylinders. In 1902, it takes again the activity of the Lyons manufacturer Audibert and Lavirotte and begins the construction of models four-cylinder engines equipped with cellular radiators and based on steel frames to replace traditional wood. In 1906, Berliet sells the license of construction of its models at the company American Locomotive Company.

Before the First World War, the mark offers a range of models of 8 ch to 60 ch: the majority are been driven by engines four-cylinder engine (2412 cm ³ and 4398 cm ³) but a version six-cylinder car of 9500 cm ³ is also proposed. From 1910 to 1912, a model 12 ch de 1539 cm ³ is produced; as from 1912, the versions six-cylinder car are proposed more only on independent drive.

During the First World War, Berliet, like Renault or Latil, produced trucks for the French Army: by 1916,40 trucks leave the Berliet factories daily.

After the war, models 12 CV (2613 cm ³), 15 CV (3308 cm ³) and 22 CV (4398 cm ³) are produced. A news 7 CV (1159 cm ³) appears in 1924. New six-cylinder cars follow in 1927.

From 1933, four-cylinder motors (1600 and 2000 cm ³) are only produced.

The last private car produced by Berliet is the Dauphine model manufactured as from 1936 and motorized by one 2 liters. The production of vehicles of tourism ceases in 1939.

The period Heavy trucks

After the Second world war, there remains only its activity Heavy truck S, which knows an unquestionable success and fact of this manufacturer number 1 French of the sector, in particular with its legendary models “length nose” GLR, GBH or TLM and GBC present on all the building sites or roads of France or leaving at the conquest the tracks of French Africa. To see: the film “100.000 dollars with the sun” with Lino Ventura, Jean-Paul Belmondo and Bernard Blier.

It is also of many trucks of firemen leaving the Berliet factories or by-products with Camiva which remain many years of service in the barracks (Series K and especially model GAK).

They is still buses engraved in the memory of the many passengers schoolboys of the time.

It is finally the model “building sites Saharan” T100, built with four specimens, which becomes the largest truck of the world (100 Tons - Engine Cummins V12 BiTurbo Diesel 28 700ch liters).

In 1967, Berliet makes from the agreements with Citroen (then property of Michelin) before being made repurchase by this last and form division “Trucks” of this manufacturer.

In 1974-1975, Peugeot having repurchased Citroen, the Control Renault demand for compensation to take again Berliet to amalgamate it with Saviem and to thus train the principal French manufacturer theheavy ones (the other being Unic).

At the beginning of the Years 1980, the names of Berliet and Saviem do not disappear definitively from the grills of the Heavy truck S. These two marks do not form from now on any more but only one entity: Renault Industrial Vehicles (RVI).

The vehicles designed by Berliet will be still produced about fifteen years for some, but will be integrated in the Renault range.

Epilog

Berliet, manufacturer established in Lyons area (in particular with Vénissieux) and with Borough-in-Bresse, will have been one of the most outstanding manufacturers of the history of the Heavy truck French, while being at the origin many innovations: bus with flattened floor (model PR100), new suspensions of the Heavy truck S (with Stradair) or advanced design of its cabins (with the RELAXED range)….

Initials

The initials which illustrate this article are the last carried out. It represents a stylized engine. On a Berliet truck which served on the crowned Voie, exposed to the Mémorial of Verdun one sees very well the old initials which represent an engine clearly. For the activity of manufacturer of engines Berliet to see the page of discussion.

Photograph gallery

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