French Delaunay-Belleville bus Hotel Type F6 from 1909, 6 cylinders, 4426 cc, 31 HP, 60 km/h.

By 1914 each luxury hotel of French Riviera had had this bus to collect important clients.

Automobiles Delaunay-Belleville was a French luxury automobile manufacturer at Saint-Denis, France, north of Paris. At the beginning of the 20th century they were among the most prestigious cars produced in the world, and perhaps the most desirable French marque.

Julien Belleville had been a maker of marine boilers from around 1850. Louis Delaunay joined the firm in 1867 and married Belleville’s daughter. He changed his name to Delaunay-Belleville and succeeded his father-in-law in charge of the company.

S.A. des Automobiles Delaunay-Belleville was formed in 1903 by Louis Delaunay and Marius Barbarou. Barbarou’s family owned the boiler making company Belleville in Saint-Denis, with boiler design influences inspired by the company. Barbarou, then 28, had experience working for Clément, Lorraine-Dietrich and Benz and was responsible for design and styling, including the trademark round grille shell. The first car was exhibited at the 1904 Paris Salon, and it received enormous acclaim.

Read more: History of autobuses with Simon Bloyd ...