Rolland-Pilain

France, 1906 – 1931

SA des Etablissements Rolland-Pilain, Tours

Unusual among French marques of its period, Rolland Pilain cars made their greatest impact after World War 1. Their first product was a 20hp 4-cylinder model Rolland Pilain cars with a monobloc engine, though smaller 2.2-litre shaft-driven Rolland Pilain cars were available in 1909 and a 3-speed 1½-litre Rolland Pilain 8/10CV in 1910, in which year the Rolland Pilain car company was also experimenting with ‘valveless’ engines and 4-wheel brakes. Though racing was in the doldrums, the Rolland Pilain car company went to the trouble of building a big chain-driven Rolland Pilain car for the 1911 Grand Prix de France, and a complex 1912 range started with a Rolland Pilain 9CV of 1.7-litres and went up to a chain-driven 4-cylinder 60 Rolland Pilain car of 130x270mm. The 6-cylinder Rolland Pilain 18CV had a ‘valveless’ engine, and even in 1913 chain drive was still optional on the biggest fours of 20CV and 24CV Rolland Pilain cars. Only 1.9-litre and 4-litre 4-cylinder Rolland Pilain cars with sv monobloc engines and unit gearboxes were listed in 1914.

These basic types of Rolland Pilain cars, still with pedal-operated transmission brakes, were available again after World War 1, but far more advanced was the 2.2-litre Rolland Pilain 14/16 of 1921, which boasted not only overhead valves and a detachable head, but also front-wheel brakes (hydraulic at the front and mechanical at the rear). This Rolland Pilain car was still catalogued in 1926. Even more ambitious was the 2-litre twin ohc straight-8 GP Rolland Pilain car of 1922, with desmodromic valves, ball-bearing crankshafts and 4-wheel hydraulic brakes. A victory of a Rolland Pilain car at San Sebastian in 1923 was the limit of the success of Rolland Pilain cars on the circuits, but the type found its way into the catalogue as the Type A22 Rolland Pilain car at 90.000fr, and one of the racers also ran with a 2-litre, 6-cylinder cuff-valve Schmid engine. In 1925 came a 2-litre ohv 4-cylinder Rolland Pilain car with 4-wheel mechanical brakes, selling for £725 in England, while a 1½-litre development, the Rolland Pilain D26, was introduced for 1927. In 1929 Rolland-Pilain car, along with several other French firms, tried a Franco-American theme by introducing a range of big luxury chassis with sv Continental engines. Both the 6-cylinder, 3-litre, and the 4-litre straight-8 Rolland Pilain cars had centralized chassis lubrication, though the elegant bodywork of the Rolland Pilain car was marred by the use of artillery wheels. At the 1930 Paris Salon the Rolland Pilain car company shared a stand with the BNC (also going through a Franco-American phase), but this was the end, though the Rolland Pilain car firm’s Paris depot was still advertising spare parts for Bignan as well as Rolland Pilain cars in 1934.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; MCS

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

Benz

D, 1885 – 1926

(1) Benz & Co, Rheinische Gasmotorenfabrik, Mannheim, 1885 – 1899

(2) Benz & Cie, Rheinische Gasmotorenfabrik AG, Mannheim, 1899 – 1911

(3) Benz & Cie, Rheinische Automobil- und Motorenfabrik AG, Mannheim, 1911 – 1926

Karl Benz is honoured throughout the world as the man who designed and built the first workable motor car driven by an internal combustion engine. It is established that in 1885 his first Benz car was ready and made its first trials. Benz’s ideas were concentrated from the beginning on a car as an organic unit of chassis and engine, not on motorization of existing vehicles. The first Benz car was a three-wheeler with two driven rear wheels. The engine was a horizontal single-cylinder with a vertical crankshaft which had a horizontal flywheel. It developed ¾hp and a speed of 8mph is recorded for one of the first trial runs. This prototype Benz car had some featured which are still very extensively used in automobile construction: the water-cooled engine, electric ignition, mechanically operated inlet valve, and a differential gear. This first Benz car still exists and belongs to the Deutsches Museum, Munich, to which it was presented by its inventor. Several Benz Patentwagen replicas were built and are now in different museums.

