Reverchon Industries was a developer, designer and manufacturer of amusement park attractions that were sold all over the world. The company went into liquidation in September 2008, filing for bankruptcy and closing down their manufacturing and operations plant.

Its production unit was set set in the French village of Samois-sur-Seine

Samois-sur-Seine

Samois-sur-Seine is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.It is located near Fontainebleau.-Culture:...

, near Fontainebleau

Fontainebleau

Fontainebleau is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southeast of the centre of Paris. Fontainebleau is a sub-prefecture of the Seine-et-Marne department, and it is the seat of the arrondissement of Fontainebleau...

.

History

• 1929: Gaston Reverchon, a young coach builder, created his own workshop in the suburbs of Paris. The rides business began there when Gaston Reverchon thought to adapt the coachwork he used on real cars to bumper cars. At the time, bumper cars were nothing more than a steering wheel and a seat attached to a wooden board on wheels. The first Reverchon bumper-car with its metallic color and design inspired by the American cars of that period went on to the market and was an instant success.

• 1937: It occurred to Gaston Reverchon to not only make parts for bumper-car rides but the whole ride itself and that year, on the dawn of the second world war
  World War II
  World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
  
  , Télécombat, a ride featuring small military airplanes, was born.

• 1956: After progress had been halted by the war, Reverchon began to provide attractions for distraction-thirsty Europeans. Joined by his sons Michel and Christian, working respectively as designer and technician ("Gaston Reverchon" became "Gaston Reverchon and Sons"), he began a second diversification, designing and producing a full range of complete rides. In 1956, they were the first to develop polyester as part of the bumper cars' coachwork.

• 1950-1971: These two decades marked a golden age for Reverchon, throughout which the company created new rides and improved old ones. The production unit was relocated to Samois-sur-Seine
  Samois-sur-Seine
  Samois-sur-Seine is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.It is located near Fontainebleau.-Culture:...
  
  , where 2,000 cars and 50 rides were produced every year and a new model designed every 5 years. In 1971, 270 workers were working in the company.

• 1973: 1973 proved to be a big year for Reverchon Industries, when Christian Reverchon presented his two latest attractions in Chicago: Himalaya and Paratrooper. Here, the company understood its strength and weaknesses: the public found the rides very fun and the aesthetic pleasing but the rides took very long to set up (3 days for 3 people). It also revealed Reverchon Industries' desire to expand beyond Europe.

• 1976: In 1976, Reverchon made its first flume ride at Bagatelle Park, in Berck
  Berck
  Berck, sometimes referred to as Berck-sur-Mer, is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France and lies within the Marquenterre regional park, an ornithological nature reserve...
  
   France.

• 1978: Having learned a lesson from 1973, Reverchon launched a bumper car system to be set up using hydraulics. Now, rather than requiring two days for six people, the owner could do the work all on his or her own.

• 2008: Reverchon announce that they have filed for bankruptcy and are closing down their manufacturing and operations. From 26 September 2008 the company has ceased trading.

