Star

GB, 1898 – 1932

Star/ Starling/ Stuart

(1) Star Motor Co, Wolverhampton, Staffs., 1898 – 1902

(2) Star Engineering Co, Wolverhampton, Staffs., 1902 – 1909

(3) Star Cycle Co, Wolverhampton, Staffs., 1905 – 1909

(4) Star Engineering Co Ltd, Wolverhampton, Staffs., 1909 – 1928

(5) Star Motor Co Ltd, Wolverhampton, Staffs., 1928 – 1932

Edward Lisle Sr’s Star Motor Co, an offshoot of the Star Cycle Co, produced its first Star car in 1898, and offered the Star car for sale in the following year. The Star car was a Benz-based machine, with a single-cylinder, water-cooled 3½hp engine, belt primary drive and chain final drive. It was an improvement in that water circulation on the Star car was assisted by a pump. In 1900 there followed a 2-cylinder Star car with 3 forward speeds, still on Benz lines. 1901 brougth De Dion-engined single-cylinder Star cars, and 1902 an 8hp twin of Panhard type in addition. Other, larger Star cars of Panhard ancestry joined the 8hp, up to a 20hp four Star car. By 1904, although a De Dion-powered single and Panhard-type twin were still there, the bigger machines were of Mercédès pattern, these Star cars came with honeycomb radiators, mechanically-operated inlet valves and pressed-steel frames. All veteran Star cars up to 1914 were extremely well-made, well-furnished, conventional, rather expensive cars lacking in technical originality, showing a line of development appearance in the 1907 range. The best-known Star car of the veteran period was the excellent 15hp Star car of 1909, a shaft-driven 2.8-litre four which had become the 3-litre 15.9hp by 1914. A great variety of other Star cars, basically similar models were turned out, not only by Star but also by the Star Cycle Co. The latter, run by Edward Lisle Jr, had made motor tricycles and bicycles, and produced the Starling car in 1905. It had 2 forward speeds and a De Dion single-cylinder engine, but was otherwise of Panhard type, with armoured wood frame and chain drive. One year later the Star car company supplemented it with the more modern Stuart car, which had 2-cylinders, 3-speeds and shaft drive. This name was dropped in 1908, all models being called Starlings, but these too, disappeared in 1909 when Star cars cheaper line was entrusted to the new Brion Motor Co, a more indepented concern that was still run by Edward Lisle Jr. So popular was the Star car that its makers were among the six largest in the country before 1914.

The 15.9hp Star car was continued after World War 1, together with another sv four Star car of pre-war origin, the 20hp Star car of 3.8-litres. A modern light Star car of fashionable type, the 11.9hp, arrived in 1921. This Star car used a 1.795cc sv engine with a detachable head, made in unit with a 3-speed gearbox which had central change. By 1924, the 11.9 Star car had grown up into the 2-litre 12/25hp Star car. It shared cylinder dimensions with the 18hp Star car, which was a new 3-litre six. The 12/25 Star car could be had as a very fine fast touring car with overhead valves and 54bhp, in which form the Star car was called 12/40hp. Thereafter, the Star car range reverted to its pre-war complexity. By 1927, there were three sv Star car models and two additional and more up-to-date Star cars with overhead valves. The 14/40hp Star car, new in 1926, was a solid 2-litre, ohv machine which in spite of having only 4-cylinders and 3 forward speeds, this Star car was a notably smooth and flexible car, thanks to a 5-bearing crankshaft. The ohv 20/60hp Star car, a 2½-litre six with the same bore and stroke as the 14/40 and a 7-bearing crankshaft, was the most luxurious Star car. A light six, the popular ohv 18/50hp, joined the Star car range in 1928, the year of the Star car company’s acquisition by Guy, and replaced the 14/40 Star car for 1929. By this time, the sv Star cars had gone, leaving the two sixes. As the 18hp Star Comet and the 21hp Star Planet, these Star cars were revised with handsome bodies and very full, luxurious equipment, including one-shot chassis lubrication, thermostatically-controlled radiator shutters and a built-in jacking system. Two other engines, of 14hp (2-litres) and 24hp (3.6-litres) were also obtainable in Star cars for 1932, as alternative Comet and Planet power units. These Star car were the last new Star cars, for they were too expensive to make, and the times favoured the mass-produced economy car. Production of Star cars ended in March 1932, but the unsold stock was sold by McKenzie and Denley of Birmingham, and the Star car was quoted in the Buyer’s Guide lists until 1935.

