It was on November 4, 1905 when Messrs Francois Rolland and Emile Pilain started their own company in the French town of Tours: Rolland-Pilain. Rolland was already a very successful entrepreneur who had made his fortune selling wine. Pilain was the techie and together they would build cars.

Because developing a car costs a lot of money, they started selling and refurbishing existing cars. When there was a little money in the cash register, they could start developing their own models. The car shown here is a Rolland-Pilain B25 Siix-seater Coup de Ville that has been in the Netherlands since 1973. The car comes with an original auction brochure from Christie's in which the car was offered as a restoration object.

Since then, the car has been restored and registered in the Netherlands. The restoration was carried out very thoroughly at the time with great attention to detail and originality. The bodywork therefore looks beautifully cared for. The sheet metal is tight and the fits are correct. The wooden frame for the passenger cabin is in top condition and has been reproduced with great attention to detail. The car is painted in a green and black livery that exactly matches the age of the car and the period when this car was produced. The car stands on wooden wheels with good tires. Of course the paint has some light traces of use but nothing problematic. The car is also equipped with a canvas roof that the driver can stretch above him so that he does not get wet while driving in the rain.

The interior was completely reupholstered at the time, based on original photos, and the dashboard was also renewed. The advantage of the base was that the car was completely complete and so little research was needed to get the end result close to the original. The passenger cabin offers space for six people and has been reupholstered using the original upholstery. The instruments and controls are all completely original and function perfectly. It looks like a real time machine, but one that has already been completely restored and overhauled and on which everything works.

The technology consists of a four-cylinder engine that produces 25 hp and is coupled to a manual transmission with four gears. It was a real touring car for the well-to-do middle class with the emphasis on comfort on board for the passengers in the back.
The entire technology was overhauled during the restoration and the engine runs perfectly and the transmission is easy to operate. Also things such as the chassis and the brakes function as you would expect from a car of this year. Driving these types of cars is still old-fashioned work, but it gives a lot of satisfaction when everything goes well. Price in Euros € 59. 500,-