- Superb French body
- Good running order
- From a major Belgian collection
- No reserve
The car manufacturer FN (Fabrique Nationale) was a Belgian company founded in 1889 which initially specialised in making firearms. From the beginning of the 20th century, however, it diversified its operations and turned to producing motor vehicles, including cars and motorbikes. FN also made its mark in the history of motorsport from its earliest days. After starting to produce motor vehicles at the beginning of the 20th century, FN quickly turned to motor racing to test and promote the reliability and performance of its cars. The company took part in several famous races, including the French and Belgian Grands Prix.
One of the most noteworthy moments in FN’s motorsport history was its participation in the first editions of the Gordon Bennett Cup, a prestigious motor race held in the 1900s. In 1902, FN scored the first Belgian victory in this competition, an achievement which strengthened the company’s reputation on the international stage.
We have very little information about the history of this superb FN double-phaeton. It was fitted with a body nearly 120 years ago by the coachbuilder Janssen in Levallois-Perret, where most of the leading coachbuilders were based at the start of the last century. It comes to us directly from a leading Belgian collection of pre-war cars and has taken part regularly in different rallies and meetings. This is a fine opportunity to acquire one of the rare examples of this major Belgian make, here with highly desirable bodywork.