Gautier-Wehrle (France) - AllCarIndex

Gautier-Wehrlé was a pioneering French automobile manufacturer active from 1894 to 1900. The company was initially established as Rossel, Gautier & Wehrlé in Paris, where it began its foray into the automotive industry. In 1894, the firm entered a 4hp steam car in the Paris-Rouen Trial, which marked one of the earliest competitive events for automobiles. The vehicle, driven by Charles Gautier, finished sixteenth out of twenty-one participants.

In 1895, Gautier-Wehrlé developed an improved steam car known as La Cigale, which featured a Serpollet boiler and equal-sized wheels. However, this model did not complete the Paris-Bordeaux Race. By 1896, the company shifted its focus to petrol-powered vehicles, promoting them as "chainless and vibrationless." These cars featured engines mounted under the seat and utilized a shaft drive to a gearbox on the rear axle, showcasing advanced engineering for the time.

The transition away from steam power occurred in 1897, when the company restructured as Sté Continentale and began producing petrol cars equipped with front-mounted 8hp horizontal engines. By 1898, Gautier-Wehrlé offered a range of vehicles, including models with 5hp and 12hp single-cylinder engines, a vertical twin engine, and even an electric car. The company manufactured its own bodies and also provided coachwork for other manufacturers, in addition to subcontracting work for Serpollet.

The last model produced by Gautier-Wehrlé was a 4hp dogcart in 1899. Following the company's closure, Charles Gautier continued to build automobiles under his own name. One of the original partners, Rossel, may have been Edouard Rossel, who was known to have produced a few cars in Lille during 1898-1899.