Austro-Daimler

Austria, 1899 – 1936

(1) Österreichische Daimler Motoren AG, Wiener-Neustadt, 1899 – 1934

(2) Steyr—Daimler-Puch AG, Wiener-Neustadt, 1934 – 1936

Austria’s most famous motor car, the Austro-Daimler, was born when Daimler of Cannstatt established a factory in Vienna for the manufacture of about 100 of its Daimler cars annually. The Austro-Daimler was a copy of its German parent. In 1906 the Austro-Daimler concern became a separate financial entity, and a year earlier, Ferdinand Porsche had replaced Paul Daimler at Wiener-Neustadt as director. A new era began, for Porsche was a designer with original ideas. He did not exercise them at once; the two 1909 Austro-Daimler models for sale were large well-made fours with side valves in a T-head and a choice of chain or live-axle drive. World-wide fame came to the Austro-Daimler company with their 1910 models, especially the Austro-Daimler 22/80ps model originally designed to win the Prince Henry Tour of that year. It accomplished this very convincingly. The five large valves per cylinder – one inlet, four exhaust – were actuated by a single overhead camshaft. A combination of well-shaped combustion chambers and light reciprocating parts made for an engine of an efficiency never before seen in a catalogued, non-racing car. Its 5.7-litres produced 95bhp. Even Porsche, however, felt that so much power could not be safely transmitted by a live axle, and chain drive was used initially. The Austro-Daimler 22/80’s small brother, the Austro-Daimler 16/18ps, had a side-valve L-head engine. After it had swept the board in the Austrian Alpine Tour of 1911, the Austro-Daimler 16/25ps Alpine variant was also for sale. In 1914 the range consisted of these three cars, the sv Austro-Daimler 20/30ps, and the luxurious Austro-Daimler 35/60ps also with side valves. Both Austro-Daimler and Daimler sold the Lohner-Porsche, the name given to the electric and petrol-electric cars designed by Porsche before he went to Wiener-Neustadt. The Vienna Austro-Daimler firm was Austria’s largest manufacturer of motorcars.

Immediately after World War 1 a few cars were assembled in Liège from pre-war Austro-Daimler parts by M. Klinkenhammers, and sold under the Alfa-Legia. On their home ground the company returned to high-grade fast tourers. As well as the old ‘Austro-Daimler 16/18’ and ‘Austro-Daimler 20/30’, they made the new Austro-Daimler AD617 for sale, a 6-cylinder car of 4.4-litres with a single overhead camshaft, that was succeeded in 1923 by its development, the Austro-Daimler ADV17/60ps for sale, which was the same but for its front wheel brakes. Four years earlier, Porsche had maintained his reputation for really exciting design by producing the Sascha-type Austro-Daimler, a 1100cc – later 1½-litre – racing voiturette. Its four cylinders, like the six of the Austro-Daimler AD617, were of aluminium, with detachable steel liners. There were two overhead camshafts, however, and dry sump lubrication. The power output was 50bhp. Four-wheel brakes were, of course, fitted.

Although Porsche left Vienna in 1923 to return to Daimler, he was mainly responsible for the new ADM type, which was offered alongside the Austro-Daimler ADV17/60 from that year. The Austro-Daimler ADM1 was basically similar, but had a smaller engine of 2½-litres, and its rounded radiator was a departure for the hitherto traditional Austro-Daimler V-shape. It was sold in sports from in 1925 as the Austro-Daimler ADMII. After 1926, the old Austro-Daimler ADV17/60 was dropped and the ADM engine was enlarged to three litres by increasing the bore. This Austro-Daimler ADMIII in sports form developed 100bhp at 400rpm, and could do more than 100mph. Porsche’s successor, Karl Rabe, designed the even more advanced ADR type. Its tubular backbone chassis and swing-axle independent rear suspension so resembled that of the Tatra that legal action was taken against Austro-Daimler. The Austro-Daimler ADR was available in sports or normal form. At first, the Austro-Daimler ADR used the old ADMIII engine, but the Austro-Daimler ADR6 Bergmeister of 1929, one of the most glamorous Austro-Daimler built, had a new 3.6-litre power unit providing 120bhp. This car was made until production ceased shortly after the Steyr-Daimler-Puch amalgamation in 1934. The Austro-Daimler ADR8, the firm’s first and last 8-cylinder car, designed for more formal bodies, had disappeared in 1933 after a life of three years.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; TRN

