Fondu (Belgium) - AllCarIndex

Automobiles Charles Fondu was a Belgian automobile manufacturer based in Vilvorde, Brussels, which operated from 1906 to 1912. The company was established by Jean-Baptiste Fondu in 1860, initially focusing on supplying materials to the Belgian National Railway Company. In 1896, his son Charles Fondu took over the business and shifted its focus towards automobile production at the dawn of the 20th century.

The first model launched by the company was the Type 1 CHF in 1906. This vehicle featured a substantial 3,768 cc 20/24 CV four-cylinder engine, a three-speed gearbox, and shaft drive. The design of the Type 1 CHF was credited to Julien Potterat, a young Swiss engineer who later became the director of the car division at Usines Fondu. In 1907, the company expanded its offerings with an enlarged version of the 20/24 CV, which had a 4,082 cc engine, as well as a more powerful 50 CV six-cylinder model with a 6,123 cc engine.

In 1908, Charles Fondu licensed the production of the 24/30 CV model to the Russko-Baltiskij Vagonnij Zavod in Riga, which was then part of the Russian Empire. This marked the introduction of the first series-produced car in Russia, although the vehicles produced under the Russo-Baltic name had some differences from their Fondu counterparts, such as variations in the front axle design. Julien Potterat left Fondu to oversee the Russo-Baltic project, leading to a shift in Fondu's production towards smaller cars with engine displacements of 1,131 cc, 1,690 cc, and 2,120 cc.

The production of complete automobiles by Fondu ceased in 1912, but the company continued to supply engines to various manufacturers both domestically and internationally. Notable clients included ELGE, F.I.F., LINON, and SAVA in Belgium, as well as C.L.E.M. in France, Mathis in Germany, and Turner in England. Fondu engines remained in circulation throughout the 1920s, and from 1924 to 1933, the factory also housed establishments that produced La Mondiale motorcycles.