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

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

Marmon

US, 1902 – 1933

(1) Nordyke and Marmon Co, Indianapolis, Ind., 1902 – 1925

(2) Marmon Motor Car Co, Indianapolis, Inc., 1926 – 1933

Howard Marmon’s first cars were advanced machines, featuring air-cooled V4 engines of oversquare dimensions, with mechanically-operated overhead valves and pressure lubrication. Something approaching independent front suspension was achieved on Marmon cars by the use of double-three-point suspension, with a separate sub-frame for engine and transmission. Only the 2-speed gearbox of planetary type conformed on the Marmon cars to American practice of the period. These Marmon cars persisted until 1908, though 1907 brought the introduction of selective sliding-type gearboxes on the Marmon car and a short-lived 60hp V8. In 1908 buyers of Marmon cars had the choice of air or water cooling and cylinder heads were detachable. The following year Marmon went over to conventional T-head in-line fours rated at 40/45hp and 50/60hp, and two years later only the 5.2-litre Model 32 Marmon car with rear-axle gearbox was listed. Marmon cars did well in contemporary competition, with 54 1st places logged with a Marmon car between 1909 and 1912; Ray Harroun won the first Indianapolis 500 in 1911 with a specially-built 6-cylinder Marmon car, the well-known Marmon Wasp. An enormous 9.3-litre six rated at 48hp was available in 1914.

In 1916 the advanced ohv 6-cylinder Marmon 34 with aluminium cylinder block, body, bonnet and radiator shell, and double transverse rear suspension was introduced. The engine capacity of this Marmon car was 5½-litres, and its output 74bhp; developments of this Marmon car were still listed as late as 1927, acquiring Delco coil ignition in 1920, and the option of a Marmon car with front wheel brakes in 1923. The Marmon cars were expensive: $5.000 was asked for a touring car in 1921. A not very successful 3.1-litre ohv straight-8 in the Marmon car appeared in 1927, but the following season only Marmon cars with eights were made, the cheapest sv Marmon 68 selling for $1.395. In 1928 Marmon also entered some front-wheel-drive Marmon cars at Indianapolis, but they were in fact only revamped Millers. The Marmon car company sold 22.300 Marmon cars in 1929, thanks to a cheap new straight-8 at under $1.000, the Marmon Roosevelt. This brandname, however, did not last, for the Marmon car appeared in the 1930 programme as the Marmon R, along with three other eights, the sv 69, and two big ohv Marmon cars with 4-speed gearboxes and capacities of the 4.9- and 5.2-litres respectively.

Marmon cars swansong was the magnificent 9.1-litre 200bhp 16-cylinder model of 1931. This Marmon car was beautifully proportioned, and had an alloy engine. The list price of the Marmon car was $4.925; there was a companion Marmon 8-125 in 1932, but only the Marmon Sixteen was listed for 1933. At the very end Marmon was testing a Marmon car with a 150bhp V12 with independent front suspension, De Dion rear axle, and tubular backbone frame, but this never saw production.

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