Darracq , Talbot Suresnes

France, 1896 – 1959

(1) Société A. Darracq, Suresnes, 1896 – 1905

(2) A. Darracq & Co (1905) Ltd, Suresnes, 1905 – 1920

(3) Automobiles Talbot, Suresnes, 1920 – 1959

An immense complexity of nomenclature surrounds the two makes, Darracq and Talbot Suresnes. While the cars themselves were always designed and built in France, the Darracq company was financed in England during its golden period and after (1905-1935), then merged with a French concern which had been formed to make Italian cars, and subsequently acquired American affiliations. Alexandre Darracq founded the Gladiator cycle company in 1891, selling out to British interests five years later. Darracq then turned briefly to the manufacture of electric carriages, exhibiting a Darracq coupé at the 1896 Paris Salon. In 1898, however, he acquired (for £10.000) the manufacturing rights of Léon Bollée’s 4-wheeler voiturette, a belt-driven 5hp machine with a single-cylinder air-cooled horizontal engine, tube ignition and steering-column gear-change. It was not a success, though column change was to persist on some of Darracq’s own designs until 1910.

The idea of a small and inexpensive Darracq runabout persisted, and in 1900 came the first real Darracq: its 785cc front-mounted vertical single-cylinder engine had automatic inlet valves, coil ignition, a cone clutch and shaft drive – Alexandre Darracq, like Louis Renault, never marketed a chain-driven car. The Darracq could be bought in England for £250 in 1901, in which year the Société Darracq took up racing with a 1.9-litre 2-cylinder machine driven by Henry Farman. Though only ‘Darracq singles’ were offered to the public in 1902, racing Darracq cars were formidable voiturettes with 5.9-litre 4-cylinder engines and won the light-car category of the Concours du Ministre alcohol race, besides doing well in the Paris-Vienna. A manufacturing licence for Germany was taken out by Opel that year. Darracq cars were raced until 1906, winning the light-car and voiturette categories of the Circuit des Ardennes. The Darracq company’s grandes voitures were less successful: Darracq was determined to win the 1904 Gordon Bennett Cup and entered not only his Darracq own team of 11.3-litre machines for the French éliminatoire, but also sponsored three Opel-built cars in Germany, with another three Darracq cars specially built from scratch by Weir of Glasgow, to carry the British colours. Only von Opel’s Opel-Darracq actually raced at Homburg and this failed to survive a single lap. Some very light 9.9-litre ohv Darracq cars were prepared for 1905, but it was not until the following season that a twofold success was achieved: Wagner’s victory in the Vanderbilt Cup, and Algernon Lee Guinness’s 117.66mph over the kilometer at Ostend on a special 22.5-litre ohv V8 Darracq sprint car. Darracq cars took 2nd and 3rd places in the 1908 TT but no more were raced until 1921.

Meanwhile the utility cars prospered. Single-, twin- and 4-cylinder Darracq models were marketed in 1903, all but the smallest having mechanically-operated side valves in a T-head, while the simplified 8hp Darracq Populaire sold for only 4.800fr in France. 1904 saw the introduction of steel frames pressed out of a single sheet of metal and also the advent of the rapid 3.1-litre 4-cylinder Darracq Flying 15 for sale at £460. The new type of chassis was universal by 1905, when the Darracq company was reorganized under British registry, and some quite big Darracq car were offered, though these were modestly priced, at the top of the regular range being a 5.9-litre 28hp with dual ignition and a 12ft 4in wheelbase at only £687. It was also possible to buy a 70hp Darracq sporting model based on the 1904 Gordon Bennett cars.