Only a few Benz cars were produced and for sale in the following years. At the Munich Exhibition of 1888 Benz had the opportunity of showing his improved Benz car to a wider public. Instead of the wire wheels of the first Benz Patentwagen the later models had wooden-spoked wheels. Engine output was increased to 2hp. Sales of Benz’ stationary gas engines were quite satisfactory, while interest in Benz motor cars was very limited and it was not until 1890 that Benz started a real, if small, ‘to order’ production. This was partly a result of exhibiting his Benz car at the Paris World Fair in 1889 which led to increasing sales by his French agent Emile Roger, who already sold Benz stationary engines. The other important factor was that Benz was joined by two new partners in 1890. These two men who possibly saved Benz from the fate of numerous other inventors, driven aground by financial difficulties, were Friedrich von Fischer and Julius Ganss. Fischer took over internal administration and Ganss became responsible for sales. Benz himself was free for further developments on the technical side of the business, which made sound progress. 1893 saw the production of the first 4-wheeled Benz car, the Benz Victoria. This model was also the basis for the first Benz van and Benz bus in 1895; its technical conception was also adopted for the Benz Velo of 1894. This model has a place in the history of motoring as the world’s first production car. Production figures for 1885 to 1893 were 69 cars. 67 cars left the factory in 1894, mainly Benz Velos. These figures increased to 135 cars in 1895 and 181 in 1896.

In 1896 the first Benz Kontra-Motor appeared, an engine with two horizontally opposed cylinders. The first Benz lorry was produced in the same year. In 1898 pneumatic tyres were adopted for the Benz Comfortable. Production in 1899 was 572 cars, which brought Benz into the first rank of car producers. This number was surpassed in the following year with a production of 603 units. The first Benz racing car appeared in 1899 and was the start of numerus racing successes.

After 1901 sales of Benz cars declined as Benz stuck to his now outdated designs. Mercedes’ successes led him to evolve new concepts of construction; the result was the 2-cylinder front-engined Parsifal presented in 1903, available with cardan or chain drive and various engine outputs. In the same year a new 4-cylinder engine appeared and was used in all subsequent Benz models. A 1903 racing car developed 60hp and participated in the Paris-Madrid race. Karl Benz himself left the company in 1903 although he rejoined shortly afterwards. In 1906 he joined his sons in the firm of C. Benz Söhne.

1906 saw Benz gaining a second place in the Herkomer Trial while in the same event in 1907 a 5hp Benz finished first. Second and third place in the Coppa Florio, 1907, first place in the Florida 100-Miles Race, 1908, second and third place in the French Grand Prix, 1908, and second and fourth place in the American Grand Prix, 1908, led the world records which were set with 150hp and 200hp Benz cars by Bruce-Brown, Robertson, Oldfield and Hémery. With the 200hp Blitzen Benz Burman covered a mile in 25.4 seconds from a flying start at Daytona Beach in 1911. This was a speed of 140.8mph, but was not recognized internationally as a Land Speed Record.

In 1910 Benz acquired the Süddeutsche Automobil-Fabrik of Gaggenau. Production of private Benz cars in this factory was given up and in the following years Benz concentrated on commercial vehicles there.

A wide range of Benz cars for sale was marketed in the 1910-1914 period, ranging from the 2-litre Benz 8/20ps up to really big machines like the 10.1-litre Benz 39/100ps, all with side valve engines and shaft drive. However, the 22-litre Benz 200hp (which cost £1800 in England in 1912, and must have been the largest-engined private car to go on the market) had ohv and final drive by side chains. Benz were successful in the Austrian Alpine Trials, the Tatra-Adria Trial and various trials in Russia, to name only a few. The great promoter of German motoring, Prince Henry of Prussia, used only Benz cars.

The first Benz 6-cylinder car was produced in 1914 with the type Benz 25/65ps 6.5 litre. In 1918 the Benz 6/18ps 4-cylinder 1540cc appeared, a type developed during the war. A very important Benz development was the precombustion chamber diesel engine. It was first used in 1922 for Benz Sendling agricultural tractors, and the first diesel-engined lorry by Benz appeared in 1924. These were steps towards later Mercedes-Benz diesel-engined cars. Another idea introduced by Benz which also appeared in later Mercedes-Benz cars was the swing axle. It was one feature of the 2-litre 6-cylinder Benz ‘teardrop’ racing car designed on Rumpler principles. However, this car was not a great success either in its racing or in its sports version. In the Grand Prix of Italy in 1923 they gained fourth and fifth place. In 1924 Benz and Mercedes began to combine their interests, amalgamating in 1926.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; HON

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