Юник: Француздық автокөлік өндірушісінің тарихы

French manufacturer

Unic was a French manufacturer founded in 1905, and active as an automobile producer until July 1938. The objective was to manufacture "unique" (rather than mainstream) vehicles, and at the start the company made only light cars and taxis with two cylinder and four cylinder engines. The taxi business would remain important to Unic for more than three decades, while Rothschild's steady financial support through good times and bad, provided stability which sustained the business, critically during the immediate post war years.

Although the manufacturer's initial range was restricted to light cars, their popularity as taxis led to the production of delivery vans and other small utility style vehicles. The 1943 cc 12 CV (9 kW) four cylinder model (used mainly as a taxi) was extremely successful and survived in production for nearly 20 years. (The engine was enlarged later to 2120 cc.) During World War I, taxis made by the company participated in the Marne operation. After World War I, a new four cylinder (1847 cc) was offered, along with the taxis.

The 8 cylinder Unic "Type H1" introduced in 1928 was progressively updated in accordance with the changing tastes of the time: by 1933 car had evolved into the Unic "Type H3" and the engine size had grown from 2 1/2 litres to 2646 cc. For the next few years the company focused on 4 cylinder cars in the 11 CV/HP tax band, just as they had through the mid 1920s. The appeal of Unic passenger cars by this time derived not from technical brilliance nor from stunning originality. Those who appreciated the cars were impressed by excellent reliability resulting from a meticulous approach taken during the production process. Also admired were their elegant spacious bodies, most of which came from the coach builder Letourneur et Marchand or from their subsidiary, Autobineau. Unic cars by now were not being sold in large numbers and this was reflected in the price. At the 1937 Motor Show the standard steel bodied Unic Type U 4 D with its 12CV engine was priced at 53,750 francs (or 35,500 francs in bare chassis form). while from the top end of the Citroën range a long wheel base "familiale" version of the Traction 11CV Longue could be had for 28,900 francs including the body, while prototype testing was already well under way of a 2867 cc (15/16CV) version of the aggressively priced and marketed Citroën Traction. Few customers in this class were willing to pay the price for the Unic's virtues of dependability, style and space, and Unic passenger car production ceased in July 1938. After 1938 Unic concentrated in the truck business, being one of the leading French makes. In 1966 it was taken over by the Italian company Fiat and eventually merged into Iveco in 1975.

In 1952, the firm was taken over by Simca, headed by Henri Pigozzi, who wanted a commercial vehicle production unit. Trucks of this period are commonly referred to as Unic Simca trucks. In 1956 the French arm of the Swiss truck manufacturer Saurer was taken over. In 1966 Unic joined the Fiat Group. In 1975 a holding company named IVECO was established covering truck and bus brands such as Fiat, OM, Lancia, UNIC and Magirus. In 1976 UNIC FIAT S. A. became UNIC S. A. In 1992 IVECO UNIC S. A. changed its name to IVECO FRANCE S. A. In 2003, the company's headquarters moved from Villejuif to Boissy St Léger, where a second facility was established in 1995.