- In the same family for the last 80 years!

- Extremely rare and mechanically interesting

- Documented history

- No reserve

Ruby was the marque of Godefroy and Lévêque workshop near Paris. The company was famous for its engines, which were installed in many cyclecars or racing machines, sports and touring cars. We must not forget that the company built cyclecars, small cars and cars since 1905/1906.

The main originality of Ruby was, as on this example, its friction plate and chain transmission. The operation is simple: the motor drove a shaft which is connected to a plate. Perpendicular to this plate was another plate that rubbed on it. This second plate (called a roller) had an axis with a pinion, which drove the chain driving the wheel. The further away the roller was from the axis of the plate, the faster it turned. In theory, there were a large number of different ratios.

At the Grand Prix des Cyclecars on the circuit of Sarthe, in August 1920, Lévêque in a Ruby cyclecar finished second behind Violet on a Major.

The Ruby cyclecar was also sold in England under the Tweenie brand.

Beyond its great rarity, this particular example has an extraordinary history as it has been in the same family since 1946, when it was purchased by the current owners' father in his home village in the Orne department. Its previous owner registered it in the Seine department in 1929. A photograph taken in the 1930s actually shows it already fitted with its current bodywork, including front mudguards.

The file that comes with the car contains several letters, including some from England, attesting to its appeal; notably, there is a letter dated 1959 from the Association des Amis de l’Histoire de l’Automobile (chaired by Serge Pozzoli) asking whether it might be for sale! In the late 1980s, a restoration was carried out and the engine was fully rebuilt, as evidenced by an invoice from the Société Alençonnaise de Mécanique, as well as photos of the engine stripped down. Having been out of action for some thirty years, the engine is not seized but it will need to be restarted. Rare, mechanically interesting and with a documented history, this Ruby is a genuine collector’s item for the discerning enthusiast.