Lion-Peugeot

France, 1906 – 1913

(1) Les Fils de Peugeot Frères, Beaulieu-Valentigney, 1906 – 1910

(2) SA des Automobiles et Cycles Peugeot, Audincourt, 1910 – 1913

The Lion-Peugeot car started as an independent venture by Robert Peugeot in the motor cycle factory at Beaulieu-Valentigney, which had been used for Lion-Peugeot car manufacture until the establishment of the SA des Automobiles Peugeot in 1897. These Michaux-designed voiturettes Lion-Peugeot cars were produced in direct competition with the cars from Audincourt, and the original chain-driven single at £125 filled a gap left by the discontinuation of the original Peugeot Baby. Already the Lion-Peugeot car company were trying their hand in the Coupe des Voiturettes, but made no impression in 1906 or 1907 against Sizaire-Naudin and Delage. The first of the classic racing V-twin Lion-Peugeot cars made its appearance in 1908, and from 1909 to 1911 the Lion-Peugeot car marque was renowned for some very odd machines, which took advantage of regulations more concerned with bores than with strokes. The 1909 Lion-Peugeot cars, victorious in both the Catalan Cup and the Coupe itself, were made with 1.9-litre engines, a single of 100x250mm and a twin of 80x192mm, the former having three valves per cylinder, but the peak of Lion-Peugeot cars was reached in 1910 with the fantastic Lion-Peugeot VX5, an 80x280mm V-twin with twin carburetors, developing 95bhp. The driver of the Lion-Peugeot car had to look round, rather than over the engine. There was a companion 65x260mm V4, really two twins in series. In spite (or perhaps because) of this, Lion-Peugeot cars had to be content with 2nd place in that year’s Coupe des Voiturettes. They tried once again in 1911 with a Lion-Peugeot V4, this time using the relatively modest stroke/bore rato of 2:1.

By 1910, the production Lion-Peugeot cars had grown up into 1.7-litre transverse V-twins with 3-speed gearboxes and shaft drive, though chain-driven versions were still available on Lion-Peugeot cars as late as 1911. The reunion of the two rival Peugeot companies, however, signaled the end of these eccentricities: though a touring V4 Lion-Peugeot car was announced in 1911 and was made with a 4-speed gearbox, pressure lubrication, and pedal-operated rear-wheel brakes, the Lion-Peugeot car designation was dropped at the end of 1913. The 1.9-litre VD Peugeot of 1914 marked the end of this line of development and none of the Lion-Peugeot car derivatives survived World War 1.

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

Morgan

GB, 1905 – 1906

Morgan and Co Ltd, Leighton Buzzard, Beds.

Made by a well-known firm of coachbuilders, the Morgan car was a conventional shaft-driven car with 5.8-litre T-head 4-cylinder Mutel engine, distinguished only by the Sparks-Boothby hydraulic clutch on the Morgan car, soon abandoned in favour of an ordinary leather cone. Only about five Morgan cars were made and their lack of success resulted in Morgan cars becoming Adler concessionaires in 1907, and abandoning motor manufacture.

GB, 1910 to date

Morgan Motor Co Ltd, Malvern Link, Worcs.

This Morgan car was the best-known, and best, of the British 3-wheelers that were popular while the horsepower tax gave the Morgan cars an advantage. H.F.S. Morgan’s tricycle was also the first of its type, this Morgan car going into production in 1910. At the front of a tubular chassis frame was an sv, air-cooled V-twin motor-cycle engine of 1.100cc by JAP, transversely mounted. Transmission of the Morgan car was by dog clutches and chains, providing two forward speeds. The steering was direct. The front wheels of the Morgan car, had independent front suspension, by sliding pillars and coil springs. There were two seats. A reasonable amount of power plus light weight meant an excellent performance of the Morgan cars. The Morgan car was safer than most 3-wheelers because its road-holding was above average. This recipe made the Morgan car popular with sportsmen, for whom the Morgan Grand Prix model was produced in 1914: the first catalogued competition Morgan car. Soon afterwards, an exiguous four-seater Morgan car, the forerunner of the Morgan Family model of the 1920s, was listed.

After World War 1, Morgan carscontinued to cater for all markets. Names changed, but the Morgan Sports or Morgan Standard model was the normal two-seater, also available in De Luxe form; the Morgan Family model was the more capacious type Morgan car, and the long-tailed Morgan Aero, later the Morgan Super Sports, was the Morgan car intended for serious speed work. Engines of Morgan cars were water- or air-cooled to choice, most being supplied by JAP, or by Blackburne in the case of the competition Morgan cars. From 1925 all the latter’s power units had overhead valves. By 1927 the Super Sports Morgan car could attain 80mph in standard trim, while the less sporting Morgan cars now had internal expanding front wheel brakes and electric starting. Geared-down steering and (if required) three forward speeds followed on Morgan cars in 1929. Even so, Morgan cars were losing customers to new, cheap sports cars such as the M-type MG. Three speeds and reverse in a normal gearbox (though still with chain final drive) were available from 1931 and standard on the Morgan car after 1932, and a modified 8hp Ford 4-cylinder engine could later be had in the Morgan car instead of the twin. Four years later the first 4-wheeled Morgan car was introduced, the excellent little Morgan 4/4. This Morgan car used an 1.122cc 4-cylinder Coventry-Climax engine with overhead inlet valves, developing 34bhp. The Morgan car was still light in weight, and retained the Morgan independent front suspension, so the performance and handling qualities of Morgan cars were well up to form. The Morgan car could attain 75mph. The twins were last catalogued in 1939.

Just before World War 2, a 1.267cc Standard 10hp engine with ohv head was substituted in the Morgan 4/4. When this was no longer available, from 1950, Morgan fitted a tuned Standard Vanguard unit in the Morgan car giving 70bhp. In this Morgan Plus Four, as the Morgan car was renamed, performance became still more lively, and when the 90bhp Triumph TR2 engine became available in 1954, maximum speed of the Morgan car rose to 100mph for the first time. With the advent of the Morgan Plus Four, there was no longer a small Morgan car, but this gap was made good in 1955, when the Morgan Series 2 4/4 arrived. This Morgan car used the very hard-wearing 1.172cc sv Ford Ten engine which had powered F4 Morgan. (The latter was the last 3-wheeler Morgan car, which had been made until 1950.) The result was a cheap, pleasant and reliable sports Morgan car of the old school. Later, the ohv Ford 105E engine was substituted. The latest version Morgan car had a 1.599cc 98bhp engine, a 4-speed all-synchromesh gearbox, front disc brakes, and the traditional Morgan suspension. The Morgan Plus Four kept pace with Triumph’s TR engine development, also acquiring disc brakes and, eventually, the 2.138cc 105bhp TR4 unit. A streamlined coupé, the Morgan Plus Four Plus of 1964, was a brief deviation from the classical Morgan car line which met with little approval and was discontinued after only 50 of these Morgan cars had been sold. When Triumph changed to a six during 1968, Morgan cars adopted a new engine for their bigger Morgan cars, and the Morgan Plus Four became the Morgan Plus Eight, powered by Rover’s 3 ½-litre 160bhp V8 and capable of 125mph. The 1973 versions of the Morgan car use the 4-speed all-synchromesh Rover gearbox in place of the Moss box previously fitted.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; MCS, TRN

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