FN 1625 (11CV) History

The FN 10CV arrived in 1927 and ran for three years before being replaced in 1930 by the 11CV, noted at launch for its sporty driving characteristics. An enlarged-engine variant, the 11CV 1625, followed in 1931; despite the larger 1625 cc displacement the car was engineered to remain within the Belgian 11CV fiscal horsepower band, balancing performance with running costs.

The 1625 formed the mechanical basis for two prestige derivatives named in honour of Belgian royalty: the FN Prince Baudouin and the FN Prince Albert, each sharing the 11CV engine but wearing different coachwork and luxury appointments. These limited-production cars, patronised by the Belgian Royal Family, were FN's final bid to compete in the prestige segment and are now highly collectable.

Increasing competition from volume producers — both European and American — made FN's hand-built cars uncompetitive on price by the early 1930s. The additional pressure of retooling for high-volume Browning-licensed pistol production for the Belgian Army ended the automobile programme; the last cars were built in 1935, although the model remained catalogued until approximately 1939.