the French government authorizes the sale of the Army's surplus

In 1918, the Vénissieux factory was put at the service of the defense of the territory, developing and accelerating all productions, at the instigation of the minister Louis Loucheur (1872-1931): in November 1918, 10 tanks and 45 trucks were leaving the factory every day.

Thus, with the armistice came the complete stop of war orders. For Berliet, this meant brutal competition, as the sale of army surpluses flooded the market at a tenth of their purchase price. In fact, up to 1920, 650,000 trucks were sold on the market.  

However, Berliet concentrated on the "5 ton" truck and continued its production. The same was true for passenger cars with its only 15 hp model: the "Etoile d'Argent". In 1925, business gradually picked up again.  

berliet truck

Reference : fondation Berliet