Budd–Michelin rubber-tired rail cars remained obscure in comparison with other competitors for the title, such as the "Pioneer Zephyr" and Union Pacific's M-10000. Rubber-tired rail cars achieved greater success in France, and similar rubber-tired subway cars have been adopted in Canada and Mexico as well as on numerous systems in Europe. During the 1920s, the American Budd Company, at the time a relatively obscure auto-frame supplier, developed an extensive working relationship with the French firm Michelin, which was best known for its tires. In 1929, Michelin built its first rail car, and by 1932 nine of its cars were in operating service, all of
Montargis story was the subject of a 19th-century melodrama, "Le Chien de Montargis, ou la Forêt de Bondy", that held the stage for years in Paris and was performed in English and German translations. In the 1880s, a rubber factory was built in Châlette, a district of Montargis. It today employs 2000 workers to produce tires and parts for vehicles and appliances. Pralines, the crunchy confection made from almonds in cooked sugar, were first confected in Montargis in the time of Louis XIII. The original shop is still in business on Place Mirabeau. Montargis is twinned with: Montargis Montargis () is