Rochet-Schneider (1900)

Edouard Richot was a bicycle manufacturer before switching over to automobiles. He was joined by Theophile Schneider who came from a family that built armaments. In 1894, they founded Richot-Schneider LTD. The factory was located in Lyon France.

Between 1895 to 1901, they produced 240 single cylinder, belt driven automobiles which were based off of the contemporary after the German Benz.

The cars of this era were expensive and built for wealthy hobbyists. The cars would have such decorative parts as brass fittings, patterned leather, and hand-crafted wood.

The 1900 Rochet-Schneider was designed for the driver to sit in the back portion of the car. The passengers sat in the front of the car where they could either face the open road ahead of them or position the backrest in the other direction to face the driver. This style of automobile was known a s a ‘vis-à-vis'.

Lars and Isabel Anderson bought this car during a trip to Europe and used it to tour France. When the trip was over, they shipped the car to Massachusetts. Due to the rarity of the car and the limited availability of parts, the car was seldom used except for during special events such as the Brookline MA Independence Day Parade. The chauffeur would dress up as Uncle Sam while Lars and Isabel handed out candy to spectators.

The car’s nickname was ‘Young Eagle’.