US, 1903 – 1904

(1) Star Automobile Co, Cleveland, Ohio

(2) H.S. Moore, Cleveland, Ohio

This Star car was driven by a single-cylinder, watercooled engine of 1.9-litres, mounted beneath the front seat, with false bonnet and coil radiator in front. A champion planetary transmission and double chain drive was used on this Star car. Both two- and five-seater Star cars were made, the latter with rear entrance.

US, 1908

Star Automobile Co, Chicago, Ill.

Star runabouts were offered in three models, selling for $500, $600 and $700 respectively. The smallest Star car was an open two-seater, and shaft drive was employed on all Star cars.

US, 1908

Model Automobile Co, Peru, Ind.

The short-lived Star car from Peru was offered in conventional 2- and 4-cylinder forms. The twin was chain-driven, while the big, expensive four Star car ($4.000) had shaft drive.

US, 1922 – 1928

Durant Motor Co of New Jersey, Elizabeth, N.J.; Lansing, Mich; Oakland, Calif.

William Crapo Durant’s Star Four was one of the most serious attempts to take away some of the Model T Ford’s market, for the cheapest practical car. Unlike the Ford, the Star car was an assembled machine.The Star car had a 2.2-litre, 4-cylinder engine by Continental, and was conventional in design in every way except the gearbox, which was separate; a feature common to all the vehicles in Durant’s empire, but very unusual in American mass-produced cars by the early 1920s. The touring Star car cost only $443 in 1923, which helped Star to be the seventh biggest seller in America that year. The Star car was sold outside the United States as the Rugby. In 1926, a 2.8-litre six Star car was introduced. Front wheel brakes appeared in 1927 but a year later the Star car make disappeared in the collapse of the Durant interests. By this time, 250 Star cars a day were being turned out. Only the Four was still called the Star car for the 1928 model year, as the Six was now known as the Durant Model 55.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; TRN, GMN, MJWW, TRN

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

Chenard-Walcker

France, 1901 – 1946

(1) Chenard, Walcker et Cie, Asnières, Seine, 1901 – 1907

(2) SA des Anciens Établissements Chenard et Walcker, Gennevilliers, Seine, 1907 – 1946

The Chenard-Walcker company was founded in 1899 and made tricycles before exhibiting the first Chenard-Walcker car at the 1901 Paris Salon. It was a 1.160cc twin with mechanically operated side valves in a T-head, coil ignition, four forward speeds, and a flitchplate frame. The most interesting feature was, however, the ‘double’ back axle with the drive taken by two cardan shafts independently of a second, dead axle beam. This was to be a feature of the Chenard-Walcker make until the middle 1920s, though at first a cheaper Chenard-Walcker 10hp car was for sale with conventional drive, and there as also a short-lived Chenard-Walcker 12hp twin with side-chain transmission in 1904. A 4.1-litre 4-cylinder with Iow-tension magneto ignition followed in 1903, and by 1905 only Chenard-Walcker fours were made, the smallest short-stroke 2.6-litre was made exclusively for export to Britain. By 1906 the Chenard-Walcker cars for sale had the classic radiator with round core. In 1907 Chenard-Walcker cars had pressed-steel chassis, twin transmission brakes, and no hand throttle. New during 1908 was a 9/10hp single that had a 4-speed gearbox, though neither this nor its companion twin was quoted after 1910, by which time L-head engines had arrived on the 2.1-litre P-type. From 1912 to 1914 the Chenard-Walcker cars had monobloc power units with full-pressure lubcrication. Friction dampers were standard, and capacities of the fours were 1.6-litres and 3-litres. A big six joined the Chenard-Walcker range in 1913.

