De Dion-Bouton Type CJ V8 History

In 1910 De Dion-Bouton achieved a world automotive first: the Type CJ, powered by a 6,107 cc V8 engine producing 35 CV (26 kW), became the first series-production automobile with a V8 engine. There had been experimental one-off V8s before (including a 1905 Rolls-Royce prototype), but no manufacturer had successfully committed the configuration to volume production. The decision followed a 10,000-mile comparative test in 1906 in which prototype V8 and straight-six chassis were evaluated head-to-head; the V8 was unanimously preferred for its smoothness and power delivery.

Additional V8 variants followed: a 7.8-liter and a 14.7-liter for the US market, and the smaller 3,534 cc Type CN in 1912. The De Dion-Bouton V8 set the engineering template that Henry Leland's team at Cadillac studied closely before launching their own V8 in late 1914 — a product that went on to reshape the American luxury car market and ultimately drove every major manufacturer toward the configuration.

V8 production at De Dion-Bouton continued through 1923, but the First World War disrupted the factory and the post-war market proved difficult. The V8's commercial success was modest despite its technical precedence — American and British manufacturers captured the volume market for large-engined cars, and De Dion-Bouton began to lose market share from which it would never recover.