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

Palladium

GB, 1912 – 1925

(1) Palladium Autocars Ltd, Kensington, London W., 1912 – 1919

(2) Palladium Autocars Ltd, Putney, London S.W.15, 1919 – 1925

The first Palladium cars were assembled from French components. Three Palladium car models were listed in 1912, of 10, 12 and 15hp, all Palladium car had four cylinders and overhead inlet valves. Sv engines were substituted in 1913. These orthodox Palladium cars were joined by a six for 1915 and Palladium cars experimented with a very interesting Palladium cyclecar in 1919. This Palladium car was powered by a flat-twin 1.3-litre air-cooled engine, the cooling being effected by means of a fan blowing into cowlings on the cylinders. The transmission of the Palladium car was in the back axle, and was by friction disc. No more passenger cars came from Palladium car company until 1922, when a conventional 12hp 4-cylinder, with an sv Dorman engine, was introduced. This Palladium car had a 4-speed gearbox, which was an unusual refinement in a light car at the time. In the following year appeared a more sporting  edition of the Palladium car, with a tuned engine that furnished a 60mph maximum speed. This performance was the more usable because in the same year front wheel brakes became standard fittings on Palladium cars. The Palladium car was now a well-liked and formidable proposition among trial drivers, but it was an expensive little car of a specialist appeal and the Palladium car never won general popularity.

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