1904 Rochet-Schneider Model 2500 16/22HP Four-Cylinder Side-Entrance Tonneau

• Registration no. BP 1667
• Chassis no. 2545
• Engine no. 2546

• Amongst the finest and most significant of all Veteran cars

• One of two known survivors with ownership history from new

• Made in Lyon, France in early 1904 and imported into the UK in 1967 Offered from 35 years of single ownership

• Previously owned by two Formula 1 team bosses

• One of the most remarkable Veteran-era marques, and a true rival to Mercedes

• Some 16,000-18,000 miles covered on over 100 Veteran car rallies and tours across the UK and Europe in current ownership

In the great heyday of motor manufacturing, the most famous make in the French city of Lyon was Rochet-Schneider, now one of the most celebrated marques of the Veteran and Edwardian period. The firm was named after its founders, Edouard Rochet and Théophile Schneider, who set up in 1889 at Chemin-Feuillat in the city and started making bicycles. In 1894 they moved on to building a large single-cylinder car based on Benz lines. Production increased before the turn of the 20th century, and at the 1901 Paris Salon Rochet-Schneider announced a range of two- and four-cylinder cars based on Panhard designs.

However, by 1902 the most advanced type of car was the German Mercedes, so for 1903 the Lyonnaise cars were redesigned along the revolutionary Mercedes lines. From the introduction of that year's 20/22hp model, Rochet-Schneider's reputation as the builder of strong, fast cars grew rapidly; they were the sensation of the Paris Salon and awarded a Gold Medal. Following in the footsteps of Mercedes, Rochet-Schneider quickly gained a comparable reputation for durability, reliability and speed, fully justifying the firm's description of its products as 'Les Voitures de Qualité'

Whilst choosing not to get involved with city-to-city racing, Rochet-Schneider forged a formidable reputation in hill climbs, winning the 'Tourisme de Nice' and 'Aix-le-Bains' events in 1903, defeating Mercedes on both occasions. A 16/22hp won the Gold Medal in Class F on the 1,000 miles trial of 1903 and won the Bury hill climb outright. In fact, the surviving sister-car, '2558', took part in Le Concours du Tourisme du Dauphine, a two-day race on 4/5th August 1904.

This is an extremely rare Model 2500 boasting the 16/22hp 4.4-litre (100x140mm) four-cylinder T-Head engine, coupled to a four-speeds-and reverse, sequential gearbox with direct-drive in top. It had the most up-to-date pressed-steel chassis, double-chain drive and latest honeycomb radiator, together with smart four-seat side-entrance tonneau coachwork (the standard Rochet-Schneider body) which has been reproduced on this car.

For 1904, the year this example was constructed, 215 cars were recorded as being built, with this being the 45th. It was initially sold through the concessionaires M Decultil, who dealt exclusively with Rochet-Schneider's clients in France. UK sales were managed by Morgan Donne of Clerkenwell, with the 16/22hp model costing a whopping £725, placing Rochet-Schneider firmly in company with the most expensive luxury makes of the day, alongside 24hp models from Panhard-Levassor, De Dietrich and Léon Bollée.

Originally registered '147-Y9' and delivered to Charles J Henri Besombes of Villiers-le-Bel, a commune just north of Paris, chassis number '2545' moved south to Rouen in 1908. By the 1940s, the Rochet-Schneider belonged to Roger Pichon of Clères, a small town located approximately 25 kilometres north of Rouen. The Pichon family were well known collectors, and the car would remain with them, on display in the Clères Musée de l'Automobile, until 1967.

Bob James brought the Rochet-Schneider to the UK that year, having purchased the car from Jackie Pichon without bodywork but otherwise complete; photographs from his ownership are on file showing the car as imported. Always remaining in the care of passionate Veteran-car enthusiasts in the UK since importation, the car passed through the hands of Denis Wright, Peter Agg (who restored it in the 1970s), James Leake and the Tierra Blanca Collection prior to its acquisition by the current owner in 1991.

The owner, a Veteran-car specialist, immediately gave the car a re-restoration and a colour change, and fitted an electric starter in the first half of 1992. From then, the Rochet-Schneider has been used as its manufacturers intended, taking part in over 100 Veteran car rallies across the UK and Europe during the last 35 years.

Never shying away from an adventure, the owner occasionally drove the Rochet-Schneider to European events rather than taking it by trailer. The car has also taken part in the VSCC's Pomeroy Trophy, and been driven over 300 miles in a day, demonstrating its remarkable reliability and ease of use. Genuinely capable of achieving 50mph on the open road, it can easily be driven in modern traffic. In the last three years, apart from numerous VCC events, it has participated in the RVCC Belgium's 1900 Rally, the RAC Club's Summer Run, the London-to-Brighton, Les Vieux-Pistons and Rallye des Ancêtres in France, and two events in Holland. In total, the car has completed the London-to-Brighton Veteran Car Run an impressive 20 times, often driven by the female side of the family.

The car has always been maintained to the highest standards and is ready to be driven and enjoyed at a moment's notice. The engine was fully rebuilt in 2003 and the car has covered approximately 10,000 miles since. Furthermore, the Veteran specialists at Jonathan Wood Ltd in Essex carried out over £21,000 worth of servicing in 2019, which included further work on the engine as well as the steering and transmission, and also fitting new front wheels and tyres. In addition to the car's sizeable history file, there is a full VCC Dating Certificate (number '1467'), a FIVA passport, and a VSCC eligibility document.

The car is fitted with an original, removable period hood and comes with full weather protection, including roll-down windscreen and side curtains. The ability to quickly close out the weather has many times proved invaluable, especially in November! It retains a number of fabulous period-correct accessories, including Rejna Hanardini & Cie of Milan Brevetto self-generating acetylene parabolical oval headlights (type '55111'). The oil side lights are by Ducellier of Paris, with rear brass oil lights by Oldfield Dependence. Engine lubrication is via a 'Dubrulle' mechanical oiler (number '5734') and gearbox lubrication is easily done from the dashboard using five Wanner et Cie brass grease cups.

The 22hp model Rochet-Schneider was well described in the 1903 book, Cars and How To Drive Them by R Denys Dunas, edited by the Hon John Scott Montagu. In 'The Queen and and the Queen's twin-sister', he summarised the driving experience, comparing it directly to that of the Mercedes (the Queen), concluding that after extensive testing it was the Queen's sister - the Rochet-Schneider - that was 'the finest all-round touring car on the market'.

In short: this is a magnificent car in all respects, with an outstanding reliability record, which performs as well as it looks: powerful, agile, easy to handle from steering to braking, gear changing and general manoeuvrability. It is commodious, with that luxury feel of a quality, superbly-engineered and sophisticated four-cylinder Veteran motorcar.