It was pointed out in on of our last post that about 30 26-Sixes are missing based on the serial numbers we know.
The first hypothesis is that they have all been destroyed and that if photos were taken of these cars at the time, we do not know them. Or that they remain hidden to this day.
We can also imagine another hypothesis: the 26-Six model arrived in the middle of an economic crisis. Its launch was a failure. Following this failure, the Rochet-Schneider brand withdrew from the passenger car market.
We can then think that there were not about forty cars built but much less.
But then, what happened to the 29500 chassis? The answer may be found in the “Mines Certificate” granted to Rochet-Schneider by the competent authorities.
We can see that after the indication of the power of 26CV, the following sentence has been added by hand:
“…if it supports a body intended for tourism and of 22 HP if it supports a body intended for the transport of goods or for a public service of transport in common“.
We can then think that the people in charge of the brand felt very early that the 26-Six might not have the success they were hoping for and asked the authorities for an adjustment in order to be able to diffuse their chassis under another form than a luxury vehicle.
Sic transit gloria Mundi
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