Henri Chapron was born in Sologne, at the Château de Cerçay, then owned by the French agronomist and mayor of Lamotte-Beuvron Edouard Lecouteux.

In the early 20th century, Henri Chapron, at the age of 14, then saddles an apprentice, hand on his bicycle, as "companion to the Tour de France." He will learn all the trades of the bodywork, going from city to city, from chief to chief. He will go to Algeria.

After the First World War, in December 1919, Henri opened his workshop in Neuilly-sur-Seine. He bought the surplus Ford T left by the US Army in the Dominion after World War I to turn them into commercial vehicles first, then cars. In 1923, he decided to expand and moved to Levallois-Perret, where the case will remain until its closure in late December 1985.

From 1919 to 1929, Henri Chapron works mainly on the Ford, De Dion Button, Morris Leon Bollée, Ballot, Unic and Delage chassis. He also builds some models in Voisin, Hispano-Suiza, Fiat, Peugeot, Citroën, among others.

From 1929 to 1935, Henri Chapron works mainly in Delage, Lorraine, Neighbor, Bugatti, Hispano Suiza, De Dion Bouton, Fiat, Talbot, Lancia, Panhard, Chenard and Walker, Delage and Delahaye, but also the coach of US brands such as Packard, Nash, Paige Graham, Buick, Chrysler, Ford, Cadillac and La Salle. During this period, Chapron also produces some commercial vehicles, ambulances, buses for Laffly, Bernard, Latil, Lavigne, Rochet-Schneider and Delahaye.