Hotchkiss

Hotchkiss was a luxury car brand based in Saint-Denis, Paris, that operated from 1903 to 1955. Initially, the company produced engine components, but later started making complete engines and eventually launched their own range of cars. The brand's badge featured a pair of crossed cannons, which was a nod to the company's past as an arms manufacturer. Hotchkiss cars were inspired by a Mercedes Simplex and designed by Georges Terasse, formerly of Mors.

Hotchkiss was founded by American Benjamin Berkeley Hotchkiss in the 19th century as an arms manufacturer, and later expanded into car production. Hotchkiss produced a range of cars, including sporting and luxurious models, and adopted the advertising slogan "Juste Milieu," which means "A happy medium." In 1936, the armaments side of the business was nationalized, and Hotchkiss expanded car production with a new design by J A Grégoire. Hotchkiss struggled in the postwar years, and despite mergers and expansions into commercial vehicles and other markets, car production ceased in 1954 when Hotchkiss-Delahaye was taken over by Brandt. Hotchkiss continued to produce trucks, tractors, and armored vehicles until 1971, when the company closed down.