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Marque · Kégresse half-tracks · in production 1921–1940

Citroën-Kégresse half-tracks

Citroën cars and light lorries on Adolphe Kégresse’s rubber-tracked rear bogie, built from 1921 to 1937 — 5,795 in all — and then as the P107 by Unic, 3,276 more to 1940.

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23VEHICLES5,795 by Citroën (1921–37); 3,276 P107 by Unic (1937–40)BUILT1921–1940IN PRODUCTION4CHAPTERS

Kégresse had run the Tsar’s garage before the Russian Revolution and fitted tracks to its cars. Back in France he showed André Citroën three half-tracks on the 10 HP chassis in October 1920, and the K1 was accepted by the Service des Mines in January 1922. Twenty types were presented to the Mines between 1922 and 1936; purely military types were not.

The half-tracks were sold for forestry and farm work, barge towing, winter mountain roads and postal buses, but the army was the main market: the P17 became the French artillery’s light tractor, and Poland, Belgium and Uruguay bought them. They also made Citroën’s name on the three great crossings led by Georges-Marie Haardt and Louis Audouin-Dubreuil — the Sahara in 1922–23, Africa in 1924–25 and Asia in 1931–32. The US Army tested a P17, and James Cunningham, Son & Co bought the Kégresse patent and built the T1 half-track in 1932, ancestor of the American M2 and M3.

4 chapters, 1948 → today

110 HP half-tracks (1921–1928)1921 – 19282C4 and C6 half-tracks (1928–1936)1928 – 19363Armoured half-tracks (1923–1933)1923 – 19334P107 (1935–1940)1935 – 1940
194819601975199020052025
11921 – 1928

10 HP half-tracks (1921–1928)

7 VEHICLES IN THIS CHAPTER

The K1 and P4 T on the B2, 1,134 built to 1926, and the P7 T and P7 bis on the B12: the Sahara crossing, the Croisière Noire, the M23 armoured car, Poland’s wz. 28 and the canal barge tractors.

Registry records · chapter 1

Kégresse K1 and P4 T (10 HP B2, 1921–26)1921–26K1 of the first Sahara crossing (1922–23)1922P4 T of the Croisière Noire (1924–25)1924M23 armoured car (1923–25)1923–25B2 half-tracks for Poland and the wz. 28 (1924–30)1924–30P4 T canal barge tractor (1925–27)1925–27Kégresse P7 T and P7 bis (10 HP B12, 1925–28)1925–28
21928 – 1936

C4 and C6 half-tracks (1928–1936)

11 VEHICLES IN THIS CHAPTER

The P10 and P17 on the four-cylinder C4, the P19, P14, P15 N and P21 on the six-cylinder C6: artillery tractors, staff cars, snow buses and the vehicles of the Croisière Jaune, the Bedaux expedition and Byrd’s Antarctic expedition.

Registry records · chapter 2

Kégresse P10 and P17 (1928–34)1928–34P17 of the Croisière Jaune, Pamir group (1931)1931P17 D of the Bedaux Sub-Arctic Expedition (1934)1934P17 for the Polish Army (1931–33)1931–33Kégresse P19 (C6, 1929–)1929Kégresse P14 tractor (C6, 1930–40)1930–40FN-Kégresse 3T (Belgium, 1936–40)1936–40Kégresse P15 N snow half-track (1928–34)1928–34P15 N of the second Byrd Antarctic Expedition (1934)1934P15 N Swiss Post bus (1929–39)1929–39Kégresse P21 (Croisière Jaune China group, 1931)1930–36
31923 – 1933

Armoured half-tracks (1923–1933)

3 VEHICLES IN THIS CHAPTER

The Schneider-built AMC P16, 100 made, and the P28 AMR, fifty ordered in 1931; Uruguay bought three P28s in 1933.

Registry records · chapter 3

AMC Schneider P16 (1928–31)1928–31Kégresse P28 AMR (1931–33)1931–33P28 for the Guardia Metropolitana, Uruguay (1933)1933
41935 – 1940

P107 (1935–1940)

2 VEHICLES IN THIS CHAPTER

The last and most numerous type, built from 1937 by Unic at Puteaux, 3,276 by 1940; one served as a forest-fire tanker at Lège-Cap-Ferret until 1979.

Registry records · chapter 4

Kégresse P107 tractor (1935–40)1935–40Unic P107 forest-fire tanker, Lège-Cap-Ferret (1954–79)1954

Base models

The structural configurations the registry and the Creator build from; each page carries the researched specification.
Kégresse K1 and P4 T (10 HP B2, 1921–26)1921–26Kégresse P7 T and P7 bis (10 HP B12, 1925–28)1925–28Kégresse P10 and P17 (1928–34)1928–34Kégresse P19 (C6, 1929–)1929Kégresse P14 tractor (C6, 1930–40)1930–40Kégresse P15 N snow half-track (1928–34)1928–34Kégresse P21 (Croisière Jaune China group, 1931)1930–36Kégresse P107 tractor (1935–40)1935–40Kégresse P28 AMR (1931–33)1931–33AMC Schneider P16 (1928–31)1928–31

In service

Where the registry's Kégresse half-tracks records worked; each opens the themed history.
Expedition5 records in this marqueMilitary5 records in this marqueFire1 record in this marque

Sources

  1. Les autochenilles Kégresse (Pascal Honegger, 2015) — Krybebåndssocietetet (kegresse.dk)
  2. Kégresse track — Wikipedia
  3. Citroën Kégresse — Wikipédia
  4. Citroën-Kégresse P17 — Wikipédia
  5. Croisière noire — Wikipédia
  6. Croisière jaune — Wikipédia

Kégresse half-tracks records in the registry

23 records, oldest first.
Kégresse K1 and P4 T (10 HP B2, 1921–26)1921–26 · FranceK1 of the first Sahara crossing (1922–23)1922 · FranceM23 armoured car (1923–25)1923–25 · FranceB2 half-tracks for Poland and the wz. 28 (1924–30)1924–30 · FranceP4 T of the Croisière Noire (1924–25)1924 · FranceKégresse P7 T and P7 bis (10 HP B12, 1925–28)1925–28 · FranceP4 T canal barge tractor (1925–27)1925–27 · FranceAMC Schneider P16 (1928–31)1928–31 · FranceKégresse P10 and P17 (1928–34)1928–34 · FranceKégresse P15 N snow half-track (1928–34)1928–34 · FranceKégresse P19 (C6, 1929–)1929 · FranceP15 N Swiss Post bus (1929–39)1929–39 · FranceKégresse P14 tractor (C6, 1930–40)1930–40 · FranceKégresse P21 (Croisière Jaune China group, 1931)1930–36 · FranceKégresse P28 AMR (1931–33)1931–33 · FranceP17 for the Polish Army (1931–33)1931–33 · FranceP17 of the Croisière Jaune, Pamir group (1931)1931 · FranceP28 for the Guardia Metropolitana, Uruguay (1933)1933 · FranceP15 N of the second Byrd Antarctic Expedition (1934)1934 · FranceP17 D of the Bedaux Sub-Arctic Expedition (1934)1934 · FranceKégresse P107 tractor (1935–40)1935–40 · FranceFN-Kégresse 3T (Belgium, 1936–40)1936–40 · BelgiumUnic P107 forest-fire tanker, Lège-Cap-Ferret (1954–79)1954 · France