Lacroix Et Delaville La Nef

The shape of this tricycle is somewhat reminiscent of a ship, which is why it is also called La Nef, an old French term for boat.

The long steering tiller looks like a boat’s and has a limited travel, especially with a passenger seated next to the driver. The single-cylinder De Dion-Bouton engine drives the rear wheels via a long belt. The first models were not fitted with a gearbox. This car was produced in the French town of Agen by LaCroix et DeLaVille, a company that existed from 1896 until 1914. The La Nef was embraced by a large number of ‘early adopters’, people keen to be the first to try out a new product. Doctors especially were quick to recognise the advantages of an internal combustion engine over a horse – an automobile was always ready to go and required relatively little maintenance.