Paris-based Amiet bodied this Hotchkiss limo in 1911 — more than 30 years after Connecticut industrialist arrived in France to set up a military armaments factory.

The competitors for the Hotchkiss would have been the Benz wagon. Looking like a stagecoach was a nice ‘in’ to gentrified society buyers. These folks had long traveled within enclosed coaches, leaving the rain and smells of the city to the driver up front or simple farmers.

For a sense of what the hoi polloi were traveling in? See the steam-car nearby for context!

After more than 100 years, this original Hotchkiss limo looks less like a car, and a bit more like a movie prop.

Even so, its craftsmanship and thorough solutions to the poorly-lit and poor-riding Model T was a revolution. Leaf springs appear here, along with oversized fenders and thick glass and a flowing, smooth body shell. This was avante-garde, but still very traditional for those seeking a new-fangled ‘horseless carriage.’

1911 Hotchkiss AD Amiet Enclosed Limousine