{{Short description|Historical French motorcycle manufacturer}} {{refimprove|date=June 2012}} thumb|1935 advertisement for Dresch Monobloc '''Dresch et Cie''' (1920–1949)<ref name="pme" /><ref>Illustrated Encyclopedia of Motorcycles. Erwin Tragatsch, 30 Jul 1992</ref> was one of France's more important motorcycle manufacturers.<ref name="stroke">The Illustrated Directory of Motorcycles. Micro De Cet, Mirco De Cet. MotorBooks International, 13 Feb 2003</ref> It was founded in Étampes, France by the eccentric multi-millionaire French-Algerian industrialist Henri Dresch,<ref>Katya Pellegrino. Silverback Books, 15 Feb 2006</ref> whose other business interests included an upmarket spa hotel. Within five months of its founding, it was able to rise to the forefront of its specialty,<ref name="pme">PME et croissance économique: l'expérience française des années 1920. Michel Lescure. Économica, 1996</ref> going on to use advanced designs such as press-steel frame and forks and shaft drives, and later moved to the Everest factory in Paris's 15th arrondissement. thumb|Share of the General Motos Cycles S.A., issued 2. March 1930 thumb|1929 250cc Dresch MS 604 The company's products ranged from 98cc to 246cc single-cylinder two-stroke machines<ref name="stroke" /> to luxury 750cc four-cylinder model. Dresch used proprietary engines from various suppliers including Aubier Dunne, Chaise, JAP, MAG, Stainless and Train. In 1930, it produced a 498cc inline-twin model similar to the later British Sunbeam models.<ref>Les Motocyclettes Henri Dresch. François-Henri Denise. F.-H. Denise, 1983</ref>
thumb|1929 500cc Dresch Monobloc Dresch was a large company that produced up to 10,000 solo and sidecar-mounted motorcycles per year {{citation needed|date=July 2012}} and bought other motorcycle companies such as Le Grimpeur in 1926, PS, Everest and in 1928, DFR. It aimed to sell good-quality, low-cost vehicles. The company built motorcycles for the Paris police. During its history,<ref>Liaisons, Issues 276-290. Seine (France). Préfecture de police. Prefecture de police., 1986</ref> it went through numerous restructurings as ''Général Motos Cycles'' in 1929, Dresch-Macam, DFR-Macam in 1932 and, ultimately, SA Dreschmotor.<ref>Denise Francois-Henri, Henri The Motorcycle Dresch, 1983</ref><ref>The Motocyclettiste, No. 17 and 75</ref>
Production ended in 1939 and the factory was mothballed, due to the Second World War, but the company attempted to restart after it afterwards and launch its planned "Baltimore" model, a 350cc single with shaft drive. Dresch never resumed production; however, a prototype Baltimore model was eventually shown at an exhibition in 1948 and the company continued producing spare parts into the 1950s. Unfortunately, pre-orders were insufficient and production was halted.
==External links== * [http://t2frx3.online.fr/dresch.htm History in French of Dresch and its constituent companies, with many illustrations]
==Bibliography== thumb|right * Erwin Tragatsch, Alle Motorräder 1894-1981: Eine Typengeschichte. 2500 Marken aus 30 Ländern, Stuttgart 1997. {{ISBN|3-87943-410-7}}
==References== {{Reflist}} {{Major French motorcycle manufacturers}}
Category:1949 disestablishments in France Category:Defunct motorcycle manufacturers of France Category:French companies established in 1920 Category:Motor vehicle manufacturers based in Paris