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  • Pre-war voiturette
  • France
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  • Built under licence

Rosengart LR2

Also known as Rosengart 5CV, Rosengart LR4, Rosengart Supercinq

Lucien Rosengart made his fortune, by one account, from a screw that did not rust, and in the First World War his factories turned out shell fuses by the hundred thousand a day. In 1928 he became a carmaker with somebody else’s car: the Austin Seven, made French down to its threads.

A small upright blue saloon with black wings and an information sheet on its windscreen stands on a white tiled floor.
A blue 1928 Rosengart LR2 saloon in the Rosengart-Museum at Bedburg, Germany, in 2021.Photo: Buch-t, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons

At a glance

The spec plate

Rosengart LR2

5 CV · Paris

Built
1928–⁠1939Shown at the Paris Salon in October 1928; the LR2 to 1931 by French Wikipedia, its successors to 1939
Country
FranceParis and Neuilly-sur-Seine
Maker
Automobiles L. RosengartLucien Rosengart, with the engineer Jules Salomon
Engine
747 cc side-valve fourThe Austin Seven’s, with a Ducellier magneto and a Solex carburettor
Power
11 hp8 kW; 18 hp in the Supercinq of 1935
Seats
2 to 4The first model, the LR1, a three-seater or a van
Wheels
4Engine at the front, the rear wheels driven

Not yet recordedtop speed, length and weight.

How big is it?

True proportion

Length unknown

No reliable length has been found. The Fiat 500, the Peel P50 and the adult stay, so the gap is shown, not hidden.

  • Wheelbase 2,200 mm (87 in), longer than the Austin’s
Drawn at true proportion. The track is 3.6 metres long; the adult stands at the same scale. The Peel P50 is the smallest production car, on every page for comparison.

The story

History

Rosengart was born in Paris on 11 January 1881 and began in a workshop in Belleville, making fasteners; by French Wikipedia’s account, a rust-proof wood screw used on the Paris Métro made his fortune.1 From 1905 he made small mechanical parts and lamps for bicycles, motor boats and cars, and he took out 186 patents.2 In the First World War the state ordered his fuses for artillery shells, and with Citroën as a partner he built factories in Paris and at Saint-Brieuc that turned out up to 100,000 a day.21 He founded the Paris boat show in 1926, and in 1930 Vuillard painted his portrait, now in the Musée d’Orsay. French Wikipedia also credits him with inventing table football, a claim that has not been confirmed.12

He knew the motor trade from the inside. He helped André Citroën launch the 5CV, the Citroën 5HP, and in 1923 Robert Peugeot recruited him; he was pushed out in 1927, after costly ventures such as Peugeot Maritime.1 That same year he decided to make cars of his own, and bought a factory at Neuilly-sur-Seine.1

The Seven, made French

His partner was the engineer Jules Salomon, who had designed Le Zèbre and then that same 5CV (Salomon is on our page of the designers). Together they set out to build the Seven under licence, as it was also built in Germany, as the BMW 3/15, and in America, as the American Austin (more on the built under licence page).213 When the licence was bought is disputed. Both Wikipedias say 1923; the Austin Seven Friends history says 1928. Rosengart was at Peugeot from 1923 to 1927, so 1927–⁠28 seems the likelier date; that is our reading of the dates.2431

Production began in 1927–⁠28 in the former Bellanger works on the boulevard de Dixmude, in the 17th arrondissement, by English Wikipedia’s account; the French sources place the firm at Neuilly-sur-Seine.421 The car was presented at the end of 1928, and at the Paris Salon that October Rosengart became a maker in his own right with his licence-built 5CV.25 The first model was the LR1, a three-seater or a van, and the LR2 followed in 1929.34

It was the Seven with a French passport. The threads were metric, the magneto a Ducellier, the carburettor a Solex, and the starter and dynamo were made in France.3 The chassis was longer too: the standard Rosengart wheelbase was 2,200 mm (87 in), against the Austin’s 1,905 mm (75 in).4 Its price when new has not been found.

