Clement-Talbot

1903 – 1938

Clement-Talbot Ltd, North Kensington, London W.10

From 1903, Clement-Talbot Ltd, a company backed by the Earl of Shrewsbury and Talbot, began importing the French Clément car into Britain; in spite of its name and an interest held by Adolphe Clément, the concern was British, and by the end of the year its cars were called Talbots. The 1904 Clement-Talbot models were a 6hp single, and 11hp twin, and two big fours. All of them had shaft drive and side valves in T-heads, except for the biggest, the Clement-Talbot 27hp voiture de luxe, which used overhead inlet valves and a single camshaft. Trucks, buses and boats were also advertised. Promotion, which was at first in the hands of the managing director, D.M. Weigel, was energetic and successful.
By the end of 1904, an impressive Clement-Talbot factory had been built, complete with test track, and in the following year British-assembled, and partly British-made Clement-Talbots emerged from it. A wide variety of tupes was listed, from an 11hp twin to a great 50hp 4-cylinder model. One model that was to be famous, the Clement-Talbot 12/16hp, had already been designed. French cars were still being imported by the company. However, the 20hp of 1906 was the first British-made Talbot. It was designed by C.R. Garrard, and while still conventional, had an unusually efficient engine of 3.8 litres’ capacity. Both this and the 2.7-litre ‘12/16’ were fast cars that quickly made a name for themselves in competitions; their slogan became ‘The Invincible Talbot’. For 1907 a 3-litre 15hp, a car in the same mould, superseded the ‘12/16’. By 1908 it was the only British chassis offered, into which could be installed 15hp, 25hp or 35hp engines. Their popularity was due to a combination of smoothness, reliability, speed and reasonable price. The French range was still listed. A six was introduced for 1910, and the 4½-litre 25hp was revised by G.W.A. Brown with an L-head valve arrangement. This Clement-Talbot model, highly tuned and lightened, and fitted with a racing body, became the first car to cover 100 miles in an hour, at Brooklands in 1913 in the hands of Percy Lambert. In the same year a new model, the 2.6-litre 15/20hp, was introduced. This and the 25hp, now called the ‘Clement-Talbot 25/50’, were the famous cars that kept the name before the public eye in competitions. A sports model of the latter was also listed. By this time, the French range had been dropped.
In 1919 Clement-Talbot was taken over by another French-sounding, but in fact British-owned firm, the Société Alexandre Darracq of Paris. 

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; TRN
The information is written with the greatest of care. However, if you have any suggested amendments please contact us at office@prewarcar.com

Stoewer

D, 1899 – 1939

(1) Gebrüder Stoewer, Fabrik für Motorfahrzeuge, Stettin, 1899 – 1916

(2) Stoewer-Werke AG vorm. Gebr. Stoewer, Stettin, 1916 – 1939

The Stoewer car factory developed out of the Stoewer ironworks and was among the pioneers of the German car industry. After manufacturing motor cycles, tricycles and quadricycles for two years, Stoewer turned to cars in 1899. The first Stoewer car had a rear-mounted 2-cylinder engine. 4-cylinder Stoewer cars followed in 1901, and electric Stoewer cars were also produced. Best known were the 2-cylinder Type T Stoewer car (2.280cc and 3/12PS), the 4-cylinder Stoewer P4 (3.052cc and 11/22PS), the Stoewer G4 (1.500cc and 6/12PS) and the 6-cylinder Stoewer P6 (8.820cc and 34/60PS), evolved in the 1905-1907 period all Stoewer cars with shaft-drive. The Stoewer B1 of 6/16PS and the Stoewer B6 of 9/22PS which appeared in 1910 were also built by Mathis under licence. The G4 Stoewer car was the basis for the Stoewer B5, which Stoewer car in 1912 became famous by setting up a record at Brooklands with 67.7mph. The new range of Stoewer cars which appeared in 1913 was also based on successful earlier cars. They were the Stoewer C1 (6/18PS), Stoewer C2 (10/28PS) and C3 Stoewer car (6-cylinder and 19/45PS). Shortly before the outbreak of World War 1 the Stoewer car range was headed by the F4 Stoewer car with a 4-cylinder, 8.8-litre 33/100PS ohc engine. After the war an enormous Stoewer car appeared, the Stoewer D7, using a 6-cylinder 11.2-litre 42/120PS aero engine, as well as some conservative sv 4- and 6-cylinder Stoewer cars with rear wheel and transmission brakes. Front wheel brakes appeared on Stoewer cars in 1925. Stoewer introduced 8-cylinder Stoewer cars in 1928. These were the Stoewer Superior, Stoewer Marschall, Stoewer Gigant and Stoewer Repräsentant with engines ranging from 2-litres and 45bhp to 4.9-litres and 100bhp. The Stoewer car firm re-entered the economy class in 1931 with the V5, a front-driven Stoewer car with a V4 1.188cc engine, followed by the front-drive models R140 (1.369cc), R150 (1.488cc) and R180 (1.769cc). Another 8-cylinder was the front wheel drive Greif V8 with a 2.488cc engine, which was replaced by the conventional 6-cylinder 3.609cc Arcona Stoewer car in 1938. In 1934 the 1½-litre 4-cylinder Stoewer car and 2½-litre V8 Stoewer car were shown at the Brussels Salon by Monsieur Dewaet under the name D.S. (Dewaet-Stoewer). The Greif Junior was built under Tatra licence with an opposed 4-cylinder 1.474cc engine. It succeeded the Röhr Junior. In the middle of the range was the Stoewer Sedina with a 4-cylinder engine of 2.4-litres.

Production of private Stoewer cars was given up at the outbreak of World War 2 in 1939. The Stoewer car factory was destroyed during the war and production of Stoewer cars was not resumed.

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