Ansaldo

Italy, 1919 – 1936

(1) SA Ansaldo Automobili, Turin, 1919 – 1932

(2) Construzione e Vendita Automobili Ansaldo, Turin, 1932 – 1934

(3) Ansaldo – Ceva SA, Turin, 1934 – 1936

One of Italy’s biggest engineering groups, Ansaldo turned their idle aero-engine works over to Ansaldo car manufacture in 1919, their Soria-designed range being intended for volume production in competition with FIAT. The advanced 4-cylinder ohc engines contrasted with the 3-speed gearboxes, central change, wooden wheels, and austere, Chevrolet-like tourer bodywork, but even the basic 1.847cc Ansaldo 4A car was capable of 55mph, and by 1922 it had been joined by the 2-litre Ansaldo 4CS car for sale that managed 70mph on an output of 48bhp. FIAT, however, were making five times as many cars. In 1923 there came both four-wheel brakes and a six, the 2-litre Ansaldo 6A car with coil ignition. In 1926 there was even a cheap Ansaldo car for sale with 1½-litre, the Ansaldo 10 car with transverse front suspension. The 1927 Ansaldo sixes had 2.2-litre engines and four forward speeds; the latter, long with coil ignition, were found on the bigger fours by 1928. Unfortunately Soria’s resignation in 1927 left Ansaldo with no new ideas, though his final efforts reached the market in 1929 and were the company’s staples after 1930. The Ansaldo 18 for sale was merely an enlarged 2.8-litre six, but the Ansaldo 22 car for sale, was a large and luxurious 3½-litre pushrod straight-8 on an 11ft 2in wheelbase, distinguished by its disc wheels with quick-detachable rims. These were a product of Ruotificio Italiano, an Ansaldo subsidiary. In 1932 the CEVA concern was organized to take over the stock of 400 unsold Ansaldo 18 and Ansaldo 22 chassis, and these were still available, with restyled body work, as late as 1936.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; MCS

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Chalmers / Chalmers-Detroit

US, 1908 – 1924

Chalmers Motor Car Co, Detroit, Mich.

The Chalmers was one of the most popular automobiles made in the United States for more than a decade. The Chalmers was the successor to the Thomas-Detroit which was built by a company which had been founded in 1906 by E.R. Thomas (builder of the Thomas car in Buffalo, N.Y.), Roy D. Chapin and Howard Earle Coffin; the two latter had previously served at Oldsmobile. The Thomas-Detroit of which some 500 were sold during the first year of production, was marketed through the parent firm in Buffalo which manufactured a larger line of cars under the Thomas emblem. The Thomas-Detroit was a medium priced four-cylinder car which had been designed by Coffin. In 1907, Hugh Chalmers, vice president of the National Cash Register Co and a noted salesman, entered the firm. Shortly after, he bought a half of E.R. Thomas’ stock and became president of the company which became the Chalmers-Detroit Motor Company. The Thomas-Detroit became the Chalmers-Detroit in 1908 and in 1910, the Chalmers. Open and closed Chalmers models in two lines comprised the Chalmers four-cylinder cars, with self-starters appearing in 1912. Chalmers (as Chalmers-Detroit) had distinguished itself in road races as early as 1908 when W.R. Burns won the Motor Parkway Sweekstakes at Jericho, N.Y., averaging 48.7mph in the six-lap 140.76 mile run.

In 1913, the Chalmers brought out its first 6-cylinder model, as well as the four and apart from small mechanical and design changes, continued both until 1914. The Chalmers four was dropped from the 1915 line, however, and sixes were to be used exclusively in Chalmers until the ending of manufacture. By 1915, some 20.000 Chalmers cars per year were coming off the Chalmers production line and would even exceed that figure before the advent of World War 1. In 1917, an L-head motor replaced the earlier overhead-valve type and on August 4th, Chalmers again headed racing news when Joe Dawson won the 24-hour stock Car Endurance Run at Sheepshead Bay, N.Y. Sales flagged following the end of the war and Hugh Chalmers, always the salesman, and with the realization that a competitor, Maxwell, wasn’t faring well either, arranged to lease his Chalmers plants to Maxwell, using his salesmanship to promote the two concerns and getting the benefit of Maxwell tooling and manufacturing equipment. By the early 1920s, however, many makes of cars were in financial difficulties due to over-expansion and recession, and Walter P. Chrysler was called in to try and reorganize Maxwell. Chrysler was at this time planning his own corporation and in 1922 Chalmers was taken over by Maxwell which had become a Chrysler subsidiary. The last Chalmer cars for sale were equipped with Lockheed hydraulic brakes but 1923 was the last year of Chalmers production with some 9000 units leaving the factories. The Maxwell survived until 1925 when it became the Chrysler Four.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; KM
The information is written with the greatest of care. However, if you have any suggested amendments please contact us at office@prewarcar.com