Related News

• Firm guilty over park ride death, BBC

List of operating Reverchon roller coasters

Name	Model	Park	Country	Opened
Tigre de Sibérie	Custom Coaster	Le Pal	France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...	1990
Crazy Mouse	Spinning Coaster	South Pier South Pier, Blackpool South Pier is one of three piers in Blackpool, England. Located on South Promenade in the South Shore area of the town, the pier contains a number of amusement and adrenalin rides. It opens each year from March to November and is owned by Six Piers Limited.-Construction and opening:The Blackpool...	United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...	1998
Crazy Mouse	Spinning Coaster	Hirakata Park Hirakata Park is an amusement park located in the city of Hirakata in Osaka Prefecture. The amusement park features five roller coasters a Flower Doll Exhibit and a skating rink during winter.-External links:*http://www.hirakatapark.co.jp/ Main Site...	Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...	1998
Dizzy Mouse	Spinning Coaster	Wurstelprater Wurstelprater The Wurstelprater is an amusement park and section of the Wiener Prater in the second district of Vienna, Leopoldstadt.This institution dates back to the time of the Austro-Hungarian empire, when Emperor Josef II. made the Prater open to public in 1766...	Austria Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...	1998
Spinning Coaster	Spinning Coaster	Yokohama Cosmoworld	Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...	1998
Wall's Twister Ride	Spinning Coaster	West Midland Safari Park West Midland Safari Park West Midland Safari and Leisure Park is a safari park located in Bewdley in Worcestershire, England. It was opened in 1973.The park holds over 165 species of exotic animals. The safari contains about 600 animals from around 30 different species from Europe, Africa, Asia and Australasia...	United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...	1998
Spin Mouse	Spinning Coaster	Mitsui Greenland	Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...	1998
Crazy Mouse	Spinning Coaster	Steel Pier Steel Pier Steel Pier is a amusement pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey, located opposite The Boardwalk from Trump Taj Mahal.The pier was owned by Trump Entertainment Resorts until 2011, when it was sold to the Catanoso Family under the "Steel Pier Associates, LLC" name. The Catanosos previously leased the...	United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	1999
Ratón Loco	Spinning Coaster	La Feria Chapultepec Magico La Feria Chapultepec Mágico La Feria Chapultepec Mágico is an amusement park in Mexico City, Mexico. Located in Chapultepec Park, it opened in 1964 as Juegos Mecánicos de Chapultepec and was operated by the Mexican government...	Mexico Mexico The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...	1999
Exterminator	Spinning Coaster	Kennywood Kennywood Kennywood is an amusement park located in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh. The park first opened in 1898 as a "trolley park" at the end of the Monongahela Street Railway. The park was purchased in 1906 by F. W. Henninger and Andrew McSwigan and thus began the Kennywood...	United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	1999
Fantasy Mouse	Spinning Coaster	Fantasy Island Fantasy Island UK Fantasy Island is a family amusement park in Ingoldmells, near Skegness on the East Coast of England. It sits in the middle of one of the biggest spreads of holiday parks in the United Kingdom. Whilst entry to the park is free, guests either pay per ride or purchase an unlimited ride wristband...	United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...	2000
Crazy Mouse	Spinning Coaster	Brighton Pier Brighton Pier The Brighton Marine Palace and Pier is a pleasure pier in Brighton, England. It is generally known as the Palace Pier for short, but has been informally renamed Brighton Pier since 2000 by its owners, the Noble Organisation, in an attempt to suggest that it is Brighton's only pier...	United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...	2000
Twister	Spinning Coaster	Lightwater Valley Lightwater Valley Lightwater Valley is a theme park in Ripon, North Yorkshire, England. The park is perhaps best known for being the home of Europe’s longest rollercoaster - The Ultimate....	United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...	2001
Wild Mouse	Spinning Coaster	Magic World	Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...	2001
Flagermusen	Spinning Coaster	Fårup Sommerland Fårup sommerland Fårup sommerland is a Danish theme park in the north of the country. It is one of the country's biggest amusement parks with 3 major roller coasters, Lynet, Falken and Flagermusen.- The Roller Coasters :...	Denmark Denmark Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...	2001
Crazy Mouse	Spinning Coaster	Allou Fun Park	Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....	2002
Papillons d'Alice	Junior Spinning Coaster	Jardin d'Acclimatation Jardin d'Acclimatation The Jardin d'Acclimatation is a children's amusement park with a menagerie, the Exploradôme museum, and other attractions located in the northern part of the Bois de Boulogne, in Paris.-History:...	France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...	2002
Primeval Whirl Primeval Whirl Primeval Whirl is an attraction at Disney's Animal Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort. The ride is an "off the shelf" spinning roller coaster purchased from Reverchon Industries. The ride is part of Chester and Hester's Dino-Rama, which is itself part of Dinoland USA. It is a roller coaster in...	Spinning Coaster	Disney's Animal Kingdom Disney's Animal Kingdom Disney's Animal Kingdom is an animal theme park located at the Walt Disney World Resort. The fourth park built at the resort, it opened on April 22, 1998, and it is the largest single Disney theme park in the world, covering more than . It is also the first Disney theme park to be themed entirely...	United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	2002
Magic Mouse	Spinning Coaster	Fantasia Luna Park	Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....	2003
Spinning Coaster	Spinning Coaster	Wonderland	United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...	2006
Ragondingue	Spinning Coaster	Bagatelle	France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...	2006
Bukkerittet	Spinning Coaster	Kongeparken	Norway Norway Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...	2008

External links

• Infoparks Reverchon Page