Julien Belleville had been a maker of marine boilers from around 1850.
Louis Delaunay joined the firm in 1867 and married Belleville's daughter. He changed his name to Delaunay-Belleville and succeeded his father-in-law in charge of the company. S.A. des Automobiles Delaunay-Belleville was formed in 1903 by Louis Delaunay and . Barbarou's family owned the boiler making company Belleville in
Saint-Denis, with boiler design influences inspired by the company. Barbarou, then 28, had experience working for
Clément,
Lorraine-Dietrich and
Benz and was responsible for design and styling, including the trademark round
grille shell. The first car was exhibited at the 1904 Paris Salon, and it received enormous acclaim. The company started with three models, all
four-cylinders: a
live axled 16 hp and a 24 hp and 40 hp model, both
chain-driven. These were likely the first automobiles to have pressure-lubricated
camshafts. The bodies were attached with just four bolts, and the brakes were water-cooled, from a reservoir. subsidiary, in
Aberdeen, then shipped to London for sale. ==See also==