In the late twenties, Michelin tried to increase the comfort of rail travel with their air-filled rubber tires. Main problems to solve were the high axle load of rail vehicles and a safe guidance between the rails without problems when running over points. To reduce the axle load, the company decided to use a higher number of axles per bogie. Guidance was ensured by traditional wheel flanges, while all weight was being carried by the rubber wheels.
The first type 1 prototype was completed in 1929 and in 1931, a type 5 prototype carried out publicity runs. There it covered a distance of 219.2 km with an average speed of 107 km/h. It quickly became clear that tire wear was high and sometimes even tires blew, but the good comfort and reasonable running costs led to interest from railway companies. This led to several production variants being developed and built in the thirties. Usually, power was provided by petrol engines, which transmitted their power via mechanical gearboxes. Aside from the variants designed for work in France, some were also exported to Africa, Madagascar and Indochina. Additionally, Budd built more under license in the USA.
The first production variant that was introduced in 1932 was the type 11. It consisted of a three-axle tractor and an articulated passenger section with a two-axle bogie at the rear. Eleven were built which had a passenger capacity of 24. 21 type 16 vehicles were built from 1934. These had a single body and two three-axle bogies. The front bogie was powered by a 220 hp Hispano V12. Longer and with two four-axle bogies were the types 20 to 22. These had 56 seats and a 250 hp variant of the Hispano engine. Of 52 built, the last one directly went to the SNCF due to the war.
In 1936, the type 23 set a record for the longest single-body rail vehicle in the world, with a total length of 30,360 mm and 96 seats. It had three bogies, of which the central one was mounted between two flexible girders to allow for lateral movement. This one also carried the engine, what was a 400 hp Panhard V12. Ten were sold to the État, 35 to the PLM and five to the PO. After World War II, they were shortened and rebuilt to unpowered passenger coaches.
A still longer variant was the type 33, that measured 45,200 mm and offered 108 seats. This one consisted of three bodies, which were articulated with a total of four bogies. Here the two inner bogies were powered two 250 hp Hispano V12 which were mounted in the middle section. The type 136 was similar, but it was powered electrically via third rail for use in the Paris suburban network. Here, four motors were mounted in the frame and connected to the two inner axles of each bogie via cardan shafts.