Schaudel conceived his first motorcar during 1897 but it was not until the Salon de l'Automobile of 1901 that it acquired a reputation thanks to the simplicity of its mechanical design. The Schaudel was an avant-garde design for its time in that the engine was mounted transversely and tilted to reduce the height of the bonnet. But its most notable feature was that the main casing was divided into three compartments containing the engine, the gearbox and the clutch with the gearbox. Transmission was by chain to the rear wheels. Many of these features, well ahead of their time, are now universal amongst modern medium and small cars.
The Motobloc inherited the unique design feature of the unitary engine/gearbox
casing which gave
the company its name. It is well described in this
extract from a brochure from 1912 produced by the sole British importers,
J Gillier of Great Portland Street, London.
Emile DOMBRET, technical director of Motobloc, registered many original patents. Interesting features of the car included, as well as the single casting for the gearbox and crankcase, a fly wheel mounted in the centre of the crankshaft. This in turn was mounted on four main bearings which significantly reduced engine vibration. . The engine had overhead inlet valves and side exhaust with hemispherical combustion chambers. Lubrication was by an oil pump and cooling by a water pump. The neatness of the design can be seen from this contemporary advertising brochure. In itself an interesting production as it was cut out around the silhouette of the engine.