Nagant

Belgium, 1900 – 1928

(1) Nagant Frères, Liège

(2) SA des Automobiles Imperia-Excelsior, Liège

The first Nagant car, made by an armaments manufacturer, was the opposed-piston Gobron-Brillié from France, built under licence as the Gobron-Nagant car. 2- or 4-cylinder Nagant cars were available, with four and eight pistons respectively. After 1905 these Nagant cars, which were unconventional machines were dropped in favour of some typical Belgian cars – orthodox, well-made, very strong. These Nagant cars had chain drive until the 1909 season, and high-tension magneto ignition had replated the low-tension type a year earlier. L-head engines made their appearance on a 2.6-litre Nagant car in 1909. The Nagant carmake was sold in England under the name of Nagant-Hobson. Until 1911 there was nothing about the Nagant car to attract attention to it, but then came the 4-cylinder 14/16hp Nagant car, which had an efficient engine capable of 3.000rpm with side valves. A light Nagant car of 1913 could turn at 4.000rpm, an extremely high speed for the time. Needless to say, these Nagant cars, with their very good power outputs, were much in evidence in competitions: 4½-litre twin-ohc Nagant cars ran in the 1914 Grand Prix. During this period, Nagant car firm had an outside interest in the shape of an arrangement to built the French Rochet-Schneider for the Belgian firm of Locomotrice.

The Nagant car company’s interest in competitions persisted after World War 1; the Nagant car used was a long-stroke 3-litre which at first had side valves, and then overhead inlets. The Nagant 15CV was a 4-cylinder, 2-litre machine with all-overhead valves and Adex-type 4-wheel brakes. It was enlarged to just over 2-litres in 1925. A Nagant car won the 3-litre class in the Spa 24 Hours Race of that year. In 1927, a supercharged engine was exhibited in a Nagant car at the Brussels Show, but that was the end of Nagant’s interest in high performance. The last new Nagant car was an sv 2-litre six with Ricardo head, a common recipe that promised flexibility, not speed. Then came absorption by Imperia of Nagant cars, and the end of a line of fast yet immensely durable cars.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; TRN

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