1926 - HOTCHKISS AM 2

Complete older restoration
Attractive appearance
High performance for its time
The Hotchkiss company was originally
founded by Benjamin Hotchkiss in 1867
to manufacture cannons. Once peace
had returned, he began to produce
engine parts and then his first car in
1903. For a great many years, the car
maker was a worthy representative of
France, manufacturing high-quality cars
from 1904-1955. With its logo consisting
of a pair of crossed cannons, the
make was reputed for the strength
and reliability of its engineering. After
the Great War, Hotchkiss began using
a slogan it would never give up and
which has become unforgettable: “The
Hotchkiss make, the happy medium”.
In a short space of time, it became
a benchmark in its field, a car which
was neither too small nor too big. The
firm’s middle-class customers appreciated
above all the quality, comfort
and discreet appearance of Hotchkiss’
cars. The AM 2 replaced the AM
with a new pushrod engine, a 2.5-litre
4-cylinder with side valves which was
well balanced and delivered strong
performance. It developed 56 bhp
and was mated to a 4-speed gearbox, which was very much in advance at a time when its competitors only offered
3 speeds.
The car which we are offering for sale is an AM 2 model from 1926, chassis number 10139, which was first registered on 3 January 1926. It is
fitted with the 12 hp pushrod engine, which at the time allowed “A relaxed
ride at 100 kph”, as the slogan aptly put it! Following the "happy medium", the car’s price of 45,000 francs placed it midway between a Citroën for
the masses and an exclusive Hispano-Suiza. This Hotchkiss was fully restored
in the 1990s and then sold to its current owner, a collector, in 2014.
Today, it is attractively presented and, above all, complete. The upholstery
is tightly stretched and the leatherette bodywork is also most attractive.
The current owner has included in the sale some rare period documentation
for the Hotchkiss marque.