French Clement-de-Dion Phaetonnet from 1898, one cylinder, 269 cc, 2.25 HP, 35 km/h
The Clément-De Dion is a passenger car model made by the French manufacturer Clément & Cie.
Depending on the source, the car was produced in 1898, from 1898 to 1900, from 1898 to at least 1900 or from 1900 to around 1901. A preserved vehicle is dated differently from 1903.
Clément used a De Dion-Bouton single cylinder engine. It delivers 2.25 hp from a displacement of 269 cm³. The cylinder has a bore of 70 mm and a stroke of 70 mm. De Dion-Bouton only used engines of this size for his own vehicles from June 1899, although it remains unclear whether engines were delivered to Clément as early as 1898.
The single-cylinder, four-stroke engine has an early form of IOE, or Inlet-over-Exhaust valve timing, in which the exhaust valve is controlled by a camshaft. The inlet valve fitted above it is “automatic”, which means it works (atmospherically) as a so-called “snifter valve”. The typical operating noise of such engines probably led to the designation “Schnauferl” (in France: teuf-teuf) for these vehicles.
The removable cylinder head is water-cooled, the engine block is air-cooled.
The only copy survived is in Cité de l’Automobile.
The engine is installed in the rear and drives the rear axle.
Phaëtonnet is the diminutive form of Phaëton, which here obviously refers to the structure as a two-seater Phaeton. The light and minimalist structure is made of wood. The substructure of the driver’s seat is also the engine compartment; it becomes accessible by folding the upholstery forward.
The vehicle has oil lamps at the front and a carbide lamp at the rear.
The chassis has a wheelbase of 137 cm and a track width of 110 cm.
The car can reach a top speed of 25 km/h to 35 km/h.
