Salmson S4 History

Introduced in 1929 as the S4 (with the S4 C variant formally launched in autumn 1932), the S4 series became Salmson's dominant product for the next twenty years. The S4 C's 1,465 cc four-cylinder engine placed it in France's 8CV tax bracket, but its twin-cam specification, refined body choices, and high pricing positioned it as an aspirational small car rather than a mass-market economy model.

Successive variants brought larger engines and technical improvements: the S4 D (from c.1934) raised displacement to 1,596 cc and introduced hemispherical combustion chambers with centrally-positioned spark plugs, along with independent front suspension via a transverse leaf spring. The S4 DA refined the formula further through 1938. All variants were offered across a range of coachbuilt bodies, including a four-door Berline saloon, a Faux Cabriolet, a Coach Lumineux glass-roofed coupé, and an open Roadster.

Production resumed after World War II as the S4-61 (1,730 cc) and the larger-engined S4 E (2,312 cc), both offered primarily as four-door saloons with updated post-war styling introduced in October 1947. Post-war production peaked at 1,162 cars in 1950 before collapsing to just 89 in 1952 as France's rapidly modernising market moved away from Salmson's conservative separate-chassis designs. The last S4s were built in April 1952.