De Dion-Bouton Vis-à-Vis (Model D) History

In 1898–1899 De Dion-Bouton added four wheels to their powertrain formula. The production version, known as the Model D, debuted for 1900 with a 3¾ CV (402 cc) single-cylinder engine mounted under the rear seat and driving the rear wheels through a two-speed gearbox — one of the earliest uses of a sliding-gear transmission in a production car.

The vis-à-vis layout placed passengers on a forward-facing bench and the driver behind them on the rear seat, a design that felt eccentric even at the time but made sense with a rear engine. By 1900 De Dion-Bouton was the largest automobile manufacturer in the world, producing 400 cars and 3,200 engines in that year alone; the vis-à-vis was the car that earned that distinction.

A larger 8 CV rear-entry phaeton (Model K) joined the range for 1902, and a three-speed transmission appeared on the Model O that same year. The rear-engined layout was abandoned for 1903 in favour of the more conventional front-engine Populaire, but the vis-à-vis era established De Dion-Bouton as a credible full-vehicle manufacturer, not merely an engine supplier.