Company overview
Rochet-Schneider was a French automobile manufacturer founded in 1894. Edouard Rochet and his father began their motorcar production after a career in bicycle manufacturing. Théophile Schneider joined the company in 1894, related to a family involved in armaments. The company built approximately 240 single-cylinder cars between 1895 and 1901. In 1904, the company was sold to Rochet-Schneider Ltd., a London-based firm. Production averaged less than 250 cars annually, and the company went into liquidation by late 1907. Théophile Schneider then acquired the company and formed Société du carburateur Zénith. Following World War I, Rochet-Schneider produced cars with overhead valve engines. By 1926, the company exhibited a five-model range at the Paris Motor Show. Prices were quoted for bare chassis, allowing customers to select their own coachwork. The company shifted its focus toward commercial vehicles in the mid-1920s, continuing to produce passenger cars until 1931. Berliet, a Lyon-based manufacturer of locomotives and commercial vehicles, acquired Rochet-Schneider after World War II.
