Three mysteries spanning three periods, none an Imperia

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When even specialists no longer have the answers, they turn to us. And when we too must acknowledge that our knowledge has its limits, we do what enthusiasts have done for more than a century: we turn to one another. In this way, knowledge continues to circulate, and puzzles are shared and, sometimes, solved.

With that spirit of mutual assistance in mind – and fitting the mood of the approaching festive season – we present today three photographs that were sent to us by Josef de Baets. Josef is a recognised authority on the Imperia marque and possesses an exceptionally extensive body of documentation. The images he shared with us are of high quality, but unfortunately only sparsely documented. That, in itself, makes them all the more intriguing.

On the reverse of the first photograph is written: Theo Verdonck + 1913. At that time, Theo Verdonck was employed at the Auto-Palace garage owned by Mr De Schaapmeester, located on the Tentoonstellingslaan in Ghent. According to the information available to us, this was not a single-marque dealership, but a sales and repair garage representing several makes, including Minerva, FN and Delaunay-Belleville.

Based on the silhouette and constructional details, however, the car depicted appears to be older than 1913. For the time being, we estimate a build date around 1904, although conclusive evidence to confirm this is lacking.

The second photograph immediately raises questions due to a striking accessory mounted on the wheels. Josef asked us what purpose this might have served. Our initial thought was that it was a practical device intended to remove road dirt – and, in those days, not infrequently horse manure – from the wheels. We cannot, however, state this with certainty.

What is clear is that the car was used intensively. The front tyre shows a visible repair, and the headlamps are missing. Registration number 11010 was issued to Le Blanc Gaston, residing at 23 rue Solferino, Lille, France. Based on the general proportions and technical characteristics, we suspect that this may be a 20 hp Crossley, although this too remains a hypothesis for now.

The third photograph dates from a later period and is easier to place. Thanks to the characteristic appearance of the car and the clearly visible British registration plate, we were able to locate a comparable image in our archive. All indications suggest that this is a 1921 Blériot-Whippet, a typical cyclecar built by the British company Air Navigation & Engineering Co. Ltd..

Registration XF6338 is often cited as the only surviving example. Whether this car is still actually on the road today is unknown to us.

We hope that you may be able to assist us further.

Words: Laurens Klein

Photos: Josef de Baets

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