1928, a small factory in Neuilly-sur-Seine. A 47-year-old man, already a millionaire thanks to his wartime inventions, is about to revolutionize the popular French automobile. This man is Lucien Rosengart. And you know what? He will succeed in doing something absolutely crazy: raising his brand to 5th place in French sales in just a few years. But wait, it gets even crazier when you discover that he started by copying an English car, that he saved Citroën and Peugeot before even creating his own brand, and that in the end... well, in the end, this beautiful story will end in the cruelest way possible.

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Because yes, the story of Rosengart is that of a genius of innovation who had everything in his hands to dominate the French automobile industry, but who will lose everything because of a series of monumental errors. And I assure you that when you discover how this adventure ends, you will understand why today no one knows this brand which nevertheless revolutionized the small popular car in France.

The genius inventor who didn't want to make cars

So, Lucien Rosengart in 1928 was no ordinary man. We're talking about a guy with 186 patents to his name —yes, you heard right, 186! And among these inventions, there's one you're bound to know: table football. Yes, the table football you have in your favorite bar was invented by him to entertain his grandchildren during the winter.

But what would really change his life was the First World War. Rosengart invented a revolutionary rocket-launching device that allowed projectiles to explode in flight. And then, brace yourself: his factories produced up to 100,000 rockets a day ! Can you imagine? 100,000 a day! The French government bought everything from him, and Rosengart became a millionaire.

And this is where it gets interesting. Because our man, instead of just enjoying his fortune, is going to do something absolutely crazy: he is going to save the French automobile industry . In 1919, he created SADI - the Société Auxiliaire De l'Industrie française - to save Citroën, which was on the verge of bankruptcy. Then in 1923, he joined Peugeot as a managing director. Can you believe it? The guy saved two of the three French generalist manufacturers before even thinking about creating his own brand!

The brilliant entry into the automobile

Well, now you're probably thinking, "But Bernard, if he was so talented, why did he wait until 1927 to get into the automobile business?" Well, that's precisely Rosengart's genius! He observed, he learned, and when he got started, he did exactly what he needed to do.

In 1927, Rosengart spotted something: there was a huge gap in the French market. Citroën and Peugeot were completely abandoning the small, popular car segment . They were focusing on more expensive, more prestigious models. But he saw an opportunity.

And then he did something clever: instead of starting from scratch, he bought the license for the 1923 British Austin Seven. This little English car was exactly what the French market was missing. Except that Rosengart wasn't going to just stupidly copy it.

He teamed up with Jules Salomon , an absolutely brilliant engineer. And here I have a juicy anecdote for you: Jules Salomon, this guy who would revolutionize the French popular automobile, who created the first Citroëns, who would design all the Rosengarts... well, he practically didn't know how to drive! The guy preferred to stay at his drawing table rather than behind the wheel of his creations. Isn't that wonderful?

The resounding success of the LR2

In 1928, Rosengart launched its first car: the LR2. And it was a hit! This small car, based on the Austin Seven, was a huge success. In just a few years, Rosengart rose to 5th place in sales in France . Can you believe it? A brand that started in 1928 and became the 5th largest French manufacturer!

And you know the funniest thing about this story? At the same time in Germany, BMW released its first car ... which was also an Austin Seven built under license! So both brands started their automotive history with exactly the same basic car. Except that BMW, we know the rest of the story...

But back to Rosengart. The LR2's success was no accident. The car was reliable, economical, and, above all, it perfectly met the needs of the French people of the time. It was the 1930s, the automobile was becoming more widespread, and Rosengart hit the nail on the head.

By the way, here's something that always impresses me: this Austin Seven that Rosengart decided to copy in 1927 was a revolutionary car. The first truly small people's car, with a 747 cm³ 4-cylinder engine, it weighed barely 380 kg! To give you an idea, a current Citroën C1 weighs more than 800 kg...

And you know what? This little LR2 reminds me why I love miniature cars. Because holding a little 1/43rd scale Rosengart in your hands is a bit like rediscovering that revolutionary era of the popular French automobile.

That's why I opened my shop BernardMiniatures.fr. I have more than 1500 miniatures in stock, mostly 1/43 scale, mainly cars from 1950 to 1999. Well, I'm not a big site, so often I only have one or two pieces of each model, but that's also what makes it charming. I have some Rosengarts of course, but also Simca, Citroën, Peugeot, cars from the 24 Hours of Le Mans, rally cars... a bit of everything.

Delivery is free from 75€ in France, and I make sure to wrap everything well with bubble wrap because these little cars break easily.

Go take a look at bernardminiatures.fr if you're interested - and you'll see, I have some miniatures from this era that are really worth a look.

Now, let's get back to our story, because Rosengart's success is far from over...

The evolution towards the high end

In the 1930s, Rosengart was no longer satisfied with the small LR2. He and Jules Salomon were thinking bigger. They partnered with the German manufacturer Adler to produce front-wheel-drive Trumpf models under license. And that, my friends, was visionary!

