Rolland-Pilain

France, 1906 – 1931

SA des Etablissements Rolland-Pilain, Tours

Unusual among French marques of its period, Rolland Pilain cars made their greatest impact after World War 1. Their first product was a 20hp 4-cylinder model Rolland Pilain cars with a monobloc engine, though smaller 2.2-litre shaft-driven Rolland Pilain cars were available in 1909 and a 3-speed 1½-litre Rolland Pilain 8/10CV in 1910, in which year the Rolland Pilain car company was also experimenting with ‘valveless’ engines and 4-wheel brakes. Though racing was in the doldrums, the Rolland Pilain car company went to the trouble of building a big chain-driven Rolland Pilain car for the 1911 Grand Prix de France, and a complex 1912 range started with a Rolland Pilain 9CV of 1.7-litres and went up to a chain-driven 4-cylinder 60 Rolland Pilain car of 130x270mm. The 6-cylinder Rolland Pilain 18CV had a ‘valveless’ engine, and even in 1913 chain drive was still optional on the biggest fours of 20CV and 24CV Rolland Pilain cars. Only 1.9-litre and 4-litre 4-cylinder Rolland Pilain cars with sv monobloc engines and unit gearboxes were listed in 1914.

These basic types of Rolland Pilain cars, still with pedal-operated transmission brakes, were available again after World War 1, but far more advanced was the 2.2-litre Rolland Pilain 14/16 of 1921, which boasted not only overhead valves and a detachable head, but also front-wheel brakes (hydraulic at the front and mechanical at the rear). This Rolland Pilain car was still catalogued in 1926. Even more ambitious was the 2-litre twin ohc straight-8 GP Rolland Pilain car of 1922, with desmodromic valves, ball-bearing crankshafts and 4-wheel hydraulic brakes. A victory of a Rolland Pilain car at San Sebastian in 1923 was the limit of the success of Rolland Pilain cars on the circuits, but the type found its way into the catalogue as the Type A22 Rolland Pilain car at 90.000fr, and one of the racers also ran with a 2-litre, 6-cylinder cuff-valve Schmid engine. In 1925 came a 2-litre ohv 4-cylinder Rolland Pilain car with 4-wheel mechanical brakes, selling for £725 in England, while a 1½-litre development, the Rolland Pilain D26, was introduced for 1927. In 1929 Rolland-Pilain car, along with several other French firms, tried a Franco-American theme by introducing a range of big luxury chassis with sv Continental engines. Both the 6-cylinder, 3-litre, and the 4-litre straight-8 Rolland Pilain cars had centralized chassis lubrication, though the elegant bodywork of the Rolland Pilain car was marred by the use of artillery wheels. At the 1930 Paris Salon the Rolland Pilain car company shared a stand with the BNC (also going through a Franco-American phase), but this was the end, though the Rolland Pilain car firm’s Paris depot was still advertising spare parts for Bignan as well as Rolland Pilain cars in 1934.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; MCS

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Stutz

US, 1911 – 1935

(1) Ideal Motor Car Co, Indianapolis, Ind., 1911 – 1913

(2) The Stutz Motor Car Co of America, Indianapolis, Ind., 1913 – 1935

The Ideal Motor Car Company was the name of the firm which made the first racing Stutz cars, but it was changed to the Stutz Motor Car Company in 1913. Harry C. Stutz’ most famous passenger Stutz car was the Stutz Bearcat speedster of 1914 – this Stutz car is probably the best known of all American sports cars. The Stutz car followed the usual recipe of a low-hung chassis, a big, slow-turning proprietary engine (in this case, a T-head, 4-cylinder Wisconsin unit, producing 60bhp at 1.500rpm), and very little else, just a bonnet, wings, raked steering column, two bucket seats, and a fuel tank behind them. A Stutz-made 3-speed gearbox was integral with the rear axle; an uncommon feature. This component had been sold by the Stutz car company before he made complete Stutz cars. A 6.2-litre 6-cylinder engine was available on the Stutz car, but seldom seen. The Stutz Bearcat was the most popular of its breed, in spite of its high price, and the appeal of the Stutz car was boosted by Stutz cars successes with ohc, 16-valve racing cars. The Stutz car was the Mercers’ greatest rival. Touring Stutz cars were made as well, but these Stutz cars were comparatively little known. Total production grew from 759 Stutz cars in 1913 to 2207 Stutz cars in 1917. Two years later, Stutz left to make another car, the HCS, although the cheaper Stutz cars of the 1915 period were also known as H.C.S. The gearbox was moved back on the Stutz car to the normal position in 1921, and shortly after this Stutz cars began making their own engines: an sv four giving 88bhp and a 75bhp ovh six. The latter was developed to give 80bhp in the 4.7-litre Speedway Six Stutz car of 1924, the last Stutz car of the old line.