The 1907 1100cc single Darracq sold for £159 and had mechanically-operated valves, but at the other end of the range there were the 4.7-litre ‘20/28’, the 11½-litre ohv ‘Vanderbilt Cup’ type, and a 5.7-litre 4-speed six Darracq selling for £850. This had grown up to 8.1-litres with square cylinder dimensions a year later, though Darracqs still had a progressive gear change, and there was a short vogue for rear-axle-mounted gearboxes on a brace of new L-head monobloc fours with 2.3-litre and 3.1-litre engines. This transmission was dropped in 1909, the last year of ‘Darracq singles’, and the twins disappeared twelve months later. Gate change arrived in 1910 on Darracq cars for sale. In 1911 there were seven Darracq models, the 15hp at £275 having overhead inlet valves. The 1912 p Darracq rogramme, however, saw a catastrophic flirtation with the Henriod rotary-valve engine, installed in the 4.4-litre P12 4-cylinder with a 10ft 5in wheelbase, worm drive and dashboard radiator. A 2.6-litre rotary-valve Darracq model had conventional cooling arrangements, but profits faded away to almost nothing, and in the ensuing upheaval M. Darracq retired. Owen Clegg from Rover took over the management and the 1913 Darracq cars were obviously inspired by his successful Rover Twelve. They came in 2.1-litre and 2.9-litre sizes with L-head Monobloc-cylinder engines and worm drive and very soon the Darracq firm was back on a sound footing. Additional to the 1914 range was a 4-litre ’ Darracq 20/30’ and the 16hp Darracq was sold with electric lighting and starting. This latter Darracq model went back into production in 1919 and was joined shortly afterward by an advanced 4.6-litre sv V8 with coil ignition and spiral bevel final drive, which had acquired 4-wheel brakes by the time it reached the production stage.

In June 1920 the British firms of Sunbeam and Talbot, who had joined forces in 1919, merged with Darracq and thenceforward nomenclature becomes complex. For the first few years after the amalgamation, the term ‘Talbot-Darracq’ was freely used on both sides of the Channel, but strictly the cars were ‘Talbot’ (pronounced à la Francaise) in Europe, and ‘Darracq’ in the British Commonwealth up to 1939. The new combine Talbot and Darracq supported racing, though the very successful Henry-designed twin ohc 4-cylinder differential-less voiturettes evolved in 1922 ran indiscriminately as Talbots and Darracqs. They and their descendants were, however, conceived and designed at Suresnes and victories included the 200-Mile Race at Brooklands (1922 running unblown, 1924 and 1925 in supercharged form), the Coupe des Voiturettes (1922 and 1923), and the Penya Rhin race (1923). 1926 saw a team of advanced blown twin ohc 1½-litre straight-8s which never really proved themselves before Sunbeam-Talbot-Darracq’s precarious finances forced a withdrawal from racing in 1927.

In the touring-car field, Sunbeam-Talbot-Darracq settled down to fifteen years of competing against themselves. A 3.2-litre sv 15hp Darracq with detachable head appeared in 1921, still with worm drive, and this was followed a year later by a small ohv 970cc Darracq machine with no differential and coil ignition, made also in England as the 8/18 Talbot, and the first of a line of 1½-litre ohv fours, the 10CV, selling at £595. Worm drive was dropped, and fwb had spread to the smaller Darracq cars in 1924 with the 2.1-litre Darracq DS – in sports form this was said to give 57bhp – but though the firm reverted to magneto ignition they retained wood wheels (still found on some Darracq cars as late as 1931) and 3-speed gearboxes. A year later the 1½-litre Darracq had grown up into the handsome ‘Darracq 12/32’ with 4-wheel brakes and Weymann saloon bodywork; this theme was continued until 1928, by which time the car had a 1.7-litre engine and four forward speeds. Late in 1925 came the first of a long line of ohv push-rod sixes on conventional lines, with 3-speed gearboxes, single-plate clutches, magneto ignition and Perrot-type fwb: the 2.5-litre Darracq TLA gave 72bhp and sold for £800. Both an extra forward ratio and the option of a 2.9-litre unti came the following year. 1928 saw a real light six of 2 litres’ capacity with coil ignition, Talbot’s bi-metal pistons and Bendiz brakes. Only 6-cylinder cars were marketed for sale by Darracq in 1929, when 7-bearing crankshafts and centralized chassis lubrication made their appearance, while the inevitable straight-8 was listed for 1930: it featured a 3.8-litre 100mhp engine with a 9-bearing crank and nitralloy liners, and could be had on an 11ft 10in wheelbase. The next major facelift came in 1933, with box-section frames and transverse ifs on the sixes and eights. Only one 6-cylinder Darracq model was catalogued in 1934, the year in which Darracq followed the lead of Roesch at Talbot by adopting the Wilson preselective gearbox which was retained until 1954.

