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1930 Hotchkiss AM2 Monaco Saloon
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Registration No. AM 2020
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Motor Cars
1930 Hotchkiss AM2 Monaco Saloon
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Registration No. AM 2020
Chassis No. 22925
Engine No. 11027
Estimate £15,000 - £18,000
The old established Hotchkiss company had its origins in America as arms suppliers during the civil war; Benjamin Hotchkiss then opened in 1867 an arms factory in France at the invitation of Napoleon III. By 1887 the firm was established at Saint-Denis using British capital and as a subsidiary of Hotchkiss
Ordinance of London. With their specialised knowledge of steels and materials it was not long before the firm began producing first automobile components and then complete cars from about 1904.
By 1923 when the AM model was introduced, Hotchkiss had an enviable reputation for building large high quality cars for the French luxury market. The designer was Henry Ainsworth, an Englishman from Buxton. The chassis was entirely conventional, with a four cylinder 2.4 litre L head engine on American lines.
Company policy was to produce only a single model, and the AM had evolved by 1926 into the AM 2 by introducing a redesigned engine with pushrod operated overhead valves and now with a torque tube
transmission. Body styling and construction was carried out in-house, and a range of models became
available, including the Monaco Saloon (as here), the Cabourg Coach, Hossegor Roadster, Basque Coupe and Biarritz Cabriolet. AM 2020 is a 1930 model, with the factory four door saloon ‘Monaco’ body,
coachbuilt and with a fabric covered roof and rear quarters. The outline is very French, with a deep curved peak over the windscreen, a large fitted trunk at the rear, twin sidemounted spare wheels and a very elegant curved horseshoe shaped radiator, surmounted by a Hotchkiss Boyce motometer. The Hotchkiss Monaco has a commanding presence on the road and the elegance is reinforced by the use of correct and original Marchal lamps including the exceptionally rare and desirable through windscreen mounted adjustable spotlamp, a pair of Trilux headlamps, and a magnificent set of Jaeger Paris instruments and switches on the dashboard. All the original French fittings are still present including the correct Solex carburettor, Amplor horn and Lavalette-Bosch ignition system.
The deep claret paintwork is in exceptional condition, and the interior is in buttoned check cloth with
matching headlining and original parcel nets. A plate on the dashboard gives the suppliers as ‘Cordonnier’ of 15 Rue Thiers Villenoy.
The Hotchkiss is in magnificent restored condition, with all its original fittings and running strongly and smoothly. A totally reliable high quality French touring saloon for sale only due to the indisposition of its owner who wants to return to the USA. It comes to auction with current tax disc and with an MOT certificate and a V5c to preserve the distinguished registration number.