1931 Citroën Automobile Insurance Letter – Selys Longchamps Archive

Original 1931 Belgian automobile insurance correspondence from London & Scottish Assurance Corporation Limited, addressed to E. de Selys-Longchamps at the Château d’Halloy near Ciney, Belgium.

Dated 4 August 1931, this typed letter concerns the insurance and administrative formalities required for travelling in France with a Citroën motor car weighing 1,340 kg.

The correspondence relates specifically to an “Assurance Cautionnement Triptyque”, a form of customs guarantee connected with the temporary admission of a motor vehicle abroad. London & Scottish informs Monsieur de Selys-Longchamps that the cost of the guarantee for a French triptych for his Citroën, valued at 20,000 French francs, amounted to 125 francs.

The letter also mentions additional costs connected with the triptych, an international road certificate and a driving permit, amounting to 45 francs.

The printed letterhead is particularly interesting, referring to the company’s approval for the issue of triptych guarantee insurance through the Royal Automobile Club de Belgique, provincial automobile clubs affiliated with the R.A.C.B., the Touring Club de Belgique Société Royale, and the Fédération Motocycliste de Belgique.

The original envelope is also included. Printed with the London & Scottish Assurance Corporation Limited heading, it is addressed to E. de Selys-Longchamps and retains its Belgian postage stamp and postal cancellations. The original Château d’Halloy address has been crossed out and the envelope bears handwritten forwarding annotations to Spa, offering an additional glimpse into the recipient’s movements at the time.

Together, the letter and envelope form a fascinating piece of Belgian motoring and travel history from the early 1930s, documenting the practical formalities involved in taking a private Citroën automobile across an international border.

Included

• Original typed London & Scottish insurance letter
• Original stamped and postmarked envelope
• Period forwarding annotations on the envelope

Dimensions

• Letter: 21.5 × 18.5 cm
• Envelope: 15.5 × 13 cm

Condition

Original antique documents showing normal age-related wear, including folds, light toning, small marks and minor edge wear. The envelope bears postal wear, cancellation marks and contemporary forwarding annotations. Please examine all photographs carefully, as they form an integral part of the description.

Date: 1931
Origin: Brussels / Château d’Halloy, Ciney, Belgium
Language: French
Original documents — not reproductions.

Provenance

From The Selys Longchamps Archive, a group of original early 20th-century letters, invoices, receipts and commercial papers addressed to members of the Selys Longchamps family.

Together, these documents offer a glimpse into the family’s private, commercial, travel and estate-related correspondence.