S.T. Dupont Ligne 2 Grand Modèle — Grosse Côte, Reference 16216, Gold
A S.T. Dupont Ligne 2 in the full-size Grand Modèle, finished in gold in the Grosse Côte pattern and carrying reference 16216. Sold when new but never put into use, and complete with its box, outer sleeve and numbered international guarantee card.
S.T. Dupont produced its first luxury lighter in 1941, and the Ligne 2 introduced in 1977 became the model the maison is known for. If one lighter is the picture most people hold in their head when they think of S.T. Dupont, it is this one: the full-size case, the gold finish, and the ribbing running unbroken from the base to the top of the lid.
Grosse côte translates as the broad rib, and that is precisely what distinguishes it — a heavier, more widely spaced ribbing than the fine striping found elsewhere in the range. On the Grand Modèle body the wider channels catch light in broader bands, which gives the lighter noticeably more presence in the hand than a finely striped example of the same size.
The gold is worth understanding properly. Dupont plated its lighters to a generous depth — marked in microns on the base — rather than the flash plating used on costume goods. That is why a Dupont of this age can still look like this while contemporaries have worn through at the corners. It is plating over a solid brass body, not solid gold, and it was engineered to last decades of pocket wear.
This example was sold when new but never used. The ribbing is sharp to the edges and the plating is entirely unworn. It is offered complete with its original box, outer sleeve, printed literature and the S.T. Dupont Carte de Garantie Internationale. Serviced and in perfect working order.
This one has sold. See what is currently available in Vintage S.T. Dupont Lighters For Sale, or read our What Is a Vintage S.T. Dupont Lighter Worth? A Value Guide.