Austro-Daimler

Austria, 1899 – 1936

(1) Österreichische Daimler Motoren AG, Wiener-Neustadt, 1899 – 1934

(2) Steyr—Daimler-Puch AG, Wiener-Neustadt, 1934 – 1936

Austria’s most famous motor car, the Austro-Daimler, was born when Daimler of Cannstatt established a factory in Vienna for the manufacture of about 100 of its Daimler cars annually. The Austro-Daimler was a copy of its German parent. In 1906 the Austro-Daimler concern became a separate financial entity, and a year earlier, Ferdinand Porsche had replaced Paul Daimler at Wiener-Neustadt as director. A new era began, for Porsche was a designer with original ideas. He did not exercise them at once; the two 1909 Austro-Daimler models for sale were large well-made fours with side valves in a T-head and a choice of chain or live-axle drive. World-wide fame came to the Austro-Daimler company with their 1910 models, especially the Austro-Daimler 22/80ps model originally designed to win the Prince Henry Tour of that year. It accomplished this very convincingly. The five large valves per cylinder – one inlet, four exhaust – were actuated by a single overhead camshaft. A combination of well-shaped combustion chambers and light reciprocating parts made for an engine of an efficiency never before seen in a catalogued, non-racing car. Its 5.7-litres produced 95bhp. Even Porsche, however, felt that so much power could not be safely transmitted by a live axle, and chain drive was used initially. The Austro-Daimler 22/80’s small brother, the Austro-Daimler 16/18ps, had a side-valve L-head engine. After it had swept the board in the Austrian Alpine Tour of 1911, the Austro-Daimler 16/25ps Alpine variant was also for sale. In 1914 the range consisted of these three cars, the sv Austro-Daimler 20/30ps, and the luxurious Austro-Daimler 35/60ps also with side valves. Both Austro-Daimler and Daimler sold the Lohner-Porsche, the name given to the electric and petrol-electric cars designed by Porsche before he went to Wiener-Neustadt. The Vienna Austro-Daimler firm was Austria’s largest manufacturer of motorcars.

Immediately after World War 1 a few cars were assembled in Liège from pre-war Austro-Daimler parts by M. Klinkenhammers, and sold under the Alfa-Legia. On their home ground the company returned to high-grade fast tourers. As well as the old ‘Austro-Daimler 16/18’ and ‘Austro-Daimler 20/30’, they made the new Austro-Daimler AD617 for sale, a 6-cylinder car of 4.4-litres with a single overhead camshaft, that was succeeded in 1923 by its development, the Austro-Daimler ADV17/60ps for sale, which was the same but for its front wheel brakes. Four years earlier, Porsche had maintained his reputation for really exciting design by producing the Sascha-type Austro-Daimler, a 1100cc – later 1½-litre – racing voiturette. Its four cylinders, like the six of the Austro-Daimler AD617, were of aluminium, with detachable steel liners. There were two overhead camshafts, however, and dry sump lubrication. The power output was 50bhp. Four-wheel brakes were, of course, fitted.

Although Porsche left Vienna in 1923 to return to Daimler, he was mainly responsible for the new ADM type, which was offered alongside the Austro-Daimler ADV17/60 from that year. The Austro-Daimler ADM1 was basically similar, but had a smaller engine of 2½-litres, and its rounded radiator was a departure for the hitherto traditional Austro-Daimler V-shape. It was sold in sports from in 1925 as the Austro-Daimler ADMII. After 1926, the old Austro-Daimler ADV17/60 was dropped and the ADM engine was enlarged to three litres by increasing the bore. This Austro-Daimler ADMIII in sports form developed 100bhp at 400rpm, and could do more than 100mph. Porsche’s successor, Karl Rabe, designed the even more advanced ADR type. Its tubular backbone chassis and swing-axle independent rear suspension so resembled that of the Tatra that legal action was taken against Austro-Daimler. The Austro-Daimler ADR was available in sports or normal form. At first, the Austro-Daimler ADR used the old ADMIII engine, but the Austro-Daimler ADR6 Bergmeister of 1929, one of the most glamorous Austro-Daimler built, had a new 3.6-litre power unit providing 120bhp. This car was made until production ceased shortly after the Steyr-Daimler-Puch amalgamation in 1934. The Austro-Daimler ADR8, the firm’s first and last 8-cylinder car, designed for more formal bodies, had disappeared in 1933 after a life of three years.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; TRN

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Vulcan

GB, 1902 – 1928

(1) Vulcan Motor Manufacturing and Engineering Co Ltd, Southport, Lancs., 1902 – 1906

