A mystery chassis from the land of Leopold

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The venue is the motor show of Brussels in Belgium and the year is 1934. The top hat wearing men are no doubt dignitaries. Well, most of them must be just that with the uniformed man being King Leopold III no less. He appears to be being explained about the chassis in front of him.

We know that Leopold III, Roi des Belges from 1934 to 1951, was a real motoring enthusiast, befriended with Ettore Bugatti and owning a number of cars built by Le Patron. No Royale ― missed chance ― but several others though.

But what exactly is that large rolling chassis seen here with what seems to be another in the background? Steering wheel and dashboard lay-out don’t give away too much clues (to us). But those clutch and brake pedals with their star patterns have to be recognizable at once to somebody who’s seen them before. We haven’t. Could it be a Belgian product, Minerva of FN perhaps? And could the man wearing no hat with his hand on the spare be the company’s director?

On a side note, 1934 was the last year in which the Brussels motor show was held in the venue, which now houses the Autoworld national motor museum of Belgium. A fitting tribute to the Brussels salon de l’automobile of yesteryear.

Words Jeroen Booij. Picture Ebay.

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