Piccard-Pictet 30 hp Sleeve-Valve Tourer History

In 1912 Piccard-Pictet became one of the first European manufacturers to licence the Burt-McCollum single-sleeve-valve engine design from Argyll of Scotland. The sleeve-valve engine replaced conventional poppet valves with a sliding sleeve between the piston and cylinder wall, eliminating valve noise and reducing carbon build-up. The arrangement was regarded as the pinnacle of refinement for touring-car engines of the era.

The 30 hp sleeve-valve model — offered in sporting touring, four-seater victoria, and formal landaulet coachwork — attracted wealthy Swiss and British clientele who prized near-silent running. Contemporary poppet-valve Pic-Pics (a 16 hp and two 20 hp variants with different strokes) continued alongside it for cost-conscious buyers, giving the range a clear luxury and standard tier.

The Swiss Army's mass adoption of Pic-Pic cars during World War I — ordering them as standard staff cars for their proven reliability in Alpine terrain — sustained the factory through the war years even as civilian demand contracted. Racing versions of the sleeve-valve cars also competed at the 1914 French Grand Prix at Lyon, driven by Tournier and Thomas Clarke.