Because front-wheel drive was revolutionary at the time. Citroën had just released its Traction Avant in 1934, and Rosengart immediately understood the value of this technology. In 1937, they released the elegant Supertraction, and this was no longer just a small, popular car. We were talking about a real, modern luxury car, with front-wheel drive that revolutionized driving.

And I find this evolution fascinating. Rosengart started with a copy of a small English car, and in less than 10 years, he was offering some of the most modern cars in Europe. That's the genius of Lucien Rosengart: he knew how to sense the market, he knew how to adapt.

The war and the beginning of the problems

But hey, as always in these stories, it won't last forever. The Second World War arrives, and then everything gets complicated. During the Occupation, production obviously stops. But the real problem will come after the war.

In 1945, the French government implemented the Pons Plan to restructure the French automobile industry. The idea was to select a few manufacturers who would have the right to produce, and to give them priority for permits and materials. And then, disaster struck for Rosengart: he wasn't selected !

Can you imagine? A guy who saved Citroën and Peugeot, who were the 5th largest French manufacturer before the war, and who finds himself excluded from the reconstruction plan! It's absolutely cynical. The authorities prefer to bet on the big guys: Renault, Citroën, Peugeot, and leave the small independent manufacturers behind.

But Rosengart wasn't done yet. In 1947, he released a new model: the Ariette. And be careful, because this car would sum up the entire tragedy of the Rosengart brand.

The Ariette: the failed masterpiece

The 1947 Ariette, on paper, is a brilliant car. It was designed by Philippe Charbonneaux, a talented designer, and frankly, it has magnificent lines for the time. Modern and elegant, it heralds the 1950s.

But then, my friends, Rosengart is about to make the most monumental mistake in the history of the French automobile. Are you ready? He's equipping this futuristic-looking car with a 1930s engine ! Yes, you heard right. The Ariette's engine is still, and always will be, the one based on the 1923 Austin Seven, with thermosiphon cooling and splash lubrication!

So wait, it gets even more absurd: he's selling this technologically obsolete car for more than a Citroën Traction Avant ! Can you believe it? The Traction was the most modern car in Europe, with its high-performance engine, its revolutionary front-wheel drive, and it cost less than the Ariette with its pre-war engine!

The result was predictable: only 1,577 Ariette models were produced between 1947 and 1954. And in 1955, it was over. Rosengart closed its doors for good.

The end of an extraordinary adventure

So this is how Rosengart's story ends. A brilliant man, inventor of 186 patents, millionaire, savior of the French automobile industry, who managed to create a brand that ranked 5th in the country in just a few years... and who would lose everything due to a monumental strategic error.

Because, deep down, what happened? Rosengart was a victim of its own success. It had become accustomed to copying, adapting, and improving other people's cars. It had worked with the Austin Seven, it had worked with the German Adlers. But in 1947, the world had changed. It was necessary to innovate, to create something new, and Rosengart was unable to adapt.

And that's what strikes me most about this story. Lucien Rosengart was a visionary. He understood everything about the automotive market, he knew how to sense trends, he had the technical and financial means. But at the crucial moment, he made the wrong choice.

Today, who still knows Rosengart? Who remembers that this brand was one of the leading French manufacturers for years? Almost no one. And yet, without Rosengart, the history of the French automobile industry would have been completely different.

The Forgotten Legacy

Do you know what moves me most about this story? It's that Rosengart democratized the automobile in France. Before him, the small, popular car didn't really exist here. He created a segment, he made the automobile accessible to thousands of French people who had never been able to afford one.

Jules Salomon, his loyal engineer, had already done this with the Le Zèbre brand before the war, and then with the first Citroëns. Together, they truly invented the car for everyone in France. And that's an immense legacy, even if no one remembers it.

Lucien Rosengart died in 1976 at the age of 95. He had seen the birth of the automobile, he had seen it become more democratic, he had participated in this revolution. But he had also seen his brand disappear, swept away by the changes in a market that he had understood so well for decades.

And that's why today, when I come across a Rosengart miniature in my shop, it always does something to me. Because this little car tells an extraordinary story. That of a man who revolutionized the French automobile, who allowed thousands of families to have their first car, and who ultimately fell into total oblivion.

That's the beauty and cruelty of the auto industry: it moves so fast that it sometimes forgets those who built it. But we can still remember. We can still tell these stories. And in a way, that's also what makes these old cars so precious, even in miniature.

The Rosengart story is one of a French dream, of extraordinary ambition, and of a dizzying fall. It's the story of a man who had everything he needed to succeed, and who lost it all on a bad bet. But it's also, and above all, the story of the thousands of little Rosengarts that drove the roads of France, which allowed so many families to discover the freedom of the automobile.

And that, my friends, is worth remembering.