Corre La Licorne

Corre La Licorne was a French automobile manufacturer established in 1901 by Jean-Marie Corre in Levallois-Perret, northwest of central Paris. The business began with motorized tricycles and a single-cylinder quadricycle cabriolet using De Dion-Bouton components. Its initial sales were modest, but competition successes helped the young marque gain visibility. In particular, victories by driver Waldemar Lestienne, whose family crest featured a unicorn, contributed to the adoption of the longer Corre La Licorne name. By the middle of the twentieth century the company and its cars were more commonly remembered simply as Licorne. The early company encountered legal and financial difficulties, including a prolonged dispute with Renault. After a five-year trial, Jean-Marie Corre became bankrupt and sold the business in 1907 to Lestienne Firmin, an administrator associated with the Lestienne family. The change in ownership coincided with the formal shift from the Corre name to Corre-La Licorne. The company expanded its range before the First World War, offering single-cylinder, twin-cylinder and four-cylinder cars, with some four-cylinder engines derived from Ballot and Chapuis-Dornier designs. During the war the business moved to premises in nearby Neuilly. After 1918, Corre-La Licorne developed a broader small and medium-car range. It introduced a 1.2-liter postwar model and, by the mid-1920s, also offered commercial derivatives and small buses. The marque appealed to farmers and small business owners because of its mechanical simplicity, maintainability and robustness, while its economy also attracted urban customers. At the 1924 Paris Motor Show, the passenger range included four-cylinder cars of approximately 1.39, 1.61, 1.69 and 2.29 liters, with standard Torpedo bodies seating four or six occupants depending on wheelbase. The factory moved to Courbevoie in 1927. The company introduced the 5V and 6CV models that year, followed by additional small and medium models in 1932 and larger 10CV and 11CV cars by 1935. However, the transition to all-steel bodies placed smaller manufacturers under severe financial pressure because presses and model-specific dies were expensive. La Licorne had less than one percent of the French market by the end of the 1920s and entered into an increasingly important supply and licensing relationship with Citroën. From 1936 onward, several Licorne models used Citroën body shells, and later the Licorne Rivoli versions shared both bodies and engines with corresponding Citroën models. The Licorne retained rear-wheel drive and distinctive styling details, unlike Citroën's front-wheel-drive Traction Avant. During the Second World War, conventional production was severely restricted. The company produced a small number of electric cars based on the Licorne 6/8 CV sedan, using technology associated with Charles Mildé and Louis Kriéger. The advertised vehicle had a range of approximately 90 kilometers and a cruising speed of about 40 km/h; a light van using the same chassis and running gear was also offered. After liberation, the company was disadvantaged by its exclusion from the French government's Pons Plan, which made access to permissions and materials more difficult for manufacturers outside the state's preferred industrial structure. Corre La Licorne exhibited the Typ 164 LR at the Paris Motor Show in October 1947. The two-door 8CV saloon used a 1,450 cc four-cylinder engine and reached a quoted top speed of approximately 90 km/h. A related cabriolet was also shown. Neither model entered sustained series production, although small numbers were built through 1949. The business then closed in 1950. Production between 1901 and 1949 is recorded at 33,962 cars. Surviving examples can be found in automotive museums, including the Automobile Museum Reims-Champagne.

