Regal

France, 1903

O.C. Selbach, Paris

Regal cars was one of the names under which Lacoste et Battmann cars were sold. Originally the Regal car was a light two-seater with a 6hp De Dion engine, later Régal cars were powered by 2- and 4-cylinder engines by Aster and Mutel.

US, 1907 – 1920

Regal Motor Car Co, Detroit, Mich.

In 1907 Regal made 50 of their 20hp 4-cylinder Regal cars, but the following year the Regal car company took them all back, and gave the owners a new 1908 model Regal cars free. Apparently this generosity by the Regal car company was not repeated in following years, and they settled down to making a range of conventional 4-cylinder Regal cars. The best-known Regal car was the 3.2-litre 18/20hp ‘underslung’ model, which, like the American Underslung, had frame members which passed underneath the axles. The Underslung Regal car was made in open two-seater, and closed coupé form. Other Regal car models were the 20/30hp and 40hp which had normal chassis design. Regal cars were imported into England by Seabrook of Great Eastern Street, and from 1911 to 1915 the Regal cars sold in England were known as RMCs or Seabrook-RMCs. In 1915 a 10/15hp four of 2.1-litres with unit construction of engine and gearbox was introduced on a Regal car, together with a short-lived V8. At the 1919 Olympia Show Seabrooks showed a large RMC tourer powered by a 3.8-litre 6-cylinder engine, but shortly afterwards American production of Regal cars ceased, and Seabrooks began to make their own light cars.

CDN, 1910

This Regal car was a 30hp car made as a touring car or runabout at Walkerville, Ont. The Regal car had no connection with the better known Regal cars.

CDN, 1914 – 1917

Canadian Regal Motor Car Co, Berlin, Ont.

The Regal car was a light-weight touring car which resembled the Detroit model Regal car bearing the same name. The Regal car was available with a Lycoming 4-cylinder engine at $875 or a V8 at $1.350, it had a radiator filler concealed under the bonnet. The Regal car company was under the direction of Henry Nyberg, who had built the US Nyberg car before going to Canada. In 1917 the Regal car company moved to a new plant and started producing Dominion trucks. About 200 Canadian Regal cars were built.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; GNG, GB

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