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

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