Züst

Italy, 1905 – 1917

(1) Ing. Roberto Züst Fabbrica Italiana di Automobili SA, Milan, 1905 – 1911

(2) Brixia-Züst SA, Brescia, 1906 – 1911

(3) Fabbrica Automobili Züst, Brescia, 1912 – 1917

The Swiss-born engineer Roberto Züst made turbines at Intra on Lake Maggiore and left his company to his sons on his death in 1897. There seem to have been some experiments with Züst cars at the turn of the century, but serious Züst car manufacture did not begin until the establishment of the Milan works in 1905. The first Züst cars were typical Italian interpretations of the Mercedes-theme, with four pair-cast cylinders, low-tension magneto ignition, pressed-steel frame, 4-speed gate-change gearboxes and side-chain drive. There was, however, one big difference: what appeared to be a T-head engine was not, since on Züst cars the second camshaft merely actuated the make-and-break. Two Züst cars were made at first, a 7.4-litre 28/45 Züst carand an 11.3-litre 40/50Züst car; these Züst carwere joined by a smaller 5-litre Züst car in 1908. Züst cars of this type were still being marketed as late as 1913, and a 28/45 Züst car took 3rd place in the 1908 New York-Paris marathon.

In 1906 an associate Züst car company was set up in Brescia (the Latin name for the city was Brixia) to make more economical Züst cars such as the 14/18hp Brixia-Züst car with high-tension magneto ignition and shaft drive. Two years later they made a bid for the economy market with a 1.4-litre three-in-line Brixia-Züst car rated at 10hp. Cylinders were cast monobloc, and this Züst car had a true T-head; 150 Züst cars of a 1½-litre development served as taxicabs in London in 1910. Meanwhile the Milan-built Züst cars continued with little change until 1910 when a shaft-driven L-head 3-litre 16/20 Züst car was marketed, still with pair-cast cylinders. By this time the Brescia operation had been losing money for several years, and even a small 2.3-litre four Brixia-Züst carmade little impression. The two Züst car concerns were therefore merged at the end of 1911, and production concentrated at Brescia, where more developments of the 16/20 theme made their appearance. The Züst cars came in 2.9-litre, 6.2-litre and 7.4-litre sizes, the biggest of the Züst car range having lightweight connecting rods and pistons, frontal and flywheel fans, and the options of Riley wire wheels and dual ignition. Monobloc engines and rear-shaped radiators à la Fiat were seen on the 4.7-litre S305 Züst car of 1913, a 60mph car with all its brakes on the rear wheels. Two years later the 2.9-litre 15/25 Züst car was updated in like fashion, but at the end of 1917 Züst cars sold out to the Officine Meccaniche. This firm continued production of S305s under the OM name.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; MCS

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