A hundred thousand kilometres

Rosengart proved the car by driving it. François Lecot took a production Rosengart about 900 km (560 miles) a day for over three and a half months, until he had covered 100,000 km (62,000 miles) without major incident. In the same period, both Wikipedias say, the car came first in 80 of the 81 events it entered; the English article seems to follow the French, so this is one claim, not two.24 Lecot was later famous for a much longer run, 400,000 km in a Citroën Traction Avant in 1935–⁠36. The two are not to be confused, and no source found dates the Rosengart run.24

From LR2 to Supercinq

The family grew. French Wikipedia gives the LR2 as 1928–⁠31, the LR4 as 1931–⁠34, a six-cylinder LR6 as 1932–⁠35 and the Supercinq, the LR4N2, as 1935–⁠39; English Wikipedia counts all the variants as LR2s and says they were made until at least 1939.24 The longer LR44 and LR47 came in 1932 and 1933, on a wheelbase of 2,350 mm, and the LR45 of 1934 on 2,600 mm.43 The Supercinq of August 1935 had an aluminium cylinder head and 18 hp, and by 1938 an LR4N2 rated at 4 CV gave 19 hp at 3,800 rpm.42 Rosengart’s royalties to Austin ended in about 1936.3 How many LR2s, or Austin-based Rosengarts in all, were made has not been found.

By 1935 the firm was in financial trouble, and in 1936 it was restructured through a company called SIOP; English Wikipedia says Rosengart’s own proprietorship ended that year.14 The name went on. The Supertraction of 1938–⁠40 used Citroën Traction Avant mechanics, a 1,911 cc engine of 56 hp good for 120 km/h (75 mph). Lucien Rosengart, who was Jewish, moved to the south of France in 1942. After the war the firm built the Ariette and the Sagaie, and it closed in 1955.21 He died at Villefranche-sur-Mer on 27 July 1976.1

A small dark saloon numbered 21 on its door stands on cobbles beside a man in a long pale coat.
Plate I · 1929 Blanchon’s Rosengart LR2 saloon, No. 21, at the weighing for the Paris–Nice touring trial in March 1929.Photo: Agence Rol, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Two small square-roofed saloons side by side on a wide cobbled road, spectators behind a fence and advertising banners overhead.
Plate II · 1929 Véniel and Breyme in their LR2 saloons at the Circuit des Routes Pavées in 1929.Photo: Agence Meurisse, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
A red rounded two-door saloon with black wings and red wheels stands among other vintage cars on gravel.
A red LR4N2 Supercinq saloon of 1936, the last of the Austin-based line, in the Musée Automobile Reims Champagne.Photo: Alf van Beem, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Pictures

More photographs, old and new

The car 5

  • A small yellow open tourer with black wings, a black hood and wire wheels parked on gravel among other vintage cars. Opens a larger view

    1 A yellow and black 1929 Rosengart LR2 tourer with its hood up in the Musée Automobile Reims Champagne, France, in August 2012.

  • A small turquoise open tourer with black wings and wire wheels parked on grass, its hood folded. Opens a larger view

    2 A turquoise Rosengart tourer on the Graf Berghe von Trips memorial run at Kerpen, Germany, in August 2012.

  • The front of a small yellow car: a narrow radiator with a Rosengart badge, two headlamps, black wings and a number plate. Opens a larger view

    3 A 1929 Rosengart LR2 tourer seen head-on in the Musée Automobile Reims Champagne, France, in August 2012.

  • A cream four-door saloon with black wings and wire wheels stands among other old cars in a museum hall. Opens a larger view

    4 A cream 1932 Rosengart LR44, the longer-wheelbase saloon, in the Rosengart-Museum at Bedburg, Germany, in 2021.

  • A red open car with black wings, a chrome radiator shell and red wheels stands in a crowded museum hall. Opens a larger view

    5 A red 1934 Rosengart LR49 with its hood folded in the Rosengart-Museum at Bedburg, Germany, in 2021.

The car: LR4 4

  • A yellow open car body with no bonnet, the engine exposed, beside a standing mechanic figure in blue overalls. Opens a larger view

    6 A Rosengart LR4 shown partly stripped in a garage scene in the Musée Automobile Reims Champagne, France, in July 2010.

  • A red two-door saloon with black wings drives across a town square past posters and a red fence. Opens a larger view

    7 A red and black Rosengart LR4 saloon at a show in Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire, France, in April 2018.

