Lorraine-Dietrich 20 CV History
Catalog record
This is a brief catalog introduction with limited source documentation. A licensed, identity-checked lead photograph has not yet been added for this page. Detailed year, configuration and ownership coverage must be identified separately; this page is not a complete vehicle catalog.
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Introduced in 1932 as the intended successor to the long-running 15 CV, the 20 CV used a new 4,086 cc six-cylinder engine with a seven-bearing crankshaft and a radiator styled in the manner of Hispano-Suiza — a deliberate signal that Lorraine was targeting the prestige market. The De Dietrich family had sold its stake in the company in 1928, leaving the marque trading simply as 'Lorraine' for its final years.
Only a few hundred 20 CV cars were built. The model proved too heavy and expensive to attract buyers in sufficient numbers, and Lorraine's growing involvement in aero-engine contracts made the automobile business increasingly peripheral. The automobile department closed in 1934 (though some sources place final production at 1935), ending nearly four decades of car manufacturing at Argenteuil.
Body styles
- Touring car
- Cabriolet
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