Corre La Licorne emerged during the formative period of the French motor industry. Jean-Marie Corre founded the business in Levallois-Perret in 1901, initially producing tricycles and a small quadricycle powered by De Dion-Bouton components. The company used motor racing to compensate for its limited scale and established early recognition through competition results. Waldemar Lestienne's successes were particularly important to the marque's identity, helping inspire the unicorn-based name that eventually replaced the simpler Corre designation. The company was affected early by litigation, including a dispute with Renault that lasted five years. The legal and financial consequences left Corre bankrupt, and he sold the enterprise in 1907 to Lestienne Firmin. Under the new administration, the business operated as Corre-La Licorne and continued developing a varied range. By 1910 it offered single-cylinder, twin-cylinder and four-cylinder cars. Before the First World War, four-cylinder power units included engines derived from Ballot and Chapuis-Dornier sources. Wartime conditions led to a move from Levallois-Perret to nearby Neuilly. The post-1918 period brought renewed product development. A 1.2-liter model updated an earlier prewar design, and the range expanded to include commercial vehicles and small buses. In the 1920s La Licorne was known for offering numerous small and medium cars. Its products were valued for straightforward maintenance and practical durability, particularly among rural users and small enterprises. At the 1924 Motor Show, the range covered four-cylinder cars from roughly 1.39 to 2.29 liters, with four- and six-seat Torpedo body configurations. In 1927 the factory moved to Courbevoie and introduced the 5V and 6CV models. More models followed in 1932, while 10CV and 11CV cars broadened the range by 1935. The economics of the industry nevertheless became increasingly hostile to small independent manufacturers. All-steel construction required costly presses and dies, and low production volumes made it difficult to spread those investments across enough vehicles. La Licorne's market share was below one percent, leaving it vulnerable to larger producers such as Peugeot, Renault and Citroën. The company responded by deepening its relationship with Citroën. From 1936, Licorne vehicles were rebodied with Citroën-designed shells, including bodies associated with the Citroën 11 Légère and 11 Normale. The 1937 Rivoli models went further by sharing Citroën engines as well as bodywork. These cars remained distinct in styling and mechanical layout: they used a traditional Licorne grille and retained rear-wheel drive, whereas the comparable Citroën Traction Avant used front-wheel drive. The alliance reduced the burden of developing and tooling complete bodies, but did not solve the broader disadvantages of limited scale. The Second World War reduced production to a small number of vehicles. One notable wartime line was an electric sedan based on the 6/8 CV, using a propulsion system associated with Charles Mildé and Louis Kriéger. The vehicle was relatively large and heavy for a 1940s electric car, but published specifications cited a range of about 90 kilometers and a cruising speed of 40 km/h. A light van variant was also advertised. After the war, the company was not included in the Pons Plan, the French state program that allocated industrial roles and influenced access to materials and authorizations. La Licorne nevertheless displayed new-looking products at the October 1947 Paris Motor Show. The Typ 164 LR was an 8CV two-door saloon with a 1,450 cc four-cylinder engine and a quoted maximum speed of 90 km/h. A related cabriolet was shown alongside it. These models were derived from prewar designs and failed to secure sustained series production. Small numbers were built until 1949, and the company closed in 1950. Total production recorded for 1901–1949 was 33,962 cars. Surviving vehicles are preserved in museums and private collections.

• 1950

  Business closes

  [1]Corre La Licorneen.wikipedia.org

  Corre La Licorne ceased operations after limited postwar production; 33,962 cars had been produced between 1901 and 1949.

• 1947

  Typ 164 LR shown at Paris Motor Show

  [1]Corre La Licorneen.wikipedia.org

  The company presented the 8CV Typ 164 LR saloon and a related cabriolet, but neither became a sustained series-production model.

• 1937

  Licorne Rivoli introduced

  [1]Corre La Licorneen.wikipedia.org

  The Rivoli versions shared Citroën body shells and engines while retaining Licorne styling and rear-wheel drive.

• 1936

  Citroën body-sharing strategy begins

  [1]Corre La Licorneen.wikipedia.org

  Licorne rebodied selected 8CV and 11CV models using a Citroën 11 Légère body shell.

• 1927

  Factory moves to Courbevoie

  [1]Corre La Licorneen.wikipedia.org

  The company moved again and introduced the 5V and 6CV models, which remained in production for approximately a decade.

• 1914

  Operations move to Neuilly during wartime

  [1]Corre La Licorneen.wikipedia.org

  With the outbreak of the First World War, the business relocated to premises in nearby Neuilly.

• 1907

  Ownership changes and the Corre-La Licorne name appears

  [1]Corre La Licorneen.wikipedia.org

  After litigation and bankruptcy, Jean-Marie Corre sold the business to Lestienne Firmin; the company adopted the Corre-La Licorne name.

• 1903

  Early racing recognition

  [1]Corre La Licorneen.wikipedia.org

  Waldemar Lestienne's competition successes increased visibility for the young manufacturer and contributed to the later unicorn-based brand name.

• 1901

  Company founded in Levallois-Perret

  [1]Corre La Licorneen.wikipedia.org

  Jean-Marie Corre established the French automobile business, initially making tricycles and a small De Dion-Bouton-based quadricycle.

A French small and medium-car manufacturer positioned around simple, economical and maintainable vehicles, with additional visibility gained through motor-sport success. In the 1920s the marque appealed especially to rural users and small businesses, while later it relied increasingly on Citroën-supplied components and bodies to remain competitive.

• Early automobiles and cyclecars · 1901

  Early Corre tricycles and quadricycle

  The company's earliest products were motorized tricycles and a single-cylinder quadricycle cabriolet. The quadricycle used De Dion-Bouton components and represented Corre's entry into the emerging French motor-vehicle market before the marque developed a broader conventional-car range.