  • A green open four-seat tourer with black wings, wire wheels and a pale hood, among other cars on a show floor. Opens a larger view

    8 A green 1933 Rosengart LR4 torpedo at the Rétromobile show in Paris, France, in February 2012.

  • The rear of a green open tourer with a pale fabric hood and a spare wheel, on a show floor. Opens a larger view

    9 A green 1933 Rosengart LR4 torpedo seen from behind with its hood up at the Rétromobile show in Paris, France, in February 2012.

The car: LR4N2 Supercinq 13

  • A tan open two-door car with a split grille and faired headlamps on a dark museum floor beside a display sign. Opens a larger view

    10 A tan 1938 Rosengart LR4N2 cabriolet in the Technik Museum Speyer, Germany, in July 2023.

  • A green two-door saloon with black wings, a split grille and yellow headlamps parked on tarmac beside a white car. Opens a larger view

    11 A green and black Rosengart LR4N2 saloon at the Coupe Florio meeting, France, in August 2013.

  • A cream two-door saloon with black wings, a black split grille and yellow headlamps indoors beside a red car. Opens a larger view

    12 A cream and black Rosengart LR4N2 saloon in the Association Lorraine des Amateurs d’Automobiles collection at Diesen, France, in August 2013.

  • A bright red open two-door car with black wings and red wheels parked on gravel under trees by a statue. Opens a larger view

    13 A red Rosengart LR4N2 cabriolet at the Coupe Florio meeting, France, in August 2017.

  • A tan open two-door car with a chrome grille, louvred bonnet and white-wall tyres on a gravel museum floor. Opens a larger view

    14 A tan Rosengart LR4N2 cabriolet in the Auto & Technik Museum Sinsheim, Germany, in October 2009.

8 more picturesFewer pictures
  • A pale green rounded coupé with dark green wings and a split grille stands among other vintage cars on gravel. Opens a larger view

    15 A pale-green 1938 Rosengart LR4N2 Super 5 coupé in the Musée Automobile Reims Champagne, France, in July 2010.

  • A tan open car seen from above and behind on a dark museum floor, its brown seats visible and a motorcycle beyond. Opens a larger view

    16 A tan 1938 Rosengart LR4N2 cabriolet seen from behind with its hood folded in the Technik Museum Speyer, Germany, in July 2023.

  • The rear of a red open car with a spare wheel on the tail and a folded black hood. Opens a larger view

    17 A red Rosengart LR4N2 cabriolet seen from behind, with its spare wheel and folded hood, at the Coupe Florio meeting, France, in August 2017.

  • The front of a red saloon with a tall split V-shaped grille, black wings and two chrome headlamps. Opens a larger view

    18 A red 1936 Rosengart LR4N2 Supercinq saloon seen head-on in the Musée Automobile Reims Champagne, France, in July 2010.

  • The front of a cream car with a tall black split grille, yellow headlamps, black wings and a chrome bumper. Opens a larger view

    19 A cream and black Rosengart LR4N2 saloon seen head-on at Diesen, Lorraine, France, in August 2013.

  • The front of a pale green car with a tall dark split grille and round headlamps on the wings. Opens a larger view

    20 A pale-green 1938 Rosengart LR4N2 Super 5 coupé seen head-on, showing its split grille, in the Musée Automobile Reims Champagne, France, in July 2010.

  • A green rounded two-door car drives round a town roundabout past spectators and old buildings. Opens a larger view

    21 A green Rosengart LR4N2 Supercinq driven in the agricultural show parade at Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire, France, in August 2015.

