Duport Onyx-1991

Guy Duport owned a company in France that made ski lifts. In 1977, as a hobby, Mr. Duport built a prototype, a Microcar powered by a Lombardini 510cc diesel engine. The car was well constructed, although the only part made by Duport was the chassis. Many parts came from a Renault 4, and the wheels came from a Lambretta Scooter. The prototype travelled more than 60,000 miles. People were so impressed by its reliability that they encouraged Mr. Duport to go into production, and in 1977 he came out with the first model called the Caddy. During the company’s 17-year history, about 10 different models were produced, but production was very low for each one. In 1992 Mr. Duport retired and sold his company to the employees. Unfortunately, the employees did not run the company very well, and in 1994 the Duport Company went out of business. The Duport model you see here was called the Onyx. It was styled like a Citroën Mehari. The Onyx was powered by a single cylinder 325cc diesel engine which drove the front wheels. Production was about 20 units.

 

Specifications:

 

Manufacturer:  Ets Duport; St-Ferreol, Faverges, Haute-Savoie, France

Country of Origin:  France

Drivetrain Configuration:  Front-engine, front-wheel drive

Engine:  325cc, single cylinder, diesel air-cooled

Transmission:  Constant velocity transmission

Top Speed:  30 mph

Years of Production:  1990-1991

Number Produced:  20

Original Cost:  Unknown