B.N.C.

France, 1923 – 1931

Bollack, Netter et Cie, Levallois-Perret, Seine

Developed from the Jacques Muller cyclecar, the B.N.C. was one of the better-known French sporting voiturettes. The first BNC models had 4-cylinder sv engines by S.C.A.P. in the touring cars and Ruby in the sports versions. In 1925 more serious sports cars appeared, powered by 1100cc S.C.A.P., 1088cc Ruby DS or 1097cc Ruby K engines. The latter developed 60bhp and gave a maximum speed of 100mph. At the end of 1925 a vertically-mounted Cozette supercharger was catalogued on sports BNC’s – probably the first supercharged French cars to be sold to the public. The supercharged short-chassis model became known as the BNC Montlhéry, the unsupercharged sport-chassis as the BNC Monza, and the long-chassis as the BNC Miramas. For 1927 a sloping radiator was introduced, and was found on almost all sporting B.N.C.s henceforth, an exception being the 1½-litre Meadows-engined model of which one ran at Le Mans in 1929, and a few were sold to the public. Ruby-engined BNC’s were very successful in competitions, finishing 1st and 2nd in the 1927 Bol d’Or. In 1929 BNC took over the stock of Lombard parts and assembled a few cars which they sold under their own name, using their own BNC radiator.
Towards the end of the firm’s life BNC tried to enter the luxury market with the BNC Aigle, a large saloon with Delaunay-Belleville-built chassis and a choice of 4 or 5-litre sv straight-8 Continental engines. A.E.R. pneumatic suspension was tried on the BNC Aigle, but few of these cars were made. A coupé with 2-litre engine, sometimes called the BNC AER, was seen on the BNC stand at the 1930 Paris Salon, but did not go into production. BNC’s ceased to be made in 1931, but the Garage Siréjols assembled a few sports cars later, and the BNC marque was raced at Le Mans as late as 1935.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; GNG

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

International

GB, 1898 – 1904

(1) International Motor Car Co, London, 1898 – 1900

(2) International Motor Car Co Ltd, London, 1900 – 1904

Oscar Seyd’s firm never built a car, though some International car offerings were assembled in their Great Portland Street Showrooms and a certain amount of work was also undertaken at the service depot in Kilburn, where International cars had been operating since 1896. The original International-Benz was in fact a French-built Roger, a car which had become hard to sell in France; International added their own improvements to the International car, among them a reverse, a British-built version of the ‘Crypto’ gear and bodywork made to their order. Single- and twin-cylinder variations on the Benz theme were offered until 1901, later International car being German-built after the demise of M. Roger’s company. In 1899 International presented a ‘light two-seater racing car’ with wheel steering, a Benz-based 12hp with wheel steering, pneumatic tyres and double phaeton coachwork on the International car at £800, and a 9hp ‘vibrationless’ flat-twin (not on Benz lines) in addition to their regular range of International car. International cars became a limited liability company in 1900, when two Coventry firms, Payne and Bates (Godiva) and Allard, were approached to make a new design for the International car. The Payne and Bates-built International car(possibly the twin-cylinder Royal with steel frame and wheel steering, offered for £367 10s) proved unsatisfactory, but Allard’s effort, the International Charette, introduced in November 1900, sold in some numbers. This International Charette car was a belt-driven light car with front vertical 823cc engine of De Dion type (designed to run at only 1.000rpm), a coal-shovel shaped bonnet and rack-and-pinion steering. It sold for £165. Early International cars were rated at 5hp (later increased to 6hp) and there were 2-speed and 3-speed variants. All International Charette chassis were delivered to London under their own power. This type International car was not offered after 1903 and apart form the Mountaineer motorcycle, the later cars of the International company were of French origin. The International Armstrong (1902) was a single-cylinder 1.100cc machine with shaft drive on Renault lines and this gave way in 1903 to the Aster-engined Portlands, also shaft-driven and offered in a variety of sizes from a 6hp single at £205 up to a big 24hp 4-cylinder car with a 4-speed gearbox.

The smallest International car, the Portland was still available in 1904, but by this time the International car company was mainly concerned with importing the Diamant car. International were defunct by 1905.

US, 1900

International Motor Carriage Co, Stamford, Conn.

This International car company showed a light car with a 2-stroke engine designed to run on paraffin at the Madison Square Garden show in 1900, but this International car did not go into production.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; MCS, GNG

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