Found: pre-production Voiturette Bertrand ?

According to A.I.:

The Voiturette Bertrand, produced by Voiturette Bertrand et Cie, is a rare piece of French automotive history typically dated between 1901 and 1902. Your discovery of a 1900 patent and a matching brass plate at 198 Boulevard Pereire suggests that the company's origins and production began at least a year earlier than many historical records indicate.

Historical Background and Company Details

While often overlooked, the company was active during a period of intense experimentation in Paris:
Establishment: Evidence suggests the company was founded as early as April 19, 1900.

Locations: Records show several addresses in Paris, including 198 Boulevard Pereire (found on early brass plates), 109 Boulevard Pereire, and later 150 Avenue Malakoff.

Racing History:
The brand was active in early motorsport. Beyond the 1901 Paris-Berlin race you mentioned, a 6 HP Aster-engined Bertrand won its class in the 1901 Moscow–Sankt Petersburg race.

Notable Owners: The famous French painter and illustrator Jean-Louis Forain was an early enthusiast who participated in the 1901 "excursion of tourists" alongside the Paris-Berlin race in his own Bertrand voiturette.

Technical Specifications
The Bertrand voiturettes were known for their simple but effective belt-driven systems:

Engine: Most early models, like yours, utilized a single-cylinder De Dion-Bouton engine, typically rated at 3.5 or 4.5 HP. A larger 6 HP model used an Aster engine.

Transmission: They featured a belt-drive system with two forward gears and no reverse.

Body Styles: They were available as open-bodied cars for either two or four passengers.

Known Surviving Examples
Finding information is difficult because so few survived. One other known survivor features a four-seater body and an Aster mono engine; it was once part of the collection at the Le Mans museum and was detailed in La Vie de l'Auto in June 1999.

Indeed it is hard to find information on Bertrand.
Another surviving car of this make has an Aster mono engine and fourseater body. I guess this is the car that I once saw in the Le Mans museum and that was described extenisevely in La Vie de l'Auto in june 1999.
According to my documents the company was founded on 19 April 1900 so it is indeed possible that they were making cars in 1900 already. It is strange that in my files I find the following address: 109, boulevard Pereire. Did they move from 109 to 198 (or from 198 to 109) during their short existence (production seems to have ended in 1903).

Dear Ariejan,thanks for the very detailed information. It is not easy to find facts and photos about the early Bertrand cars. During the last weeks I collected a few documents. I wrote all known details down at my homepage. Ariejan, please see http://www.motorremise.de/en/1900-bertrand-en/historical-research-en.html . Do you have a copy of the "L´Avenir de Láutomobile publication" form November 1900. If yes, it will be a pleasure for me if you could send me this copy. I looked at Gallica but they do not have this document. Thanks again for your help and also thanks for the excellent work of your Dutch historical organization. Clemens

PS. Presumably the first Bertrand was launched during the autumn of 1900. A description of the Bertrand ('a new car with extremely graceful lines') appears to have been published in L' Avenir de L' Automobile (Paris, November 1900).

According to Google maps the distance between these two addresses is a 9 minute walk, so I doubt if this is sufficient to change the history books. There were more car builders on the Boulevard Pereire at the time: a neigbour across the street was Brierre, a make of about equal fame as Bertrand. The Bertrand is of course a unique find and again a small (and beautiful) piece of the enormous early car history puzzle. According to an ad in the 'Annuaire Générale de l'Automobile 1901' they could be equipped with all kinds of engines: besides De Dion also Clément, Aster or a 2 cylinder Buchet. There was indeed a Bertrand participating in Paris-Berlin, however not in the race but in the tourist category with no.314 (check these nice photos of Jules Beau: http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b84333389/f6.item.r=jule%20beau).