{{About|the French automaker|the title of the heir apparent to the throne of France|Dauphin of France|other uses|Dauphin (disambiguation)}} {{More citations needed|date=December 2019}} '''Le Dauphin''' was a French auto maker established in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris by André L. Dauphin.<ref name=Automobilia1940-46>{{cite book |first=René|last=Bellu|section=Automobilia|title=Toutes les voitures françaises 1940–46 (Les années sans salon)|volume=26|page=41|year=2003|publisher=Histoire & collections|location=Paris}}</ref> The company first presented a small two-seater cyclecar in the spring of 1941; production ended in 1942.

The car was an open-roof cyclecar with the seats positioned one behind the other.<ref name=Automobilia1940-46 /> The body was built around a simple tube-based structure, probably inspired by recent developments in airplane construction; there was no separate chassis.<ref name=Automobilia1940-46 /> The vehicles were produced on a production line at a small factory belonging to Kellner, a coachbuilder previously known for supplying bespoke bodies for chassis of France's luxury car makers. Dauphin versions were made with a petrol engine or an electric engine, with the motor for the petrol version being a two-stroke unit of 100&nbsp;cc or 175&nbsp;cc supplied by Zurcher.<ref name=Automobilia1940-46 /> Petrol for civilian use was becoming unobtainable, and a 2&nbsp;hp 48-volt electric power unit was substituted.<ref name=Automobilia1940-46 /> The electric-powered cars were steered from the rear seat, whereas the petrol-engined ones were steered from the front.<ref name=Automobilia1940-46 />

== Sources and further reading == * G.N. Georgano: ''Autos. Encyclopédie complète. 1885 à nos jours.'' Courtille, 1975 (French)

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Dauphin, Le}} Category:Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of France Category:Car manufacturers of France Category:Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1940 Category:Cyclecars Category:Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 1942 Category:1940 establishments in France Category:1942 disestablishments in France