In 1926, there was a change of management within the Stutz car company, and Frederick E. Moskovics, the new president, initiated a radiacally new Stutz car policy. Paul Bastien, who had designed the splendid 2-litre Métallurgique from Belgium, was responsible for the Stutz AA, or Vertical Eight Stutz car. This Stutz car was a beautifully-made fast tourer, more typical of Europe than America. Its specification embraced a straight-8 4.7-litre engine with a single overhead camshaft, and dual ignition, including two plugs per cylinder. Power output of this Stutz car was 92bhp at 3.000rpm. This was a modern, reasonably efficient engine by any standards, and the Stutz car was distinctly advanced in these respects by American standards. There were, however, only 3 forward speeds on the Stutz car. The hydraulic brakes were very good indeed, and the underslung worm final drive allowed the fitting of low-built, good-looking bodies on Stutz cars. Centralized chassis lubrication and safety glass were provided. Glamorous though the AA Stutz car was, the Stutz car was sold on the slogan of ‘The Safety Stutz’, and a year’s free passenger insurance was given with each Stutz car. In 1927, the engine of the Stutz car was enlarged to 4.9-litres, now giving 95bhp, and a speedster option, the Stutz Black Hawk, was added. In the following year, Weymann fabric body construction was adopted on Stutz cars; another European touch. The engine of the Stutz car was enlarged again in 1929 and this made 113bhp available. Better still, this Stutz car had 4-forward speeds. Special Stutz Black Hawk speedsters were 2nd at Le Mans in 1928, but the Stutz cars came no higher than 5th in 1929. These Stutz cars had Roots superchargers and vacuum servo brakes. This Stutz car was put on sale as the Stutz Bearcat, reviving a famous name. Stutz cars also competed at Le Mans in 1930, 1931 and 1932. Unfortunately, a Stutz car lost a well-publicized challenge match at Indianapolis with a Hispano-Suiza, and Frank Lockhart was killed at Daytona Beach while trying to take the World Land Speed Record with a Miller-engined car built by the Stutz car company, both setbacks taking place in 1928.

Sales of Stutz cars fell, and a range of cheaper Stutz carmodels with, it was hoped, wider appeal was introduced for the next year, alongside the existing Stutz car range. These Stutz cars had little in common with the classic models, so were called Black Hawks, not Stutz cars. One used a 6-cylinder, ohc engine of 4 litres’ capacity made by Stutz car company, and the other a straight-8 sv unit by Continental. At the other end of the scale, there appeared in 1931 the superb DV (dual valve) 32 Stutz car, to compete with the new multi-cylinder Stutz cars being brought out by Lincoln, Cadillac, Marmon, and others. The Stutz car design was basically similar to that of the SV16 Stutz car, still current, but there were two overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder: 32 Stutz cars in all. The DV32 Stutz car was listed in speedster form, as the Stutz Bearcat, and, on the shorter chassis, as the Stutz Super Bearcat. These stubby, formidable Stutz cars were guaranteed to exceed 100mph. The expensive, high-quality, specialist Stutz went the way of most of its kind in the Depression years. Intead, the Stutz car company sold, and later made a light delivery van, called the Pak-Age car. This had a rear engine and all-independent suspension, and was current from 1928 to 1938, after which manufacture was taken over by Diamond T.

US, 1970 to date

Stutz Motor Car of America, New York, N.Y.

Unlike replica cars such as the Auburn and Cord, the makers of the Stutz Blackhawk coupé merely borrowed the name of the pre-war Stutz car for their machine. The Stutz car was powered by a 6½-litre Pontiac V8 engine stripped and modified so that the original output of 365bhp was raised to 425bhp. This was mounted in a modified Pontiac chassis, and the Virgil Exner-designed body was hand-built by Carrozzeria Padana of Modena, Italy, where the final assembly of the Stutz cars was done. The first Stutz car model, the 2-door hardtop, was priced at $22.500; a new Stutz car model for 1972 was a 4-door saloon using an long wheel base Cadillac chassis, and selling for $31.250.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; TRN, GNG 

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