Bouffort Three-wheeler Prototype- ca. 1950

Victor Bouffort was known as a creative inventor, engineer, and developer of interesting vehicles and was a quizzical, forward-thinking man. He was commissioned by the French army just after World War II to develop small all-terrain Lohr vehicles that could be dropped from a parachute, thus the four-wheel drive Fardier was born. He also developed the Bison for the French army – another light-weight, monocoque body vehicle that could be dropped from a parachute and seat 7 people.

At the beginning of the 1950s, he decided to start designing his own cars. This three-wheel prototype was intended as a small, affordable sports car option. It has an aluminum platform, a tubular chassis, and a 21 hp rear powertrain. The rear transmission and engine are from a Terrot 500 RGST motorcycle. Test-drives at the Montlhéry racing circuit showed the car performed extremely well. Plans to enter it into the Bol d’Or 24-hour motorcycle endurance race were never realized due to a lack of funding.

Bouffort was also a great humanitarian. During World War II, he was a delivery driver bringing much needed supplies to Swiss residents living in France. With every journey, he literally risked his life by smuggling Jewish children out of France and in to Switzerland to safety, saving literally hundreds, perhaps thousands of lives.

Specifications

Manufacturer: Victor Bouffort
Country of Origin: France
Drivetrain Configuration: Mid-engine, rear-wheel drive
Engine: Terrot, 500cc, air-cooled, single-cylinder, four-stroke, 21 bhp
Transmission: Terrot, 3-speed manual plus reverse
Top speed: Unknown
Years Produced: Ca. 1950
Number Produced: 1
Cost: Unknown