Rolland-Pilain

France, 1906 – 1931

SA des Etablissements Rolland-Pilain, Tours

Unusual among French marques of its period, Rolland Pilain cars made their greatest impact after World War 1. Their first product was a 20hp 4-cylinder model Rolland Pilain cars with a monobloc engine, though smaller 2.2-litre shaft-driven Rolland Pilain cars were available in 1909 and a 3-speed 1½-litre Rolland Pilain 8/10CV in 1910, in which year the Rolland Pilain car company was also experimenting with ‘valveless’ engines and 4-wheel brakes. Though racing was in the doldrums, the Rolland Pilain car company went to the trouble of building a big chain-driven Rolland Pilain car for the 1911 Grand Prix de France, and a complex 1912 range started with a Rolland Pilain 9CV of 1.7-litres and went up to a chain-driven 4-cylinder 60 Rolland Pilain car of 130x270mm. The 6-cylinder Rolland Pilain 18CV had a ‘valveless’ engine, and even in 1913 chain drive was still optional on the biggest fours of 20CV and 24CV Rolland Pilain cars. Only 1.9-litre and 4-litre 4-cylinder Rolland Pilain cars with sv monobloc engines and unit gearboxes were listed in 1914.

These basic types of Rolland Pilain cars, still with pedal-operated transmission brakes, were available again after World War 1, but far more advanced was the 2.2-litre Rolland Pilain 14/16 of 1921, which boasted not only overhead valves and a detachable head, but also front-wheel brakes (hydraulic at the front and mechanical at the rear). This Rolland Pilain car was still catalogued in 1926. Even more ambitious was the 2-litre twin ohc straight-8 GP Rolland Pilain car of 1922, with desmodromic valves, ball-bearing crankshafts and 4-wheel hydraulic brakes. A victory of a Rolland Pilain car at San Sebastian in 1923 was the limit of the success of Rolland Pilain cars on the circuits, but the type found its way into the catalogue as the Type A22 Rolland Pilain car at 90.000fr, and one of the racers also ran with a 2-litre, 6-cylinder cuff-valve Schmid engine. In 1925 came a 2-litre ohv 4-cylinder Rolland Pilain car with 4-wheel mechanical brakes, selling for £725 in England, while a 1½-litre development, the Rolland Pilain D26, was introduced for 1927. In 1929 Rolland-Pilain car, along with several other French firms, tried a Franco-American theme by introducing a range of big luxury chassis with sv Continental engines. Both the 6-cylinder, 3-litre, and the 4-litre straight-8 Rolland Pilain cars had centralized chassis lubrication, though the elegant bodywork of the Rolland Pilain car was marred by the use of artillery wheels. At the 1930 Paris Salon the Rolland Pilain car company shared a stand with the BNC (also going through a Franco-American phase), but this was the end, though the Rolland Pilain car firm’s Paris depot was still advertising spare parts for Bignan as well as Rolland Pilain cars in 1934.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; MCS

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Frazer-Nash

GB, 1924 – 1960

(1) Frazer Nash Ltd, Kingston on Thames, Surrey, 1924 – 1925

(2) William G. Thomas & Frazer Nash Ltd, Kingston on Thames, Surrey, 1925 – 1926

(3) A.F.N. Ltd, Isleworth, Middlesex, 1926 – 1960

After Captain A. Frazer Nash left GN Ltd, the company he had helped to found, he at first made orthodox family Frazer Nash cars with shaft drive and water-cooled 4-cylinder engines of Deemster extraction. However, only a handful of light cars were made before Frazer Nash reverted to type. His new Frazer Nash car of 1924 was based largely on the GN, retaining its dog-clutch gear-change, separate chains for each of the three forward speeds, solid rear axle, hard quarter-elliptic suspension and high ratio steering. After the Plus-Power engine, Frazer Nash adopted the sv water-cooled 4-cylinder 1½-litre Anzani unit, giving 40bhp. Thus the GN’s combination of simplicity, strength, modest price, low weight and high powere were combined in a still brisker sporting machine. The Frazer Nash, together with the Aston-Martin, was Britain’s nearest answer to importe sports cars in the Bugatti Brescia class. It was so popular that the Frazer Nash remained in production, basically unchanged for 15 years, even though clutches and chain drive had been outmoded when the Frazer Nash was first introduced.

The principal alternations were to the power unit. A Meadows engine of the same size, but with overhead valves, and giving 50bhp, supplemented and then replaced the Anzani from 1929 and four forward speeds were provided on the Frazer Nash. Alternatively available from 1934 was the 1½-litre single ohc Frazer Nash engine, known as the Gough after its designer. This unit normally delivered 60bhp, but was also available supercharged in the Frazer Nash Shelsley or Frazer Nash TT replica chassis which had cantilever front springs. The Frazer Nash model names applied to the chassis, which could be fitted with any engine. Thus some Frazer Nash Shelsleys were equipped with the twin ohc 1.675cc 6-cylinder Blackburne, which was a smoother, more flexible unit.

It was clear that such a fundamentally primitive design could not last for ever, however efficient. H.J. Aldington, who had gained control of AFN Ltd in 1929, sought an alternative by importing the German BMW from 1934 – the BMW Type 319 engine was used in the chain-driven Frazer Nash chassis. The last Frazer Nash of the old pattern was made in 1939, but the Frazer Nash name re-appeared 8 years later attached to a thoroughly up-to-date car. Its power unit was developed jointly by AFN and Bristol, using the pre-war BMW Type 328 engine modified for higher output. In the Frazer Nash the 2-litre cross-push-rod operated ohv unit developed from 75 to 135bhp, depending on the stage of tune required. It was installed in a tubular chassis with transverse leaf independent front suspension and torsion bar rear suspension. There was a normal synchromesh gearbox and live axle. The Frazer Nash car was light – the chassis weighed 1.176lb – and held the road extremely well. The Frazer Nash High Speed Model of 1948 was developed into the Frazer Nash Le Mans Replica which gained a 3rd place in that race in 1949, as well as being the only British car to win the Targa Florio, in 1951. From 1953 a De Dion-type rear axle was used in some Frazer Nash cars, including the Frazer Nash Competition Model. When BMW began making a 2.6-litre V8 engine, this was put in the Frazer Nash Competition Model and in a new two-seater coupé, the Frazer Nash Continental. This was very expensive at £3.751. Only the BMW unit was available from 1957, increased to 3.2-litres in 1959. This was the last year at which Frazer Nash cars were seen at the Earls Court Motor Show and production of Frazer Nash ceased soon after that.

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