ASS (France) - AllCarIndex

A.S.S. Automobiles, based in Lyons, France, was a short-lived automobile manufacturer that operated between 1919 and 1920. Founded by Bernard Verdy, the company aimed to mass-produce affordable cars, similar to the approaches taken by Henry Ford in the United States and André Citroën in France.

The A.S.S. vehicle was powered by a relatively obscure 1240cc vertical-twin 2-stroke Thomas engine, which was coupled with a 2-speed epicyclic gearbox and a shaft drive to a bevel rear axle. The car featured electric lighting and starting, but it was equipped with brakes only on the rear wheels, a common characteristic of light cars from that era. The standard model was a four-seater tourer, although a two-seater variant convertible to a coupe was also available.

The A.S.S. was launched in March 1919 at a price of FFr 4,750, which was considered unrealistically low. By February 1920, the price had increased to FFr 10,950, which was deemed excessively high and adversely affected sales. In March 1920, A.S.S. merged with the Société des Moteurs Thomas, and shortly thereafter, the company ceased operations. The factory was subsequently sold to Charles Beck-Maillard, who would produce the similarly short-lived BECK car.