Piccard-Pictet 30 hp Sleeve-Valve Tourer 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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Model history available. Detailed year guides are not published for this model.
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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.
Generations
30 hp Sleeve-Valve (1912–1920) · 30 hp Sleeve-Valve
An early adopter of the licensed Burt-McCollum single-sleeve-valve engine, prized for near-silent running; racing versions with front brakes ran the 1914 French Grand Prix.
1914 Photo: “Pic-Pic racing car (1914).jpg” by La Vie au grand air : revue illustrée de tous les sports / Wikimedia Commons — Public domain
Body styles
- Touring car
- Four-seater Sporting Victoria
- Landaulet
Notable special editions & performance variants
1914 Grand Prix racer
Two sleeve-valve Pic-Pics with front brakes — a technical novelty at the time — entered the 1914 French Grand Prix at Lyon; neither finished, but their specification (including front-wheel brakes) was ahead of most rivals.
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