French Trucks - right or left hand drive?

[dampfpanzerwagon]

As a newcomer to WW1 - this may sound rather stupid, but WW1 French lorries/trucks were they left or right hand drive?

The French currently drive on the right so they are left hand drive but illustrations I have seen of WW1 trucks have the driver seated on the right.

Am I missing something?

Regards

Tony

[fred]

I don't know the answer - but I suspect that the whole drive on the right / left hadn't really been formalised back then.

Lots of early vehicles seem to have a fairly central steering wheel.

[former user]

that and also take into account british vehicles on the continent and reverse photographs

[tin shed gamer]

 Pritty much every things righthand drive.Its still a young industry at this time,rolling chasis were sold buy everyone to everyone.Coachwork was often done by other companies and the whole thing sold as single product under a different name.
I did a more research than a cared too to preduce my lorries.Its a topic for a major anorak,
The long and the short of it is every body was using what ever they could get there hands on,the germans most off all so what ever lorries you use your safe with a driver on the right and mate on the left.

[dampfpanzerwagon]

Thank you and I look forward to reading your 'paper' on WW1 trucks.

Tony

[maxxon]

The French currently drive on the right so they are left hand drive but illustrations I have seen of WW1 trucks have the driver seated on the right.

They drove on the right even in WWI, because we can blame Napoleon for that (who else?) -- the law is from 1792.

However, as has been pointed out, the automotive industry was still in its infancy and driver positions customized for local traffic regulations pretty much didn't exist. And in wartime if it worked, it got used damn the regulations.

Even today, it's usually not illegal to drive a vehicle with the driver position on the "wrong" side -- just inconvenient and somewhat less safe.