Bernard Cournil built for the small livestock and mixed farms of the Cantal, where conventional tractors were too large and too slow on the road. His vehicles drove a power take-off, a hydraulic lift, a plough, a cutter bar, an earth auger, a snow-plough blade and a hydraulic shovel, and pulled a trailer of his own design; by 2006 some were still at work in the Cantal.
Public bodies bought them from the start — the Hygiene Department, the police and customs in the 1960s — and made up most of SIMI’s 560 sales in 1980–84: EDF, the police, the Équipement and the Eaux et Forêts. The same vehicle worked for Portuguese and French services as the UMM.
Farm conversions (1945–1960)
1 VEHICLE IN THIS CHAPTERJeeps converted for Massif Central farmers, and 170 Hotchkiss Jeeps with Cournil’s diesel conversion.
Registry records · chapter 1
Tracteur Cournil (1960–1977)
3 VEHICLES IN THIS CHAPTERThe JA1 and JA2 on farms in the Massif Central and the Basque Country, and with the Hygiene Department, police and customs.
Registry records · chapter 2
Public service (1977–1988)
5 VEHICLES IN THIS CHAPTERGevarm and SIMI Cournils for EDF, the police, the Équipement and the Eaux et Forêts.
Sources
- Cournil Tractor — Unusual Off-Road Locomotion (Jean-Marc Maclou)
- Cournil — Wikipedia
- Cournil — Wikipédia
Working vehicles in the registry
9 records, oldest first.
Cournil-converted Hotchkiss Jeep1954–60 · FranceTracteur Cournil JA (1960–77)1960–77 · FranceTracteur Cournil JA11960–64 · FranceTracteur Cournil JA21964–77 · France
Cournil SC (Gevarm, 1977–80)1977–80 · FranceCournil (SIMI and Auverland, 1980–88)1980–88 · FranceEntrepreneur1980–88 · FranceRandonneur1980–88 · FranceSC-200, SC-250 and SC-II (Autoland and Auverland)1983–88 · France