As Mairiuna and myself are keen sherlockian memorabilia seekers, we could not resist bidding on a quiz-type blotter advertising the SIMCA 1000, a small French car quite popular back in the 1960-70’s.
Translation: ” In the Gleendark castle, Herlock Sholmès and his loyal Ratson are tracking the SIMCA 1000. Find it before them and go see it at a SIMCA car dealership.”
It took us a while before locating the SIMCA car in the picture. Can you see it now ?
I was most intrigued by the ad and wondered why, by all means, Sherlock Holmes name was spelled as “Herlock Sholmès” and Dr Watson’s , as Ratson ?!?
To satisfy my curiosity, I googled about it to find out that it originated upon a copyright issue!
It all began in 1906 when Maurice Leblanc (1864-1941) creator of the fictional character Arsene Lupin, gentleman-burglar, wrote a short story titled “Sherlock Holmes arrives too late“ in the Je Sais Tout series, No. 17. Quite a literary pastiche!
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle manifested his opposition of using the name of his internationally known and most popular fictional detective.
So, to bypass this copyright issue, Maurice Leblanc came up with a spelling tweak which consisted in moving the “S” from Sherlock to the beginning of the last name; Herlock Sholmes was born.
Read all about The Case of Sherlock Holmes and Arsène Lupin written by David Drake of Université Paris VIII, for a more detailed coverage.
The first book from Leblanc featuring both detective was “The Hollow Needle” , but we find a much more involved Sholmès in the follow-up story that bears several titles: 
-The Blonde Phantom
-The Blonde Lady
– The Case of the Golden Blonde
( Translated in 1910 to English by Alexander Teixera de Mattos)
Arsene Lupin Vs. Herlock Sholmes, by Maurice LeBlanc
LeBlanc’s creation, gentleman thief Arsene Lupin, is everything you would expect from a French aristocrat — witty, charming, brilliant, sly . . . and possibly the greatest thief in the world.
In this classic tale, Lupin comes up against the only man who may be able to stop him . . . no less than the great British gentleman-detective Herlock Sholmes! Who will emerge triumphant?
Arsene Lupin Kontra Herlock Sholmes Video=================>
Sherlock Holmes is the best detective ever!