  • A tan open two-door car with a curved grille, faired headlamps and white-wall tyres behind a museum rope. Opens a larger view

    22 A tan 1938 Rosengart LR4N2 cabriolet in the Auto & Technik Museum Sinsheim, Germany, in August 2010.

Inside and details 6

  • A wooden dashboard with round dials behind a large four-spoke steering wheel in a green open car. Opens a larger view

    23 The dashboard of a green Rosengart LR4-based racer at the Tour d’Enfance in Reims, France, in May 2023.

  • A painted dashboard with two round dials behind a large three-spoke steering wheel, red seats below. Opens a larger view

    24 The dashboard of a red Rosengart LR4N2 cabriolet at the Coupe Florio meeting, France, in August 2017.

  • A green four-cylinder engine with its gearbox on a stand, a printed card labelled Moteur Rosengart above it. Opens a larger view

    25 A Rosengart side-valve four-cylinder engine on display in the Monaco Top Cars Collection, Monaco, in September 2016.

  • A small yellow car stripped to its radiator, engine and front axle stands beside mannequins of a mechanic and a woman. Opens a larger view

    26 A Rosengart LR4 with its bonnet and wings off, posed in a garage scene with figures in the Musée Automobile Reims Champagne, France, in July 2010.

  • Close view of a small four-cylinder engine with copper pipes and a carburettor inside a green bonnet. Opens a larger view

    27 The side-valve four-cylinder engine of a green Rosengart LR4-based racer at the Tour d’Enfance in Reims, France, in May 2023.

  • A red and blue enamel shield badge on cream paintwork between the two halves of a black mesh grille. Opens a larger view

    28 The Rosengart shield badge on the grille of a cream LR4N2 saloon at Diesen, Lorraine, France, in August 2013.

Variants and relatives 3

  • A small red open two-seater with black wings and wire wheels, its hood folded back, parked on paving by a stone wall. Opens a larger view

    29 A red Rosengart LR2 two-seat cabriolet with its hood folded at the Carré Rosengart, the firm’s former works at Saint-Brieuc, France, in September 2017.

  • A green and black open two-seat racer with wire wheels and the number 31 on its tail, parked on blue matting. Opens a larger view

    30 A green Rosengart LR4-based sports racer, No. 31, at the Tour d’Enfance in Reims, France, in May 2023.

  • A turquoise two-door coupé with black wings and a spare wheel set into its sloping tail, parked on grass under trees. Opens a larger view

    31 A turquoise 1938 Rosengart LR4N2 Supercinq coupé at a vehicle display on the Loire quay at Pouilly-sur-Loire, France, in June 2022.

Period photographs 2

  • A woman in a fur-collared coat standing before a small two-door cabriolet with its hood up, Esso and Mobiloil vans behind. Opens a larger view

    32 Madeleine Grimault with her Rosengart cabriolet at the weigh-in for the Paris–Saint-Raphaël women’s rally, Neuilly-sur-Seine, in February 1933.

  • A woman in a fur jacket standing at the door of a pale two-seat cabriolet with its hood folded, a Mobiloil van behind. Opens a larger view

    33 Mme Roux beside her Rosengart cabriolet at the weigh-in for the Paris–Saint-Raphaël women’s rally, Neuilly-sur-Seine, in February 1933.