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Duesenberg

US, 1920 – 1937, 1966

(1) Duesenberg Motor Co, Indianapolis, Ind., 1920 – 1937

(2) Duesenberg Corporation, Indianapolis, Ind., 1966

Fred Duesenberg began by making bicycles and designed his first Duesenberg car, the Mason, in 1904. He and his brother August made engines with horizontal overhead valves for the 1912 Mason racing cars, and founded Duesenberg Motors in the following year in order to produce marine engines and complete racing cars bearing the Duesenberg name. The most famous of the latter appeared in 1920: a 3-litre Bugatti-inspired Duesenberg straight-8 with single overhead camshaft and three (vertical) valves per cylinder. This Duesenberg won the 1921 French Grand Grand Prix. In the 1920s the Duesenberg racing cars were the great rivals of the Millers at Indianapolis, and victory was assured in 1924 by the adoption of a centrifugal blower on Duesenberg cars. Though a two-stroke 1½-litre 8-cylinder racing engine capable of 7.000rpm was made in 1926, this was not proceeded with. The horizontal-valve Duesenberg engine was taken over in 1920 by the Rochester Motor Manufacturing Co Inc and was used in various sporting and luxury cars.

Meanwhile, at the end of 1920, the first Duesenberg production car made its debut. This Duesenberg Model A was an extremely expensive, if very advanced, luxury car, embodying an 8-cylinder in-line engine – the first to be seen in an American production car – of 4.2 litres, basically similar to the Duesenberg racing unit, but with only two valves per cylinder and developing about 100bhp. There were also hydraulically-operated front wheel brakes – another ‘first’ as far as America was concerned. The Model A was current until 1926. A handful of its little-altered successor, the Duesenberg Model X, was made in 1926-1927, but in the former year E.L. Cord of Auburn acquired control of the Duesenberg company. He stipulated that Fred Duesenberg’s next car should be completely new, and a quite exceptional machine. In fact, the Duesenberg Model J, which made its bow at the end of 1928, was the most remarkable automobile in America: bigger, faster, more elaborate and more expensive than any other, yet also superior to them in refinement and good looks. Its 6.9-litre, 8-cylinder engine, made by Lycoming (a firm which Cord had also bought), had two chain-driven overhead camshafts operating four valves per cylinder; a layout of racing type unique among American cars at the time and said to develop 265bhp at 4250rpm – more than double the output of any rival. Although the complete Duesenberg car weighed more than 4980lb, it was claimed to be capable of 116mph in top gear and 89mph in second. Only Duesenberg Model J chassis were made for which $8500 was asked in 1929. Immensely long and strong and lowbuilt, Duesenberg cars were very popular with all the leading coachbuilders. The Duesenberg company preferred to sell cars complete with bodies designed by them but made by approved builders, such as Murphy, Bohman & Schwarts, Judkins, Derham and Le Baron. In this form, catalogued Duesenberg models cost up to $17.950. The transmission – apart form the double dry-plate clutch – was conventional, as was the suspension by half-elliptic springs and hydraulic shock absorbers. The brakes, of course, were hydraulic, with vacuum servo assistance from late 1929.

In 1932 a supercharged version of the Model J, the Duesenberg SJ, was added. To cope with the 320bhp now alleged to be available, bearings, reciprocating parts and valve springs were strengthened. Usually, the shortest Duesenberg J chassis was used, with the highest axle ratio and stronger front springs. A maximum speed of 129mph was attributed to the Duesenberg SJ, with an acceleration figure of 0-100mph in 17 seconds.

Duesenberg survived the Depression, but died in the collapse of the Cord Corporation in 1937. Attempts to revive the Duesenberg name were made in 1947 and in 1966. The first Duesenberg was unsuccessful, and in 1966 only one Duesenberg car was actually made, powered by a 7-litre V8 Chrysler engine with push-rod overhead valves, developing 431bhp at 5.000rpm. Transmission was automatic, front suspension was independent, and there were disc brakes. Body styling was by Ghia. This Duesenberg venture, too, collapsed.

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