Léon Bollee

France, 1895 – 1933

(1) Automobiles Léon Bollée, Le Mans, 1895 – 1924

(2) Morris Motors Ltd, Usines Léon Bollée, Le Mans, 1925 – 1931

(3) Sté Nouvelle Léon Bollée, Le Mans, 1931 – 1933

Leon Bollee was a son of Amédée Bolllée père, the most important pioneer of steam road vehicles in France. Leon Bollee, however, turned to really small petrol Leon Bollee cars. He was the first to do so, and therefore had to invent a new name for his Leon Bollee car of 1895 – he called it a Leon Bollee voiturette. This Leon Bollee car was a tandem two-seater 3-wheeler that was faster than any other petrol-engined vehicle on the road when the Leon Bollee car was working, thanks to a powerful 3hp engine and light weight, but the power unit was unreliable on the Leon Bollee car. The Leon Bollee car had a single air-cooled cylinder of 650cc and used hot-tube ignition. There were 3 forward speeds on the Leon Bollee car, with belt final drive. The frame was tubular. Four years after the Leon Bollee voiturette appeared, Leon Bollee superseded it with a 4-wheeler with independent front suspension by double transverse leaf springs. This Leon Bollee car had a single-cylinder, water-cooled engine. Unlike the Leon Bollee voiturette, this Leon Bollee car made no mark. The design rights were sold to Darracq, and around 1901 the name of Leon Bollee cars vanished. Meanwhile, the term voiturette had been taken up by the trade and public in general as the name for a small light car.

The Leon Bollee car reappeared in 1903 as an entirely normal, full-sized car in the more expensive class, backed by Vanderbilt money and designed for the American market. This Leon Bollee car was made in 28hp (4.6-litres) and 45hp (8-litres) versions, with four cylinders and chain drive, and led on to a 11.9-litre six Leon Bollee car in 1907, in which year the first shaft driven Leon Bollee car appeared. From 1909 there was also a small modern four, the Leon Bollee 10/14hp. The 1910 range embraced 9 Leon Bollee cars, including 2 of over 10-litres capacity. Electric lighting became available on Leon Bollee cars in 1913, but the Leon Bollee grew increasingly old-fashioned after World War 1 despite the introduction of ohv in 1922 on Leon Bollee cars and front wheel brakes in 1923. Late in 1924 Sir William Morris bought the Le Mans Leon Bollee car factory. From making a wide range of conservative French Leon Bollee fours, it turned to thinly-disguised products of Cowley, Oxford, the idea being to breach the French tariff walls from the inside. The first Morris- Leon Bollee had a 12CV 2½-litre 4-cylinder unit-construction engine made by Hotchkiss, the engine manufacturers controlled by Morris, but it had push-rod overhead valves and bore little evidence of its parentage. Not so the 18CV Morris- Leon Bollee car of 1928. This was a 3-litre straight-8 with single overhead camshaft that reflected Morris’ takeover of Wolseley two years earlier. Morris’ own new six of 1928 was mirrored in the 15CV 2.6-litre Le Mans product of 1929. The bodies for the Morris- Leon Bollee car were all made in France and were usually considerably more dashing and attractive than their British counterparts. Chassis of this Morris- Leon Bollee car were made in France, and all cars had a 4-speed gearbox. At one time, 50 12CV Morris- Leon Bollee cars were being turned out each week. However, Morris’ enterprise was not a success, and he discontinued it in the hard times of the Depression. A new syndicate was formed in September 1931 to sell the same range of cars under the name of Leon Bollee cars. This lasted for less than two years and few Leon Bollee cars were made.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; TRN

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Maybach

D, 1921 – 1941

Maybach Motoren-Werke GmbH, Friedrichshafen

Wilhelm Maybach left the Daimler company in 1907. Together with Count Zeppelin he founded a factory primarily for the production of aero engines, especially for the Zeppeling air-ships. These engines were designed by Karl Maybach, Wilhelm’s son. After World War 1, Karl Maybach started to build a 22/70ps 5.7-litre 6-cylinder engine intended for motor cars. This Maybach engine was used by Spyker, but no other factories were interested, so Maybach decided to take up Maybach car production on his own. From the beginning Maybach cars aimed at a high quality car with outstanding driving comfort. The first Maybach Model W3 appeared at the 1921 Berlin Motor Show, and this Maybach car featured a very advanced 2-speed pedal-controlled transmission. This Maybach carmodel was produced until 1926. It was followed by the ohv Maybach Model W5 (for sale in 1926 – 1930) using a 27/120ps 7-litre engine in the same chassis, this being available with Maybach’s Schnellgang 2-speed auxiliary box, giving the Maybach car 4 forward speeds. The Maybach 12 of 1929 had a V12 7-litre engine, which was superseded one year later by the Maybach Zeppelin, also with V12 7-litre engine of 150bhp; after 1931 the Maybach car was also available with an 8-litre 200bhp engine. The Zeppelin range was listed until 1939. Maybach Zeppelin car chassis were also fitted with 6-cylinder engines of 7-litres capacity (already used in Maybach Model W5) and a new 5.2-litre engine developing 130bhp (the Maybach W6 and DSH models respectively). These Maybach cars retained beam axles to the end and were characterized by 7-speed boxes of great complexity. A Zeppelin chassis for the Maybach car cost the equivalent of £1.300 in Germany.

In 1935 a new 6-cylinder Maybach car was presented, starting the SW range. This was the Maybach SW35 with a 3.5-litre 140bhp engine. Engine capacity of this Maybach car was raised to 3.8-litres in the Maybach SW38 in 1936 and to 4.2-litres in the SW42 of 1940. Production of the Maybach car ceased in 1941. The Maybach Zeppelin shared with the Mercedes 770 the claim to be the most exclusive German car of the 1930s. This reputation was enhanced by Maybach cars high standards of material and finish, of comfort and quietness in running. No less well-made were the 6-cylinder Maybach cars which were in the first rank of German cars of this class. Maybach only built complete chassis for their Maybach cars, bodies being made by various firms to customers’ special requirements. Best known of these firms was Spohn of Ravensburg. Spohn aslo built aerodynamic bodies to Jaray designs for the Maybach Zeppelin in 1932 and 1934, and for the Maybach SW35 in 1935. These versions Maybach cars were produced only in very limited numbers. Maybach car production was not taken up again after World War 2. Altogether, some 2.000 Maybach cars are believed to have been made. In 1960 Maybach cars pooled their interests with Daimler-Benz in the manufacture of diesel engines for locomotives and ships.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; HON

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