E.R.A.

GB, 1934 – 1952

(1) English Racing Automobiles Ltd, Bourne, Lincs., 1934 – 1945

(2) English Racing Automobiles Ltd, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, 1946 – 1952

The ERA was produced by Raymond Mays, Humphrey Cook and Peter Berthon as a challenger in the 1500cc racing class. The ERA used a conventional chassis, a 4-speed pre-selector gearbox and a highly-developed version of the blown 6-cylinder ohv Riley engine giving 165bhp. There were 1100cc and 2-litre power units as alternatives, and with the D-series Porsche trailing-arm independent front suspension was introduced. Only 16 ERA cars were made, but the ERA car dominated the voiturette class in the hands of such drivers as Mays, B. Bira, Seaman, Fairfield, Arthur Dobson and Earl Howe. Victories outside Britain included the Eifelrenne, the Coppa Acerbo, Berne and Masaryk in 1935; the Prince Rainier Cup and Albi in 1936; the Avus, Picardie, Albi and Berne in 1937; and Picardie again in 1938. The ERA cars also dominated British road racing in their day and Raymond Mays achieved numerous fastest times at Shelsley Walsh with his ERA 2-litre car. Fifteen ERA cars still survive and are prominent in ‘historic’ racing. A sports-car project in 1937 came to nothing, but a new ERA 240bhp short-stroke six, the E-type with torsion-bar independent front suspension, a De Dion rear axle, synchromesh gearbox and streamlined body, appeared in 1939.

After World War 2 Mays and Berthon worked on the BRM V16, while ERA, now under the control of Leslie Johnson, struggled on with the unsuccessful ERA E-types until 1949. The company assisted in the design of Jowett’s 1950 ‘Jupiter’ sports car, but their last racing machine, the ERA G-type, was designed for Formula 2, and had a 150bhp 6-cylinder Bristol engine and tubular frame to the designs of David Hodkin. This final ERA product was sold to Bristol’s for testing.

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

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