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

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

Delaunay-Belleville

France, 1904 – 1950

SA des Automobiles Delaunay-Belleville, St. Denis, Seine

The first cars made by the celebrated firm of locomotive and marine boiler makers Delaunay-Belleville appeared at the Paris Salon of 1904, when a beautifully-built, expensive machine was shown. It was designed by Marius Barbarou, formerly of Benz, and later of Lorraine-Dietrich. Three 4-cylinder Delaunay-Belleville models were available for 1905, in 16, 24, and 40hp sizes. They had separately-cast cylinders, T-head engines, full-pressure lubrication, 4-speed gearboxes and chain drive. The range of fours was extended to five Delaunay-Belleville models between 10 and 40hp by 1907, when 15 and 40hp sixes were introduced. The larger Delaunay-Belleville models were chain-driven until 1910 when shaft drive was standardized on all models. In 1909 there was a small 10CV six of great refinement. The Delaunay-Belleville sixes were both smoother and more reliable than other early examples, the very rigid crankshaft largely eliminating vibration.

Up to 1914 the Delaunay-Belleville was regarded by many as the best car in the world, and was favoured by buyers who valued quiet, unostentatious dignity. The Delaunay-Belleville cars were never entered in competitions and were usually chauffeur-driven. Among royal customers ws Tsar Nicholas II of Russia who had a number of Delaunay-Belleville, including the 70hp chain-driven six known as the Delaunay-Belleville model SMT (Sa Majesté le Tsar).

One of the features of the Delaunay-Belleville was the round radiator and bonnet, and this was continued on the post-war Delaunay-Belleville cars, although in accordance with fashion the radiator was slightly pointed. The 1922 Delaunay-Belleville range consisted of a 10/12 and 14/16hp four, and three sixes from a 14/16 to a massive 40/50 of 8-litres capacity and using dual ignition. The Delaunay-Belleville P.4B 2.6-litre of 1922 to 1929 had a single ohc engine, while from 1926 a range of push-rod ohv fours and sixes was offered. However, the Delaunay-Belleville marque had lost its pre-war cachet, which had been taken over by Hispano-Suiza and Rolls-Royce, and during the 1930s it lost its individuality as well. In 1931 Continental 4 or 4½-litre straight-8 engines from America were available in the 21CV 6-cylinder Delaunay-Belleville chassis. With greater and more silent power, these Delaunay-Belleville cars were cheaper than the French-engined cars. The eights were still theoretically available in 1936, but by that time the main Delaunay-Belleville model was the 2.3-litre 6-cylinder Delaunay-Belleville R.16. This represented a further loss of individuality, as it closely resembled the Type 230 Mercedes Benz, although it had a longer stroke engine. It reappeared after World War 2 with a Cotal electric gearbox, and modernized ‘waterfall’ grille and was listed up to 1950. In the same early post-war years the Delaunay-Belleville factory which had made 70hp cars for the Tsar was turning out the 425cc Rovin minicar.

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