French Motorcycles

Today in Motorcycle History

Phebus Tricycles by Boyer

Noù Boyer et Cie

Workshops in Suresnes, showrooms at 30 avenue de la Grande Armée, Paris.

The firm was established as a bicycle manufactuer in Nantes in 1889.

Boyer exhibited their Phebus tricycles and quadris at the Salon des Tuileries in 1899. The machines are said to have had both Aster and De Dion engines.

A tricycle was ridden at the Crystal Palace velodrome by Charles Jarrott who achieved 39 mph.

The firm merged with Société Gladiator around 1903, the relationship being explained in some detail at the Online Bicycle Museum

The Phebus was marketed as the Automobilette in England by F W Wellington of St George's Square, London very early in the piece.

1899 Motor Show, Islington

Noù Boyer and Co., Avenue de la Grande Armée, Paris, on Tuesday evening brought one Phebus motor quadricycle into the hall, a neatly built machine with a light air-cooled motor of the De Dion type.

N.B. Bonnet & Guyonnet built a Phebus motorcycle 1907~1910 and possibly as late as 1918. See Bonnet & Guyonnet

Sources: Bourdache p91; de.wikipedia.org; et al.