Brasier

France, 1897 – 1930

(1) Société des Anciens Etablissements Georged Richard, Ivry-Port, 1897 – 1905

(2) Société des Automobiles Brasier, Ivry-Port, 1905 – 1926

(3) Société Chaigneau-Brasier, Ivry-Port, 1926 – 1930

The first car made by Georges Richard (not yet named Brasier) was a frail machine on Benz lines, with belt drive and three forward speeds. By 1900, Richard was offering the Vivinus from Belgium under his own name – another voiturette, but a quieter, smoother-running one with a fair turn of speed. It was powered by a 6hp 2-cylinder engine, and it too was belt-driven. However, the 7½hp Georges Richard of 1901 had shaft drive, in the approved modern fashion of Darracq and Renault. With the arrival of the designer Brasier, who had worked for Mors, Georges Richard gradually ceased to be associated with voiturettes, but gained little originality. There were four new models in 1902, all called Richard-Brasiers, rated at between 10 and 40hp but they were of Panhard type in most respects. The smaller cars still had tubular chassis and not all Richard-Brasier models had chain drive, but all types had steel frames by 1904. In that year there were two twins and three fours, only the biggest of which, the 40hp, was chain-driven. In 1904 and 1905, Brasier’s cars won the Gordon Bennett Trophy for France, bringing worldwide fame to the name.

In 1905 Georges Richard left to make the Unic at Puteaux, and Brasier continued to offer his cars, now known simply as Brasiers. The Brasier remained conservative in design until 1912, with exposed valve gear and cylinders cast in pairs. In that year, a modern light Brasier car was introduced, with a 4-cylinder engine cast en bloc. Ivry-Port went on listing solid, unenterprising, relatively expensive Four-cylinder Brasiers for sale until 1927. They were brought up to date in 1923 by means of front wheel brakes and ohv engines, but this had become common practice, Brasier, in fact, was another famous old make whose popularity slowly declined, like so many in France at this time.

Reorganization at Brasier in 1926 at first brought no important innovations, apart from a change of name to Chaigneau-Brasier, and the introduction of a modern orthodox light car in the shape of the Chaigneau-Brasier 9CV. Then, in 1928, the new company revealed the outcome of its rethinking. This had been over- instead of under-enterprising, for the new car as a 3-litre, overhead-camshaft straight-8 with front wheel drive. With this car, and even more with the bigger Chaigneau-Brasier Type DG8 of similar design that followed in 1930, Chaigneau-Brasier committed the double error of plunging into the luxury market at a time of economic depression, and offering an unconventional design to a public that distrusted such things. Chaigneau-Brasier were not the only French firm to make the same simultaneaous, and fatal, mistakes, and they paid the same price.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; TRN

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Orient

US, 1898 – 1908

Waltham Mfg Co, Waltham, Mass.

The Orient car company made an experimental electric runabout in 1898, but did not put this Orient car into production. Their first petrol-engined Orient cars were motor cycles, tricycles and light runabouts powered by De Dion engines. In 1902 they introduced the Orient Buckboard, a very simple Orient car consisting of two seats on a wooden platform, with a 4hp air-cooled engine geared to the rear axle, and, originally, only one speed. There were no springs on this Orient car, as the wooden platform was said to have enough resilience. The weight was 350lb and the price $375.

Although the simple Buckboard was continued, more sophisticated Orient cars were gradually introduced, including a four-seater version Orient car which in turn became a side-entrance tonneau. Wheel steering and small bonnets to cover the driver’s feet appeared in 1904, although the engine of the Orient car was still at the back, and the Buckboard ancestry remained obvious.

In 1905 a completely new Orient car appeared, known as the Waltham Orient. This Orient car had a 4-cylinder air-cooled 18/20hp engine mounted in front in the conventional manner, friction transmission and shaft drive. A slightly smaller 16hp Orient car model was also made. In 1908 Waltham merged with the C.H. Metz Company, and for the following year the cars were known as Metz.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; GNG

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