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 Four years after the Leon Bollee voiturette appeared, Leon Bollee superseded it with a 4-wheeler with independent front suspension by double transverse leaf springs.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

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

Peerless

US, 1901 – 1931

(1) Peerless Mfg Co, Cleveland, Ohio, 1900 – 1905

(2) Peerless Motor Car Co, Cleveland, Ohio, 1905 – 1931

The Peerless car was known in its heyday as ‘One of the three P’s’ (Packard, Peerless and Pierce-Arrow), the great trio of American motoring. The Peerless car first appeared in 1900, the product of a concern which had built clothes wringers and bicycles since 1869. Its début was not auspicious, the 1900 prototype Peerless car being a typical horseless carriage with bicycle wheels and a single-cylinder De Dion Bouton engine. This Peerless car was followed in 1901 by the Peerless Type C Motorette, with a 3½hp single-cylinder water-cooled engine, this Peerless car was priced at $1.300. This was augmented later in the year by the Peerless Type B, similar but smaller and cheaper. 

Louis P. Mooers came to Peerless cars as chief engineer in 1901 and it was he who shaped the policy of the Peerless car company during its first formative years. He designed the 1902 range of Peerless cars. These Peerless cars were shaft-driven and the engine was mounted vertically at the front of the car in what was to be the conventional arrangement in most cars, but was an innovation at the time. Selective sliding-gear transmission was used on Peerless cars and side-entrance tonneaus were included in the range, possibly the first cars of this type. The prototypes of the 1902 Peerless car line were equipped with a single-cylinder Mooers-designed engine, although the production Peerless cars had 2-cylinder power plants. The 1903 Peerless car series were based on 1902 Peerless racing cars (also designed by Mooers). Two Peerless cars were available, a 24 and a 35hp, both with 4-cylinder T-head engines of Mooers design. The year 1903 was notable for the appearance of the Peerless limousine, probably America’s first closed car that was not custom-built.

In 1904, Mooers designed the famous Peerless Green Dragon racing car, a behemoth with a 6x6in bore and stroke. Driven from track to track by Barney Oldfield, ‘The Boy in Green’ test driver for the Peerless car company’s racing cars, the Green Dragon brought Peerless cars an enviable reputation as Oldfield continued to break records – frequently his own. He crashed the Green Dragon Peerless car in 1905, but a new Peerless Green Dragon car was built and continued the record set by its earlier namesake.

By this time, the Peerless car company was rapidly expanding and production of Peerless cars was increased. The Peerless cars was regarded as one of the prestige cars of America and was priced accordingly. In 1907, the first 6-cylinder Peerless car was introduced although the fours continued for many years. Changes on Peerless cars were largely limited to perfection of details. In 1912, prices ranged from $4.200 to $7.200. By 1913, Peerless cars were equipped with self-starters of the Peerless car firm’s own design.

An important development in Peerless design was the introduction of a V8 Peerless car, a year after the rival Cadillac concern. This Peerless V8 appeared late in 1915 and was reasonably priced in comparison with the expensive six-cylinder Peerless cars which were discontinued at this time. With 80bhp at 2.700rpm, low speeds as well as high were possible in top gear. In appearance the V8 closely, resembled the Cadillac. The 1915 model Peerless car continued without basic change until 1922, by which time its appearance had become outmoded. For 1923, bodies of the Peerless car were lowered and rounded and the rear platform spring given up. Strangely enough, the newer design of the Peerless car also closely resembled the contemporary Cadillac. 

By 1923, business was good with some 5.000 Peerless cars being sold. A year later, a six was introduced as a companion car to the larger eight, now termed the ‘Peerless Equipoised Eight’. In 1925, for the first time, an outside engine was utilized in a six by Peerless cars. This was a Continental and was used on the Peerless 6-80 chassis. Prices of Peerless cars ranged from $1.400 for the cheapest six to more than $4.100 for the most expensive eight. Between 1926 and 1929, Peerless cars continued to market two lines of sixes and one of eights at prices from $1.895 to $3.795. But despite a wide price range, sales of Peerless cars were falling steadily, possibly because of generally uninspired and rather unattractive bodies. In 1929, the Peerless car range was redesigned, the new Peerless car models resembling the Marmon or Stutz to a considerable degree. A Continental straight-8 replaced the old V8 engine. The two sizes Peerless cars were continued and towards the end of 1929, with sales increasing, the outlook seemed brighter. Count Alexis de Sakhnoffsky was hired to design the 1930 Peerless car line. Thsese Peerless cars were the sleekest and best-looking the Peerless car company had ever produced. Three sixes and one eight were offered by Peerless cars with prices ranging from $995 to $2.195. The eight was dropped shortly after its introduction.

Then came the Depression and this finished the Peerless car. The Peerless car make had slipped from 25th to 28th place among American car manufacturers from 1928 to 1929 and to 30th place in 1930.

It was early in 1931 that the Peerless car company decided to attempt to recapture its former position by introducing a new prestige Peerless car which would compare with the Cadillac-V16 and the Marmon Sixteen. This Peerless car was the Peerless V16; only one prototype Peerless car was built and this still survives today. Built in 1931, the Peerless car was to have been produced as a 1933 or possibly even a 1932 model. This Peerless car was almost entirely built of aluminium. With a 42lb frame, an aluminium engine of 7.6-litres and 173bhp at 3.300rpm the Peerless car was one of the handsomest cars ever made in the United States then or at any other time. Its custom sedan body was built by Murphy.

Actual production of Peerless cars ended on 30th June 1931. The Peerless car plant remained idle for more than two years then, prohibition having been repealed, the Peerless Motor Car Company became the Peerless Corporation, brewers of Carling’s Ale and as such, it survives to this day.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; KM

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