Excelsior

Belgium, 1903 – 1932

(1) Compagnie National Excelsior, Bruxelles, 1903 – 1907

(2) A. de Coninck et Cie, Bruxelles, Liège, 1907 – 1911

(3) SA des Automobiles Excelsior, Saventhem, 1911 – 1929

(4) SA des Automobiles Imperia-Excelsior, Saventhem; Nessonvaux-les-Liège, 1929 – 1932

With the Minerva, the Excelsior was the premier make of Belgium, a country noted for finely-engineered motorcars. Excelsior began modestly enough, however, and in 1905 a range of cars powered by French Aster engines with one, two or four cylinders was offered. The great days of the Excelsior car began after 1907, when Arthur de Coninck’s new model, the Excelsior Type Adex, arrived. This was technically a conventional machine, seen mostly with a long-stroke, 9.1-litre, 6-cylinder side-valve engine, which served as the basis of the Grand Prix engine of 1912. The classic Excelsior model was the 20/30hp introduced in 1911, with an 85x130mm engine of 4.4-litres. There was also the Excelsior 14/20hp 4-cylinder, 3-litre car with the same cylinder dimensions. Both were fast enough in normal form, but sports models with overhead exhaust valves were offered. An Excelsior team ran in the 1911 Coupe des Voitures Legères and in 1912 and 1913 the Excelsior company fielded 6-cylinder racers, Christiaens taking 6th place in the 1912 Grand Prix. The old Excelsior six was continued after World War 1, but a new and much more modern design supplanted it.

This was the new Excelsior Type Adex, which had an 85x140mm, 4767cc engine with an overhead camshaft and a diagonally-compensated 4-wheel braking system also called Excelsior Adex. This car was developed in 1922 into the most magnificent car the Belgian industry ever produced – the Albert I Excelsior, comparable with the contemporary H6B Hispano-Suiza from France. The engine of the Excelsior was an efficient 5350cc six with overhead camshaft, large valves and lightweight pistons. A sporting version had three carburetors and this Excelsior could exceed 100mph. The Adex brakes of the Albert I had Dewandre vacuum servo assistance. Rumours of an amalgamation of Excelsior with FN in 1927 came to nothing, but two years later the Excelsior firm was absorbed by Imperia and the great car was no more.

CH, 1905 – 1907

Motorwagenfabrik Excelsior, Wollishofen

Excelsior cars were designed by Rudolf Egg, who had previously been responsible for the 3-wheelers built by Egg & Egli, Bachtold, Weber and Rapid. The first Excelsior was similar to the curved-dash Oldsmobile, with a 6hp single-cylinder engine, single chain drive, and semi-elliptic springs extending from front axle to rear. In 1906 a number of light Excelsior cars were made with 4-cylinder Fafnir engines and shaft drive. The bodies of the Excelsior cars were made by a firm in Lugano.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; TRN, GNG

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

DeSoto

US, 1913 – 1916

DeSoto Motro Car Co, Auburn, Ind.

The DeSoto appears to have succeeded the Zimmerman. This was a large car with a 55hp, 6-cylinder engine, which was furnished with a compressed-air starter. The DeSoto model Six-55 five-seater touring car sold for $2185.

US, 1928 – 1960

Chrysler Motors Corp, Detroit, Mich.

The DeSoto was launched in 1928 as a 3.2-litre side valve six to compete with Oldsmobile, Pontiac and the cheaper Nashes. Styling and general design of the DeSoto were in line with the 1929 Chryslers, and at $885 for a DeSoto sedan 90.000 were sold in the first twelve months. A 3.4-litre straight-8 DeSoto on a 9ft 6in wheelbase was announced for 1930 as the world’s cheapest 8-cylinder car. However, DeSoto suffered badly in the Depression, and in 1932, when flexible rubber engine mountings and free wheels were made available, sales dropped to 26.000 DeSoto cars.
The DeSoto disappeared from the British market about this time, though certain ‘Chrysler’ models listed in England (the Mortlake, Croydon, and some of the Richmonds) were in fact DeSoto cars in all but name. A 6-cylinder version of Chrysler’s advanced unitary-construction Airflow, the SE-type with a 4-litre engine, was brought out in 1934, but was an unsuccessful as its bigger sister. Later DeSotos followed regular Chrysler lines closely though in later years there was a tendency for DeSoto to move into a higher price class than Dodge; by 1952 DeSotos started $300 higher than the companion make.
By 1939 the DeSoto cars for sale were being made with independent front suspension, hypoid back axles and column change. There was a choice at DeSoto of two 6-cylinder engines and three wheelbase lengths, the longest of these being reserved for seven-seater bodywork – DeSoto continued to offer a really roomy family car right up to 1954. A 4-speed semi-automatic Vacumatic transmission became an option in 1941, but DeSoto’s big post-war change of models did not take place until 1952, when the division followed Chrysler’s lead in adopting the oversquare ohv V8; the DeSoto version was of 4½-litre capcity and developed 16-bhp. With the advent of Chrysler’s ‘flight sweep’ styling in 1955, the side-valve sixes were dropped and the standard engine in a DeSoto was now a 4.8-litre eight, giving 185bhp in Firedome guise, and 200bhp in Fireflite form. Though this redesigning saved Chrysler sales generally, the slump in the medium-price class had an adverse effect on DeSoto and in 1959 the DeSoto division was merged with Plymouth. Last of the DeSotos were the 1961 models, unitary-construction cars with a choice of three engines: Plymouth’s 145bhp ohv ‘slant six’ as used in the Valiant, and V8s of 230 and 265bhp, the two former only in Canadian DeSotos. Production of DeSoto cars ceased in November 1960 after only a few had been delivered.

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