After the collapse of Sunbeam-Talbot-Darracq Motors in 1935 the Suresness factory came under the control of Major A.F. Lago, who had been well known in London for his L.A.P. ohv conversions in the 1920s. Lago introduced a new line of 6-cylinder ohv cars retaining the X-braced frames and ifs, while synchromesh gearboxes were available on the cheaper variants. The 2.7-litre Darracq 15CV and 3-litre Darracq 17CV were pleasant but not particularly lively tourers, but the 4-litre Darracq 23CV with 7-bearing crank disposed of 165bhp in its Lago Special guise with cross-push-rod valve gear and hemispherical head, and would comfortably exceed 100mph. A 1-2-3- victory in the 1937 French sports-car Grand Prix at Montlhéry in 1937 was followed up by Comotti’s win in the TT. Under the 1938 GP formula the cars were less successful – stripped sports machines could do nothing against Mercedes-Benz and Auto-Union, while the low offset 1939 4½-litre single-seaters were not much faster. A 3-litre blown V16 engine never came to anything, any more than did a plan laid in 1937 to revive the Invicta name by building 3-litre and 4-litre Darracqs with Delage-style bodywork in London.

After World War 2, however, the 4½-litre racers (now ‘Talbot’ or ‘Lago-Talbot’, never ‘Darracq’) came into their own. What they lacked in power they made up in modest fuel consumption, and could often go through a race without refueling, an attribute not shared by blown 1½-litre machines. Chiron’s win at Comminges in 1947 was a prelude to a career that spanned four seasons, and was backed by Rosier’s 1950 Le Mans victory on a similar machine with sketchy road equipment. Pierre Levegh would have repeated this in 1952, against Mercedes-Benz, had he not attempted a single-handed drive for the 24 hours. Touring-car production was hampered by crippling taxation and uncertain finances: 433 cars were sold in 1950, but only 80 in 1951. In spite of this M. Lago had a revised 4½-litre 170bhp Lago Record sports car with hydraulic brakes in production in 1946, following it up with a simpler and cheaper corss-pushrod four, the 2.7-litre Baby in 1950. This was said to have 118bhp, had hydraulic brakes and the choice of synchromesh or preselector, and was offered only with rhd; but it was not a particularly good car, and its styling did not enhance it. By 1952 the range had been restyled, but though Lago was extracting 247bhp from his Le Mans engines, he met with no success, and henceforward the road lay downhill. Various engines were tried: in 1955 there was a 5-bearing 2½-litre four on established Talbot lines, with a 4-speed ZF gearbox and handsome GT-style bodywork. In 1956 Maserati 250 engines were fitted in the Le Mans cars and in 1957, when two cars were still being turned out every week, a final attempt was made to earn dollars with the Lago America, the 1955 chassis with a 2.6-litre BMW V8 power unit. By 1959 Simca were in control at Suresnes, and the Talbot coupé had yet another engine – the old sv V8 motor inherited from Ford of France. Though an odd-looking coupé with Simca Aronde engine was shown on the Talbot stand at the 1960 Paris Salon, no more cars have been made. It is ironic to note that the three partners in the Sunbeam-Talbot- Darracq venture were re-united once more as a result of the Rootes-Chrysler deal in 1965, Chrysler already having a substantial stake in Simca.

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

Lea-Francis

GB, 1904 – 1906; 1920 – 1935; 1937 – 1953; 1960

(1) Lea & Francis Ltd, Coventry, Warwickshire, 1904 – 1935

(2) Lea-Francis Cars Ltd, Coventry, Warwickshire, 1937 – 1960

Lea Francis started as bicycle manufacturers, like so many car makers, but unlike most of the rest, never went over permanently and consistently to Lea Francis cars. These Lea Francis cars appeared in fits and starts. The first appeared in 1904, in the shape of a 15hp Lea Francis car with a 3-cylinder horizontal engine, the oddest feature of which was its connecting rods over 3ft long. In the same year, however, Lea Francis stopped making their cars, and Singer the Cycle Company began building Lea Francis cars under licence and under the Singer name. R.H. Lea had in fact worked for Singer before branching out on his own. Thus began another famous car name. Lea Francis made motor cycles from 1911, and they concentrated on these until 1920. In that year two Lea Francis cars reappeared beside the motorcycles; assembled 4-cylinder touring Lea Francis cars of 11.9 and 13.9hp. Few of either were made. Then, late in 1922, the Lea Francis car company found its feet at last, with an equally conventional assembled light Lea Francis car. This Lea Francis car had a 1.074cc 4-cylinder sv engine of 8.9hp by Coventry-Simplex, replaced in the following year by a 10hp Meadows unit of 1¼ litres with overhead valves. A Lea Francis car with 7hp Bradshaw flat-twin engine came to nothing. There were 3 forward speeds and quarter-elliptic springs at both ends. The 10hp Lea Francis car was very popular, and was made until 1928. Like other Lea Francise cars to come, it was well made, dependable, and lively. The great moment came for the Lea Francis cars in the very important RAC Small Car Trials of 1924, in which the Lea Francis car made the best all-round performance. During 1925 a wider family market was sought with the 12/22hp J-type Lea Francis car. This Lea Francis car had a longer wheelbase, allowing more spacious bodies, front-wheel brakes, a 1½-litre 4EC Meadows engine to cope with the weight and a 4-speed gearbox. For the sake of comfort, semi-elliptic springs were substituted at the rear on the P-type Lea Francis car introduced for 1928, which also had a plate clutch and 4ED meadows engine.

