A Brief History of the Firm
Alexandre Darracq built the 5 cylinder Millet motorcycles and tricycles from 1894 to 1895, and the Perfecta tricycles with Soncin or Aster engines.
Darracq and Paul Aucoq were the founders of Compagnie des Cycles Gladiator which built bicycles, automobiles and motorcycles.
Darracq presented an electric carriage at the Salon du Cycle of 1898 which was shown to be capable of travelling for four hours at 15 km/h. Downhill runs recharged the batteries which were in the very early stages of development and accounted for almost half the weight of the vehicle.
By 1904 Darracq & Cie was one of the largest producers of automobiles in France, and in 1906 Darracq founded Società Anonima Italiana Darracq in Milan, the company which became Alfa Romeo.
Sources: Bourdache (pp 21, 33, 49, 105, 261, 274.), Wikipedia, boursinp.free.fr.
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