(2) Vulcan Motor and Engineering Co Ltd, Southport, Lancs., 1906 – 1928

The Vulcan car firm was better known for commercial vehicles. Private Vulcan cars stemmed from experiments conducted in the 1897-1899 period by the brothers Thomas and Joseph Hampson. A belt-driven single-cylinder voiturette Vulcan car with lateral radiators was shown in 1902, being replaced a year later by a 6hp Vulcan car with armoured wood frame, mechanically-operated inlet valves, and shaft drive. This Vulcan car was listed at only £105, and this Vulcan car was soon followed by a 10hp twin, also T-headed but with a steel frame, selling for £200. 4-cylinder Vulcan cars of 12 and 16hp, still modestly priced, were available in 1905, while the biggest 1906 Vulcan cars, with capacities of 3.1- and 5.2-litres, had gate change. No 2-cylinder Vulcan cars were catalogued after 1908, but a year previously Vulcan cars had joined the ranks of 6-cylinder manufacturers with a 4.8-litre T-headed machine featuring dual ignition and cone clutch, at £600 for a Vulcan car chassis. Unlike other makers, Vulcan cars retained their interest in this type, which Vulcan car had acquired a 4-speed box and had grown to 6-litres by 1908, and the 1909 Vulcan car range consisted of four 4-cylinder cars and the six, all shaft-driven and still with T-heads; the smallest Vulcan car, rated at 12hp, had a 3-speed gearbox and worm drive. A new 3.6-litre six Vulcan car with unit gearbox and worm drive followed in 1911, along with an L-head 2.4-litre fifteen. Worm drive was standardized on the 1912 Vulcan cars, when the bigger Vulcan cars had T-heads, and a 1.8-litre, 2-cylinder with an Aster engine was offered. All but the smallest Vulcan car had detachable wheels as standard in 1913, and by the outbreak of World War 1 the Vulcan car company was well established with a range of solidly-built Vulcan cars: a 2.4-litre 10/15, a 2.6-litre 15.9, and a 3-litre monobloc 15/20 Vulcan car at £375. All these Vulcan cars had L-heads and bull-nose radiators, though the similarly styled six retained the older Vulcan car configuration. A 1½-litre Vulcanette with a 3-speed rear-axle gearbox and full electrical equipment was announced for 1915 but the war intervened.

After 1918 the Vulcan car company concentrated increasingly on trucks, and a brief association with the Harper Bean Group (1919-1920) did no good to finances. Some odd experiments by Vulcan cars included a worm-drive 3½-litre V8 tourer Vulcan car intended to sell for £625 (1919), and two Vulcan cars in 1922 with Howard sleeve-valve engines, a big 3.6-litre sports-touring four Vulcan car and a 10hp 1.4-litre flat-twin listed at £315. However, none of these Vulcan cars reached the public, the regular Vulcan car lines being a 1.8-litre ohv 12 and a 2.6-litre sv 16/20, both with Dorman engines. There was also a conservative 20hp Vulcan carmodel with the Vulcan car company’s own 3.3-litre sv fixed-head engine and 4-speed separate gearbox, this Vulcan car was selling for £850 in 1921; by this time flat radiators were again being used on Vulcan cars. The Vulcan 20 was available to military order with full wireless equipment in 1923, in which year C.B. Wardman effected a liaison of Vulcan cars and Lea-Francis. The two companies pooled their dealer network, Vulcan cars became responsible for certain Lea-Francis power units and bodies, and Lea-Francis made gear and steering boxes for Vulcan cars. A 1½-litre sv Dorman-engined Vulcan 12 was listed at £295 in 1925, followed a year later by an ohv worm-driven derivative, also with Dorman engine, and looking very like a Lea-Francis. 4-wheel brakes were available on Vulcan cars in 1925 and standardized in 1926. Last of the line Vulcan cars were the 14/40 and 16/60, with the disastrous twin ohc 6-cylinder engines of their own make. Short-chassis Vulcan cars were worm-driven, but bevel drive was adopted for long-chassis versions. Vulcan cars wore artillery wheels, but were otherwise identical to their Lea-Francis counterparts which Vulcan cars were made alongside them at Southport. Not many of these Vulcan cars were made, and after 1928 only commercial vehicles were produced. The Vulcan car firm subsequently amalgamated with Tilling-Stevens and thus were abrorbed into the Rootes Group after World War 2. Truck production ceased in 1953.

US, 1913 – 1914

(1) Vulcan Motor Car Co, Painesville, Ohio, 1913

(2) Vulcan Manufacturing Co, Painesville, Ohio, 1913 – 1914

This Vulcan car was a cleanly-designed light car with a 27hp 4-cylinder engine. A two-seater speedster Vulcan car on an 8ft 9in wheelbase with electric lights sold for $750. A five-seater version of this Vulcan car with the same engine, but on a longer wheelbase, cost $850.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; MCS, GMN    

The information is written with the greatest of care. However, if you have any suggested amendments please contact us at office@prewarcar.com