A slice of Paris at Beaulieu - see the PreWarCar Otto!

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The Beaulieu Autojumble always brings surprises and normally, after the PWC team leaves the fields on Sunday evening, ideas for next year's event are exchanged. Unfortunately, we usually get distracted by all the other car events and our plans don't always materialize. This year, however, is different. As we told you in an earlier article about the Autojumble, we wanted something interesting to surprise you with, and what could be more special than an early Otto car?

An Otto, you say? We admit it is only a project car at the moment, but that makes it even more fun. The rolling chassis is in pretty good condition, the previous owner restored many of the mechanical parts and the car has some nice features. 
We've put an engine in this French-made car, a Brasier two-cylinder from the same era, but otherwise left it as we found it. Perhaps we will restore it ourselves until we find someone else with a love for such cars. For us, the most important thing is to preserve it, as we have found that very little is known about the Otto marque.

According to Georgano's bible, the Sté. Générale des Voitures Automobiles Otto built cars in the famous 15th arrondissement of Paris, the district where André Citroën later had his factory, between 1901 and 1914.
To begin with, Otto made two models, a 10hp twin-cylinder horizontal engine and a 20hp four-cylinder. Both had chain-drive. The following year, the two- and four-cylinder models were both 10hps, with De Dion-type bonnets and tubular radiators. Little has been said about cars built after 1903 until the appearance of the F.L. models in 1909. Another source we asked for information produced an advertisement for a 'Culmen' built by Otto.
This advertisement describes a number of features similar to our car, but also some differences. What we know is that the Otto name is cast in various parts like the differential, gearbox, pedals, brakes, steering box for instance. Our radiator resembles both the Culmen's and the other Otto which is shown in Georgano and now displayed at the Le Mans Museum.

Currently, we have heard of only four Ottos in total: ours, the 1903 car in the Georgano encyclopædia, the Le Mans exhibit and one in a private collection in France. We hope someone else can tell us more about the make and our particular car.

The car will be on the PreWarCar.com stand at Beaulieu if you'd like to see it in person and tell us all your thoughts and theories about this wonderful marque and the amazing project we have on our hands (do we need to put an aero-engine in it?).

The Beaulieu Autojumble will take place on September 2nd and 3rd, 2023. Our stand is G338/G339/G340 (near the food corner). See you there.

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