• Passenger cars · 1910

  Corre-La Licorne passenger-car range

  During the 1910s and 1920s, the company sold a varied selection of small and medium passenger cars. Engine formats included single-cylinder, twin-cylinder and four-cylinder units, while the 1924 range included approximately 1.39-, 1.61-, 1.69- and 2.29-liter four-cylinder models with standard Torpedo bodies.

• Small passenger cars · 1927

  Licorne 5V and 6CV

  Introduced in 1927, the 5V and 6CV were compact models developed for the lower and middle portions of the French market. They remained part of the company's range for roughly a decade and reflected Licorne's emphasis on relatively affordable, practical cars.

• Passenger cars · 1937

  Licorne Rivoli

  Launched at the 1937 Paris Motor Show, the Rivoli models used Citroën-derived body shells and engines. They were not simply rebadged Traction Avants: Licorne applied its own grille and exterior details and retained rear-wheel drive, contrasting with Citroën's front-wheel-drive architecture.

• Electric passenger cars · 1939

  Licorne 6/8 CV electric sedan

  During the Second World War, Licorne produced a limited number of electric cars based on its conventionally sized 6/8 CV sedan. The system was associated with Charles Mildé and Louis Kriéger, and published specifications cited an approximately 90-kilometer range and a cruising speed of 40 km/h.

• Commercial vehicles · 1939

  Licorne electric light van

  A light van was advertised using the same basic chassis and electric running gear as the wartime 6/8 CV electric sedan. It formed part of the company's restricted wartime commercial and utility-vehicle activity.

• Postwar passenger cars · 1947

  Licorne Typ 164 LR

  The Typ 164 LR was displayed in 1947 as an 8CV two-door saloon. It used a 1,450 cc four-cylinder engine and had a quoted top speed of 90 km/h. A related cabriolet was exhibited, but the postwar models were not put into regular series production.

• 1947

  Postwar Typ 164 LR presentationProduct launch

  Background

  Licorne was excluded from the Pons Plan and faced difficulties obtaining the permissions and materials needed for normal industrial production.

  Action taken

  The company presented the Typ 164 LR saloon and a related cabriolet at the Paris Motor Show.

  Aftermath

  The models were not produced in sustained series, and the company closed in 1950.

  Source

• 1939

  Limited wartime shift to electric vehiclesStrategy

  Background

  The Second World War severely restricted conventional automobile production and access to industrial materials.

  Action taken

  The company produced a small number of electric sedans and advertised a related light van using Mildé-Kriéger-associated technology.

  Aftermath

  Electric production remained limited and did not establish a durable postwar business.

  Source

• 1936

  Alliance with Citroën for body productionStrategy

  Background

  The increasing cost of all-steel presses and dies placed small-volume manufacturers under severe competitive pressure.

  Action taken

  Licorne began using Citroën-designed body shells for selected models and later expanded the arrangement to include Citroën engines.

  Aftermath

  The strategy reduced some development and tooling requirements, but Licorne's production volume and market share continued to decline.

  Source

• 1907

  Transfer of the business and renamingOther

  Background

  A prolonged legal dispute with Renault contributed to Jean-Marie Corre's bankruptcy and weakened the original enterprise.

  Action taken

  Corre sold the business to Lestienne Firmin, and the marque changed from Corre to Corre-La Licorne.

  Aftermath

  The company continued under the Licorne identity, which was later shortened in common usage to La Licorne or Licorne.

  Source

• 1950

  Corre La Licorne ceases operations[1]Corre La Licorneen.wikipedia.org

  Bankruptcy

  After limited postwar production and difficulty obtaining industrial permissions and materials, the company shut down.

• 1947

  Licorne displays the Typ 164 LR at the Paris Motor Show[1]Corre La Licorneen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  The company presented an 8CV two-door saloon and a related cabriolet, but the postwar models did not achieve regular series production.

• 1937

  Licorne introduces Citroën-based Rivoli models[1]Corre La Licorneen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  The Licorne Rivoli range used Citroën-derived body shells and engines while retaining rear-wheel drive and separate Licorne exterior details.

• 1924

  Corre-La Licorne expands its postwar range[1]Corre La Licorneen.wikipedia.org

  Product generation

  The manufacturer displayed a four-model, four-cylinder passenger-car range spanning small and medium engine classes, with standard Torpedo bodies.

• 1907

  Corre La Licorne adopts the Licorne name after racing successes[1]Corre La Licorneen.wikipedia.org

  Other · Leadership change

  Following early competition recognition associated with Waldemar Lestienne and a change in ownership after Jean-Marie Corre's bankruptcy, the company became known as Corre-La Licorne.

1. 1Corre La Licorneen.wikipedia.org