Lorraine-Dietrich 12 CV History

Sitting below the B3-6 in the post-war Lorraine-Dietrich range, the 12 CV was powered by a 2,297 cc four-cylinder engine and positioned as the more economical touring choice (sources place its introduction somewhere in the early post-war range from around 1919 into the early 1920s; the exact year is not firmly documented). While the 15 CV six-cylinder carried the brand's racing prestige, the 12 CV served private buyers who wanted a lighter, less expensive Lorraine without sacrificing the marque's quality of construction.

Production continued until 1929, after which Lorraine-Dietrich consolidated its road-car range around the six-cylinder models as the company's industrial focus increasingly shifted toward aero-engine manufacture at the Argenteuil plant.