Benjamin (Benova)

France, 1921 – 1931

Maurice Jeanson, Asnières, Seine

The Benjamin was a typical attempt to build a 4-cylinder light car and still stay below the statutory French weight limit for cyclecars (350kg). Features on the Benjamin for sale were a 750cc sv engine and a 3-speed transaxle with no differential, and suspension followed Austin Seven lines: transverse at the front and quarter-elliptic at the rear. By 1923 this engine was giving 14bhp, long-chassis four-seater versions were catalogued, and an ohc Benjamin sports model was capable of 60mph. Unfortunately in 1924 there was an attempt by Benjamin at a true cyclecar for sale in the shape of a tiny staggered two-seater selling for 5.500fr. This had a 525cc air-cooled vertical twin 2-stroke engine and 2-speed gearbox mounted at the rear of a crude boat-shaped perimeter frame. There was also a similar 3-cylinder Benjamin 9cv model. Although Benjamin tried again with a rear-engined lightweight in 1925, this time with a 630cc 4-stroke motor, their regular offerings were now conventional machines powered by 945cc and 1100cc Chapuis-Dornier 4-cylinder engines, the latter available with ohv. These Benjamin cars had quarter-elliptic springing all round and worm drive. Four-wheel brakes were seen on the 1926 Paris Salon Benjamin cars for sale: these were the last Benjamins, though a year later the marque reappeared under the Benova name. The fours were continued, along with a small straight-8 using the new S.C.A.P. 1500cc ohv proprietary unit. The Benova was still quoted in 1931, when four 4-cylinder Benova models were offered, capacities ranging from 945cc to 2.1 litres.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; MCS

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