ZEBRA TYP A – year 1909

Manufacturer: SA Le Zebre, Suresnes, Puteaux (His), France.

The French car of the Le Zebre brand was the result of cooperation between two talented designers - Solomon and Lama. The factory started in 1909 r. trial production of light modern vehicles, being a study of the later legendary Citroen car 5 Resume Trefle.

The car was equipped with an engine with a capacity of a lower valve timing 616 cm3. Water cooled, single cylinder bore engine 85 mm and piston stroke 106 mm developed power 4,4 kW (6 KM). The spark igniter ignited the mixture in the cylinder. The driving force was transferred to the rear wheels via a disc clutch, 2-stepped gearbox and propeller shaft. Rigid bridges were connected to the body with longitudinal semi-elliptical springs. The brakes only acted on the rear wheels. With a lightweight 2-seater body, the Type A had a lot of weight 350 kg and reached maximum speed 45 km/h. The trunk is made of an ordinary wicker basket. The model is on display today at the Musee de l'Automobile du Mans in Le Mans, in France.

A year later, an improved type A was released, which had a 4-speed gearbox and a four-seater body.

Would be C, produced in the years 1911-1914 with a torpedo body, already had a 4-cylinder displacement engine 785 cm3. A car of power 4,4 kW (8 KM) it was the smallest mass-produced 4-cylinder car at that time.

A company founder, engineer Julius Salomon, he developed his last body designs for the plant in 1919 r. Soon after, he switched to the well-known Citroen car plant, with whom he has been cooperating for a long time. Meanwhile, the second of Lama's constructors set up a new Amilcar car factory.

In the early 1920s, the company discontinued the production of small Zebra due to increased interest in more powerful cars. Therefore, it began to release new models with 4-cylinder engines with a capacity 2000 cm3. The most popular was the type Z - the work of an excellent technician Ricardo. However, the escalating economic difficulties did, that the intended successes were not achieved. The company ceased to exist in 1930 r.