Vivinus
Brussels, Belgium.
Alexis Vivinus (1859–1929) began as a Brussels bicycle manufacturer around 1890 and soon became one of Belgium’s first importers of Benz automobiles.
In 1895 he started building his own light cars in Schaerbeek. Early Vivinus models were simple, belt- or chain-driven voiturettes powered by single- and later two-cylinder engines. Their reliability and practicality led to production licenses in Britain, France, and Germany, making Vivinus one of Belgium’s few internationally replicated designs.
By the early 1900s, Vivinus introduced more advanced three- and four-cylinder cars. In 1907, one of these engines powered a Voisin biplane, a remarkable early link between Belgian automotive engineering and aviation.
The 1900 Vivinus Due shown below, and currently on display at Autoworld, was presented by King Leopold II to Baroness de Vaughan. Bodied by D’Ieteren Frères, it uses belt drive to the rear wheels and has two forward speeds but no reverse gear—typical of the lightweight Belgian voiturettes of its era.
Production ceased around 1908, but Vivinus remains an important pioneer of early Belgian motoring.
