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 shape of this Lacroix & Delaville 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 lever also looks like a tiller. The steering angle is limited, especially when a passenger sits next to the driver. A single cylinder De Dion-Bouton engine drives the rear wheels via a long belt. The first models do not yet have a gearbox. This car was built by LaCroix & DeLaVille, based in Agen, France, which existed from 1896 to 1914. In its day, the 'La Nef' enjoyed great popularity among a large number of early adopters, people who want to try out new products as soon as possible. Doctors in particular bought the 'La Nef'. They saw major advantages of the internal combustion engine over the horse: a car is always ready for use and, relatively speaking, requires much less maintenance.