Picture credits (33)
  1. 1 Alf van Beem, CC0
  2. 2 Achim Raschka, CC BY-SA 4.0
  3. 3 Alf van Beem, CC0
  4. 4 Buch-t, CC BY-SA 3.0 de
  5. 5 Buch-t, CC BY-SA 3.0 de
  6. 6 Alf van Beem, CC0
  7. 7 Cjp24, CC BY-SA 4.0
  8. 8 Thesupermat, CC BY-SA 3.0
  9. 9 Thesupermat, CC BY-SA 3.0
  10. 10 Charles from Port Chester, New York, CC BY 2.0
  11. 11 Kev22, CC BY-SA 4.0
  12. 12 Alf van Beem, CC0
  13. 13 Kev22, CC BY-SA 4.0
  14. 14 Alf van Beem, CC0
  15. 15 Alf van Beem, CC0
  16. 16 Charles from Port Chester, New York, CC BY 2.0
  17. 17 Kev22, CC BY-SA 4.0
  18. 18 Alf van Beem, CC0
  19. 19 Alf van Beem, CC0
  20. 20 Alf van Beem, CC0
  21. 21 Cjp24, CC BY-SA 4.0
  22. 22 DALIBRI, CC BY-SA 3.0
  23. 23 G.Garitan, CC BY-SA 4.0
  24. 24 Kev22, CC BY-SA 4.0
  25. 25 Victor Grigas, CC BY-SA 4.0
  26. 26 Alf van Beem, CC0
  27. 27 G.Garitan, CC BY-SA 4.0
  28. 28 Alf van Beem, CC0
  29. 29 JLNAECO, CC BY-SA 4.0
  30. 30 G.Garitan, CC BY-SA 4.0
  31. 31 Cjp24, CC BY-SA 4.0
  32. 32 Agence Rol, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Public domain
  33. 33 Agence Rol, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Public domain

Variants

From LR1 to Supercinq

The Austin-based Rosengarts
VariantYearsWhat differsHow many
LR11928The first model: a three-seater, or a vanNot found
LR21928/29–31The standard car, on a 2,200 mm wheelbaseNot found
LR41931–⁠34The revised carNot found
LR44 and LR471932; 1933A longer wheelbase, 2,350 mmNot found
LR45 and LR491934The LR45 on a 2,600 mm wheelbaseNot found
LR61932–⁠35Six cylindersNot found
LR4N2 Supercinq1935–⁠39An aluminium cylinder head, 18 hpNot found
LR4N2 4CV1938Rated at 4 CV, 19 hp at 3,800 rpmNot found

Specification

The LR2, as far as sources give it

Engine and drive

EngineAustin Seven four-cylinder, side valves, 747 cc24
Power11 hp (8 kW)4
Electrics and fuelDucellier magneto, Solex carburettor, French-made starter and dynamo3
GearboxThree speeds4

Chassis

Wheelbase2,200 mm; 2,350 mm (LR44, LR47); 2,600 mm (LR45)4
ThreadsMetric3

Famous for

Three points

  1. The French Seven

    The Austin Seven built under licence in Paris, with metric threads and French electrics.

  2. 100,000 km

    François Lecot’s run in a production car, about 900 km a day for over three and a half months.

  3. Its founder

    A self-made maker of screws and shell fuses, an insider at Citroën and Peugeot, and a sitter for Vuillard.

Racing and records

Date not recorded

The LR2’s best advertisement was distance (more in records and feats).

100,000 km
(62,000 miles) driven by François Lecot in a production car, without major incident.24
900 km
(560 miles) a day, for over three and a half months.24
80 of 81
events won in the same period, by the Wikipedias’ claim.24

Survivors and collecting

Today

No count of survivors, club or dated auction result has been found. A 1929 LR2 saloon was advertised for sale in the Netherlands at €10,450, in an undated listing.6

Sources

Numbered as in the text

Most of the history rests on the French and English Wikipedias, and the English article seems to follow the French one; the technical details come from one enthusiast’s history. No production figure, price, length or period road test was found. Sources are given as plain text; the links are on the Credits page.

  1. French Wikipedia, Lucien Rosengart.
  2. French Wikipedia, Rosengart.
  3. Austin Seven Friends, “The French Rosengart”, an enthusiast’s history, read in full.
  4. English Wikipedia, Automobiles L. Rosengart. It cites Automobilia (1948, 1953) and Le Matin, 30 August 1935.
  5. Classic & Sports Car, “Dressed to deceive: Rosengart SuperSept”; known from a search-result summary only.
  6. prewarcar.it, Rosengart listings, 1919–⁠1930, undated.