was established by Lucien Bollack (an engineer who had also worked for Hispano-Suiza) and his financier, banker René Netter, in January 1923.

were a successful maker of cyclecars, winning many rallies albeit not selling very many cars.

In the late 1920s, the company tried to penetrate a higher market sector – unfortunately the demand for large passenger cars and for ultra-light racing cars were both low, and Bollack and Netter were forced out of their company in 1928 when the business was acquired by Charles de Ricou, an energetic businessman who by now had a reputation for rescuing financially troubled automobile manufacturing businesses.

launching the large 8-cylinder engined "Aigle" in October 1929, a few days before the stock market crashes gave notice of a decade of severe contraction and stagnation for the French economy.

[5] Shortly after he had taken over at B.N.C., de Ricou took over two other companies in financial difficulty, Lombard and Rolland-Pilain;[6] Charles de Ricou took a double stand, directly opposite one of the principal entrances of the Grand Palais, at the 25th Paris Motor Show in October 1931, and displayed on it cars from all three of his companies, B.N.C., Lombard and Rolland-Pilain.

He took over the remaining stock of parts and kept on assembling a trickle of cars into the fifties, usually referred to as "B.N.C.

[4] Beginning with a single model, the DZ, before the first year was over the range had reached double digits.

[2] In the late 1920s, BNC tried their hand at producing large passenger cars (the "Aigle") with four to five-liter eight-cylinder engines made by Lycoming.

with an 1,100 cc Ruby engine lapped the (then unpaved) Le Mans circuit for 24 hours straight in 1928.

[8] After having been forced out of the company, Lucien Bollack retained the import rights to the American Lycoming engines.

[4] The following year, while leading its class, the engine broke down a few hours before the finish and the car ended up in thirteenth place, with Arthur Duray and Charlier driving.