Some sources give the starting date for the business as 1900, although Barré's first automobile was presented in December 1899 at the Paris Motor Show.

Six years later he moved again, establishing himself in 1894 at Niort in the rue Ricard Il, as a manufacturer and renter of cycles.

[1] Several aspects of Barré's business distinguish it from the large number of automobile manufacturers being established in France at this time.

Rather than tooling up to machine and assemble his own axles and gears, Barré also bought in these principal components from companies already equipped to produce them.

[2] Throughout the first half of the twentieth century the French auto-industry was remarkably concentrated around Paris, with a secondary hub around Lyon.

Barré, too, were exceptional in locating their production in a small town in the west of France, and the pattern of sales was also concentrated on the rural western part of the country.

[4] In the western region surrounding Niort the cars retained a loyal following, and by October 1924 the range on the manufacturer's stand at the 19th Paris Motor Show Barré comprised three models.