Brasier

France, 1897 – 1930

(1) Société des Anciens Etablissements Georged Richard, Ivry-Port, 1897 – 1905

(2) Société des Automobiles Brasier, Ivry-Port, 1905 – 1926

(3) Société Chaigneau-Brasier, Ivry-Port, 1926 – 1930

The first car made by Georges Richard (not yet named Brasier) was a frail machine on Benz lines, with belt drive and three forward speeds. By 1900, Richard was offering the Vivinus from Belgium under his own name – another voiturette, but a quieter, smoother-running one with a fair turn of speed. It was powered by a 6hp 2-cylinder engine, and it too was belt-driven. However, the 7½hp Georges Richard of 1901 had shaft drive, in the approved modern fashion of Darracq and Renault. With the arrival of the designer Brasier, who had worked for Mors, Georges Richard gradually ceased to be associated with voiturettes, but gained little originality. There were four new models in 1902, all called Richard-Brasiers, rated at between 10 and 40hp but they were of Panhard type in most respects. The smaller cars still had tubular chassis and not all Richard-Brasier models had chain drive, but all types had steel frames by 1904. In that year there were two twins and three fours, only the biggest of which, the 40hp, was chain-driven. In 1904 and 1905, Brasier’s cars won the Gordon Bennett Trophy for France, bringing worldwide fame to the name.

In 1905 Georges Richard left to make the Unic at Puteaux, and Brasier continued to offer his cars, now known simply as Brasiers. The Brasier remained conservative in design until 1912, with exposed valve gear and cylinders cast in pairs. In that year, a modern light Brasier car was introduced, with a 4-cylinder engine cast en bloc. Ivry-Port went on listing solid, unenterprising, relatively expensive Four-cylinder Brasiers for sale until 1927. They were brought up to date in 1923 by means of front wheel brakes and ohv engines, but this had become common practice, Brasier, in fact, was another famous old make whose popularity slowly declined, like so many in France at this time.

Reorganization at Brasier in 1926 at first brought no important innovations, apart from a change of name to Chaigneau-Brasier, and the introduction of a modern orthodox light car in the shape of the Chaigneau-Brasier 9CV. Then, in 1928, the new company revealed the outcome of its rethinking. This had been over- instead of under-enterprising, for the new car as a 3-litre, overhead-camshaft straight-8 with front wheel drive. With this car, and even more with the bigger Chaigneau-Brasier Type DG8 of similar design that followed in 1930, Chaigneau-Brasier committed the double error of plunging into the luxury market at a time of economic depression, and offering an unconventional design to a public that distrusted such things. Chaigneau-Brasier were not the only French firm to make the same simultaneaous, and fatal, mistakes, and they paid the same price.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; TRN

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Plymouth

US, 1928 to date

Chrysler Corporation, Detroit, Mich.

The 4-cylinder 21hp Plymouth car appeared in 1928 at a list price of $725 for a sedan. This Plymouth car replaced the earlier 4-cylinder Chryslers and represented a serious challenge for Ford and Chevrolet in their lowest price class. The Plymouth car had side valves, internal-expanding hydraulic brakes and ribbon-type radiator and gave the Plymouth car a close resemblance to the 1928 Chryslers and De Sotos, and Plymouth cars sold over 100.000 in its first year, even improving its sales position in the bleak economic climate of 1932. Plymouth cars adhered to four cylinders until 1933, when the Plymouth PD-series 6-cylinder was listed at less than $600. 1934 de luxe models of Plymouth cars had independent front suspension, but this was dropped after a year and did not reappear for some time on Plymouth cars. The standard engine in the later 1930 Plymouth cars had a capacity of 3.3-litres, rather smaller than that used in comparable Chevrolets and Fords: a small-bore 2.8-litre version Plymouth car was made for export up to 1939, but the name Plymouth was not usually found on Plymouth cars sold in England, which were nominally Chrysler Kew and Wimbledon sixes. After World War 2 evolution followed that of other Chrysler Corporation cars closely, the old-fashioned styling losing the Plymouth car division its long-held third place in American sales to Buick. Further, Plymouth cars retained the L-head six as its staple power unit right up to 1955, when Flight Sweep versions were introduced with over-square ohv V8 engines on accepted American lines in a variety of powers from 157 to 177bhp. The capacity of these Plymouth cars had 4.3-litres, while the six, now of 3.8-litres, remained available. These 1955 Plymouth cars were lower and longer than their predecessors and could be obtained with synchromesh, overdrive or automatic gearboxes.

The Plymouth Fury models of the ensuing decade represented a breakaway from the traditional Plymouth stolid family car, while the Plymouth Car Division was also responsible for Chrysler’s contribution to the compacts, the Plymouth Valiant launched for 1960. This Plymouth car had rather more European styling than its competitors, with a dummy spare-wheel moulding on the tail; interesting items of specification were the unitary construction of the Plymouth car, alternator ignition, and inclined in-line 2.8-litre ohv 6-cylinder engine. The influence of the Plymouth GT car on America resulted in the Plymouth Barracuda of 1965, a fastback coupé using the Valiant’s 8ft 10in wheelbase and a 4½-litre V8 power unit. Plymouth cars, like Ford and Chevrolet, was aiming at comprehensive coverage of the low and medium price market in 1966, with the compact Plymouth Valiant, the sports-compact Plymouth Barracuda, the medium-sized Plymouth Belvedere, the full-size Plymouth Fury, and the luxurious ‘VIP’ 4-door hardtop Plymouth car, offered only with a 5.2-litre V8 engine and selling for $2.930. An increasing emphasis on sporting Plymouth cars was detectable by 1968, when in addition to the established Barracuda there were two other sports coupés Plymouth car, the Plymouth GTX and the Plymouth Road Runner. All three Plymouth cars were available with 4-speed manual gearboxes and the 6.981cc 425bhp hemi-head V8 also used by Dodge. In 1970, when Valiant prices started at a low $2.172, there was also a Valiant sports coupé, the Plymouth Duster.

In 1971 Plymouth car company added a sub-compact to their Plymouth car range when they offered the 1½-litre Hillman Avenger as the Plymouth Cricket. The 1972 range of Plymouth cars embraced the Valiant on a 9ft wheelbase, the Barracudas and Satellites, and the full-size Furys with V8 engines and automatic transmission as standard. Engines in the Plymouth cars ranged from the Valiant’s 3.2-litre and 3.7-litre sixes up to the largest Chrysler unit, a V8 of 7.210cc. Electronic ignition was offered on the costliest Barracuda model. Casualties of new Federal regulations were the hemi-head engine and convertibles, and the same range Plymouth cars with minor improvements, among them manually-operated sun roofs, was offerd in 1973.

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