125 years of motoring history: Twickenham reunites its first cars

New Orleans cars were first made by Burford, Van Toll and Co. of Twickenham. Their name originated with H. G. Burford who started his Orleans Cycle factory in Cross Deep, Twickenham before 1897, then moving opposite the bank in King Street, Twickenham. His expanded electrical and general engineering premises, Orleans Works, Twickenham opened in early 1899, advertising “Motors built to order”. Soon after, the Thames Valley Motor-Car Company was set up by H. G. Burford, F. A Rodewald and J. Van Toll, “to adopt an agreement with Burford and Van Toll to carry on the general business of electricians and electrical engineers, producers and suppliers of electricity, &c.” As its MD, Van Toll started an autocar service in October from Richmond Railway Station and Hampton, via Twickenham, Teddington and Hampton Court, using a Cannstatt Daimler, an English Daimler and an MMC, all fitted with Mulliner (Northampton) bodies in accordance with Hackney Carriage licencing rules. Three more cars and a Lifu Waggonette (a steam bus made by the Liquid Fuel Engineering Co. on the isle of Wight) were to be added in spring 1900.

The Orleans Works was a contributor to the Transvaal War Fund on several occasions in 1900, but does seem to have been subject to a number of claims in 1900-1901 by unhappy plaintiffs who took them to court disputing work done or unjustified pricing and won damages. Although, the company did win a case against the Western Bicycle Co of Chiswick.

F. A. Rodewald was an important contributor to the New Orleans’ story. He was a well-to-do international businessman, sportsman, steam and sail yachtsman, hunter and dog-breeder who lived in Heathfield House, Wimbledon Common.

From its bicycle, motor and general engineering beginnings, Burford, Van Toll and Co. of Twickenham became serious motor car constructors whose New Orleans voiturette, No.27, took part in the Automobile 1000-mile Motor Car Tour in May 1900. Supporting it in a 4-h.p. Daimler car was Mr. John Van Toll, who stated he was an accomplished driver who had been associated with Daimler for eleven years by then. The 3-h.p. New Orleans car was £130 and some reports declared it “a Belgian design made entirely in England”, without mentioning any connection to “Ateliers Vivinus”, on whose cars it is generally agreed they were based. The full range of “ingenious” New Orleans motor cars and voiturettes was displayed at the Stanley Show in December 1900. It is quite possible that they purchased chassis tubing from the Perfecta Seamless Steel Tube Co. of Birmingham.

In March 1901, Burford, Van Toll and Co. was taken over to form the New Orleans Motor Company Limited. This new non-public company was registered with a capital of £20,000 in £10 shares, “to acquire the business of engineers and motor-car manufacturers, now carried on by Burford, Van Toll and Co., to adopt an agreement with F. A. Rodewald and the Société Anonyme les Ateliers Vivinus, and to carry on the business of carriers, electrical, oil, and other motor engineers and contractors, suppliers, of electric and other power, &c.” The directors were F. A. Rodewald, Count J. de Liederkerke, Count M. de Bousies, and A. Vivinus. It was registered at Holly Place, Twickenham. F. A. Rodewald subsequently drove New Orleans and Orleans cars in competition, including in the 1905 Delhi-Bombay Road race driving a 12-h.p. car.

New Orleans production moved into bigger premises in April 1901, where Charles Erard was the works manager and the foreman was Ernest Coxhead. The H.M. Inspector of Factories fined them for operating with a dangerous unfenced gas-engine flywheel in November 1901. Moving from air-cooled to water-cooled engines, they offered 3- and 6-h.p. cars in June 1901, on sale as far north as Aberdeen and in October their 7-h.p. car was awarded a silver medal in the Scottish motor-car trial. 1902 saw a 14-h.p., although a 3.5-h.p. New Orleans dog-cart could still be bought for £80 in 1904 – all still supplied from Twickenham. By 1908, cars were named just “Orleans” and had engines with up to six cylinders and 34-h.p.

An Orleans Cycle company was still in production in King Street and Staines Road, Twickenham in 1905, under control of Mr. W. F. Tamplin, who had moved from his 1896 shop at 59 London-road. H. G. Burford went on to join Milnes-Daimler (Mercedes) before joining Humber as general manager in 1909.

John Van Toll perhaps wanted out of the business in 1901 as he was in court at the time, sued for failure to supply two-speed Planet cycle gearboxes to a Mr. Field. Van Toll was born in Arnhem in 1861, moved to England in 1894 as a representative of the Daimler Engineering Company, worked with F. R. Simms on Daimler-engined boats and was manager of Daimler’s Coventry factory for a while. Moving to Twickenham, he helped start the New Orleans car company bought-out in 1901. Van Toll’s wife, Florence, later said he went to Paris with the Hon. Evelyn Ellis to bring back to England the latter’s new Panhard, first car in England and his obituary said he was the driver of the Daimler in which King Edward VII was first driven. His health declined from 1909 and he died in May 1913, aged just 52. Lord Montagu was represented at his funeral. By coincidence, Ateliers Vivinus, established in spring 1899, was bankrupt in 1913.

Wasn't the New-Orleans manufactured under licence Vivinus from Belgium ? This like the Simplex in the Netherlands, the De Ditriech and Geoges -Richard in France ?
all info are welcome. i own a Vivinus from 1899.
Kind regards
JP.Claesens

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Was de New-Orleans niet gefabriceerd onder licentie Vivinus uit België? Dit zoals de Simplex in Nederland, de De Ditriech en Geoges -Richard in Frankrijk ?
alle info zijn welkom. ik bezit een Vivinus uit 1899.
Met vriendelijke groeten
JP.Claesens

I will have to finish a car I've got. Not many people realise that Berliet had a factory on what became Twickenham Ice Rink.