It was in 1903 that the British Automobile Commercial Syndicate Limited formed a new company named Clement-Talbot Limited.

The "Clement" in the name stood for French entrepreneur Adolphe Clément, who had started in the cycle industry as a repairer as early as 1876 and rapidly became a leading manufacturer.

He made a considerable fortune by acquiring the French manufacturing rights for Dunlop bicycle tyres, and his Gladiator bicycle factory was making motor tricycles as early as 1895, soon followed by experimental voiturettes.

Complex business deals saw Clément involved in the manufacture of Clément and Gladiator cars, but he resigned in October 1903 to start a new motor manufacturing company.

Unable to use his name on the cars he was building at its factory in Mézières, he changed his name to Clément-Bayard; the cars from Mézières were known as Clément-Bayards or Bayards.

Clement-Talbot, which took the "Talbot" element of its name from its name from the BACS Chairman, the Earl of ...