René Gillet
René Gillet (* 1877 in Troyes ; † unknown) was a French engine developer and manufacturer.
Gillet was born into a family of railroad workers and named after his grandfather.
Professional beginnings
René Gillet's interest in engines and technical equipment began early; at the age of 18 he found a job in a mechanical company in Puteaux .
Since he had to travel the long way to work on his bike , he came up with the idea of motorizing his bike. He rejected a first attempt; a second, improved engine could be financed by selling the first. His bike now differed from a typical model of the time in that it had a reinforced fork on which the motor sat, which drove the front wheel via a belt. In addition, a container was attached to the frame in which gasoline, oil and a battery for the ignition were stored.
Engine or motorcycle manufacturer
In 1897, Gillet equipped motorcycles with injection gasification. Thus, the route from Malakoff to Épernay and back could be mastered without major problems. After moving the motor from the fork to the place of the pedals and breaking away from the "bicycle" type, in 1900 he built a small motorcycle with a displacement of about 350 cm³ and 2.75 hp , which reached 30 km / h.
Gillet started producing motorcycles in a small factory in Villa Collet (119, Rue Didot) in Paris' 14th district . There he manufactured motorcycles with single-cylinder engines that had either 1.5 or 2.5 hp.
Great success made it possible to build a new production facility on the Route d'Orleans in Montrouge . There the production of the two-cylinder engine (45 °) began, again in different variants. A 500 cc engine with 3.5 hp or a 750 with 6 hp, until a 1000 cc engine came onto the market in 1928.
Gillet's products were particularly popular with the military and police; Families also used the sidecar, the chassis of which was manufactured by Gillet itself.
End of self-employment
After World War II , Gillet's success waned; only slightly different versions of the pre-war models were created. Due to the low level of technical development, customers were lost. In 1955, Peugeot bought the factory, which was closed in 1958.
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| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Gillet, René |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | French engine developer and manufacturer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1877 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Troyes |
| DATE OF DEATH | 20th century |