Debenham Sisters
Betty and Nancy Debenham, with their dog, Poncho, were keen motorcyclists. Nancy won a Gold Medal at Brooklands in 1926.
The Debenham Sisters
Emel, Cuzon et Cie in 1900, and later Soncin, Gregoire et Cie
Louis Soncin built engines some of which were very large and powerful in the day. A racing machine with a 500cc Soncin was part of the Guélon Collection.
The Olympic Games of 1900 had an event for cars and motorcycles, Paris-Toulouse-Paris, a distance of 1347 km. A Soncin motorcycle is listed as a competitor, ridden by Durand. There were 28 entrants and 9 finished. The Soncin came 7th.
In October 1902 Soncin withdrew from the company leaving the rights to Pierre Joseph Grégoire.
In 1905 the company developed a twin-cylinder 8/10 HP engine, and began car racing. In 1906, the Poissy factory expanded, and in 1907 the company transferred its head office to Levallois - Perret , then to Neuilly-sur-Seine, with production remaining in Poissy.
A Soncin engine powered a motorcycle built by the Chase Brothers in 1903.
Sources: Bourdache (pp 88, 96); Guélon Collection; wikipedia.org; isoh.org