The staple 1919 Chenard-Walcker was the usual uprated 1914 design, the 3-litre Chenard-Walcker UU, still with separate 4-speed gearbox and foot transmission brake; it was joined by a 2651cc Chenard-Walcker 12CV in 1920, and by a 2-litre, the Chenard-Walcker TT, in 1921, and a 3-speed 1½-litre Chenard-Walcker Type Y, appeared in 1923, these old-fashioned machines persisiting for several years. New in 1922, however, was the Touté-designed 3-litre, an ohc four with dry-sump lubcrication that gave close on 90bhp, and had the usual Hallot servo brakes on front wheels and transmission only. These Chenard-Walcker cars finished 1st and 2nd in the first Le Mans 24-Hour Race of 1923, as well as winning the 1924 Circuit des Routes Pavées. A 2-litre edition followed soon afterwards, these sports Chenard-Walcker cars being made until 1927. From 1925 there were also parallel sv touring editions of Chenard-Walcker with similar chassis and plug covers giving the appearance of ohv units.

In 1924 and 1925 the Chenard-Walcker company raced a bi-block straight-8 which in its final form had brakes on all four wheels, and achieved nearly 110mph on 130bhp. But it was never reliable though it was catalogued, at 84.525 francs for a Chenard-Walcker tourer. Much more successful were the 1100cc ‘Chenard-Walcker tanks’ for sale with 55bhp 2-bearing pushrod engines and differential-less back axles that had two successful racing seasons (1925 and 1926) and even staged a comeback in 1937, when two Chenard-Walcker examples finished 1st and 2nd in the Bol d’Or. For 1927 the company introduced the 8CV Chenard-Walcker Z2, a tough little family car with 1300cc sv short-stroke engine, magneto ignition, 4-speed gearbox, conventional rear axle, and fabric bodywork; it sold for 24.000 francs. That year, however, an association with Delahaye, which lasted until 1932, led to the rationalization of both companies’ ranges, and it became difficult to tell the two makes apart. A production edition of the ‘Chenard-Walcker tank’ came out in 1928 with a 1½-litre ioe engine, but this was the last Chenard-Walcker with any sporting potential; the range now consisted of pedestrian sv fours, plus a couple of Delahaye-like ioe sixes with capacities of 2½-litres and 2.9-litres. The smaller of these, the Chenard-Walcker 14CV, was still being made in 1934. In 1932 the Chenard-Walcker T11 appeared, a new 12CV four on the usual lines with a free-wheel as standard equipment. Then in 1934 Chenard-Walcker cars, now free of Delahaye influence, adopted transverse ifs. They also offered a 3560cc sv V8, the Chenard-Walcker Aigle 8, which used their own engine, in effect a double T11 unit. In 1935 the Chenard-Walcker cars had torsion-bar front suspension and the option of a Cotal gearbox, and ohv engines became available; the range consisted of two fours and the eight. A 4-cylinder fwd car did not go into production.

From 1937 onwards Chenard-Walcker cars slowly lost their individuality. Their bodies were replaced by Chausson coachwork identical to that of the Matford, and only one Chenard-Walcker model retained the 2.180cc ohv Chenard-Walcker engine. The other Chenard-Walcker cars had 1911cc 4-cylinder Citroën and 3622cc Matford units. Finally Citroën and Matford chassis were adopted as well and the Chenard engine dropped, the only ‘native’ components of the cars being their back axles – though the cabriolets were quite handsome, being of Vutotal type with no screen pillars. A few Chenard-Walcker 11CV and 21CV cars were made after World War 2, but from 1947 the staple Chenard-Walcker product was a forward-control light van, the development of which was continued by Peugeot after that company took over in 1951.

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