Born on 22 September 1855 in Pierre- fond (in northern France), Adolphe Clément became one of France’s leading industrialists through ingenious intuitions that enabled him to reap all the benefits of a world in profound evolution, thanks to cycling, tyres and motoring. In 1891, the first developmental move was the purchase of a huge piece of land in Levallois Perret, the future industrial suburb of Paris, to install a velodrome (1893). The 3 HP model appeared on the market in 1899, but without much success because of its outdated mechanical solutions.