The Lea Francis car firm’s first serious sports car was the L-type with 4ED engine, announced for 1925. The Lea Francis 12/40hp was one of the best assembled cars in Britain, and appealed more widely than the light Lea Francis cars. It was, indeed, current until the second cessation of car production in 1935. However, Lea Francis also made some more ponderous, less lively Lea Francis cars, without the same degree of success. From 1925 until 1929, the Lea Francis range duplicated some of the heavy 6-cylinder machines offered by Vulcan of Southport, with whom Lea Francis cars had been associated since 1922. The 18hp Lea Francis car was a 2¼-litre car with cantilever rear springs and overhead worm drive. This Lea Francis car was succeeded by A.O. Lord’s Type T, with its advanced but unreliable Lea Francis LFS-type, double ohc engine of 1.7-litres. There was also, in 1928, a 2-litre six Lea Francis car. These Vulcan/ Lea Francis cars ended with the demise of the Vulcan. However, an excellent Lea Francis car with a six was at last introduced for 1931: the Lea Francis Ace of Spades model, with their own 2-litre, single ohc engine. This Lea Francis car continued alongside the old 12/40hp until 1935, together with a new 18hp Lea Francis car, which was a 2¼-litre enlargement of the Lea Francis Ace of Spades. However, a really powerful Lea Francis car was also listed from 1928. This Lea Francis Hyper Sports was a quite different car, with its heavily-modified, Cozette-supercharged Meadows 1½-litre engine, low build and raked radiator. The sports-racing two-seater Lea Francis car could attain 90mph, though a coupé and a short open tourer could also be had by those who did not intend to enter competitions. The Lea Francis Hyper Sports won the 1928 Ulster Trophy race.

A new company introduced two entirely new Lea Francis cars for 1938. These Lea Francis cars were designed by Hugh Rose, who had been responsible for the Riley Nine engine and, like the Riley, had 4-cylinder power units with push-rod overhead valves operated by two high camshafts. The Lea Francis car had ceased to be an entirely assembled car. A 12hp and a 14hp Lea Francis car were available, with cubic capacities of 1½ and 1.6-litres. Both had a 4-speed synchromesh gearbox. A sports version of the 1½-litre Lea Francis car was also sold, thus maintaining the old tradition. These two ‘Leafs’ were good cars, and as they were new, up-to-date Lea Francis carmodels, they could be continued after World War 2. Most of those built in this period were Lea Francis Fourteens, which were heavier but had a bigger bore and a capacity of 1.8-litres. A tuned sports Lea Francis car of the 14hp arrived for 1948. At the end of that year, an export version of the 14hp Lea Francis car, with torsion-bar independent front suspension, was shown and this suspension was adopted for both the 14hp and for the new 18hp, with a 2½-litre engine, in 1950. The sports model of the 18hp Lea Francis car was a fine car, with 100bhp available. The Lea Francis cars for 1953 had hydraulic brakes, but that was the last year in which the Lea Francis car appeared as a competitive production car. By mid-1952, output had fallen to six Lea Francis cars a week. An expensive car of specialist appeal,  the post-war years were too hard for it. In 1960 a few prototypes of a new sports Lea Francis car, the Leaf-Lynx, were made, but it never reached production. The power unit of this Lea Francis car was a 2½-litre Ford Zephyr, there was independent front suspension and disc brakes were supplied, but the car was ill-favoured and ill received. No better luck attented the Lea Francis carfirm’s attempt to make the Nobel bubble-car.

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