Jean Pommelet designed the 'Vehicle Pommelet' or 'Les VP' in 1938 and in January 1939 construction of the prototype began in Paris. By the end of
march it was ready for testing and was demonstrated at Rocquencourt. The prototype was refitted with a Polymechanique engine and futher testing was
undertaken at Camp de Frileuse where it was demonstrated to General Gamelin. As a result of this, an order was placed for 500 examples with an
additional 500 later. In April, 1940 a further 1000 were ordered but of the 2000 examples on order only 11 were actually finished before the German
advance forced the evacuation south of the vehicles and parts where they were either destroyed or hidden.
Construction of these vehicles was undertaken by the Societe Lorraine factories at Luneville and Paris with the control equipment being manufactured by
La SocieteThomson-Houstan.
After the Liberation in 1944, Pommelet gathered together the surviving VP parts and built 30 examples, which the Free French Government had ordered,
and assembled them at the Lorraine Works in Bagneres de Bigorre during 1945. He also produced a couple of additional prototypes after the war ended.
VARIANTS OF THE SERIES
VP - Original prototype vehicle with unidentified engine, 1939. VP [Variant 1] - Prototype reworked with Polymecanique engine, 1939. VP [Variant 2] - Prototype constructed with Gillet motorcycle engine, 1939. VP1 - Production version with rectangular superstructure. VP1 [Variant 1] - Examples constructed from parts hidden during the occupation, 1944. VP1 [Variant 2] - Post-war modification with night navigation lights, 1948. VP2 - Prototype with faceted superstructure, 1946.
