What is it? Quiz #463

Today we have a picture of a nice roadster with an enormous hood. The car was built by a small company in a small country. Production started in 1921 and after one year the company settled to another (bigger) country, where the car was built in small numbers till 1924. Exceptional was the engine, that powered the car: a five-cylinder radial engine as you would usually suspect in an airplane. But with a capacity of ''only'' 1.5 litres and an output of 27 HP, it would have been a very small plane. Highspeed of the 600 kg car was 60 mph. Different body styles were available: you had the choice between two and four seats in open and closed body. Since 1923 you also had the choice of a bigger engine and a racecar, both still with the now upgraded air-cooled radial engine.

You know the car? Or you want to make a guess? Then please leave your answer in a comment before Monday. Don´t forget, use no more than 100 words and we will add your points to your account for the six-months-competition.

Words and photographs by Hubertus Hansmann.

Originally posted on February 10, 2018

Published:

Thursday April 3rd, 2025

Keith Kuehn

04 April 2025, 01:07

Looks like it was an easy one to figure out. A magnificent looking car! Do any still exist? Most likely not, but one can hope...

Steffen Eitel

02 April 2025, 12:53

Hello Hubertus Hansmann,

Yesterday I was once again searching the internet for information about Turbo-Motoren cars and came across the photograph of the car that my grandfather Friedrich "Fritz" Eitel drove to victory in the 1924 Solitude race in Stuttgart. Please note the attached picture.

Best regards,
Steffen Eitel
Germany
April 2nd, 2025 (Translated by Google)
--------------------------------------------------------
Guten Tag Hubertus Hansmann,
Gestern habe ich mal wieder im Internet Informationen zum Auto Turbo Motoren gesucht und bin auf eine Fotographie des Wagens gestoßen, den mein Großvater Friedrich (Fritz) Eitel 1924 in Stuttgart bei dem Rennen auf der Solitude zum Sieg gefahren hat.
Mit vielen Grüßen
Steffen Eitel, Germany, 02.04.2025

Henk Visscher

11 February 2018, 22:49

“Swiss made and nevertheless cheap”. With this paradox, G.W. Müller & Co., Oerlikon, marketed in 1921-1922 their air-cooled, 5-cylinder, 1.5-litre star-engined Turbo. There was little response, and Müller decided to try his luck in hyperinflation-plagued Germany. In 1923 he established Turbomotoren AG in Stuttgart. Both 1.5-litre (6/25HP) and 2-litre (8/32HP) models were offered in 1923-1924, but there is no evidence of any production. The only documented German Turbos are three 2-litre sports variants (picture) with a remarkably prolonged wheelbase and highly tuned (75HP) engines. These were successful in the 1924 and 1925 Solitude races, with class wins by Friedrich Eitel.

fritz

11 February 2018, 21:53

quiz #463

Dear prewarcar-team,
dear Hubertus,

nice quiz, here my solution:

Turbo, 1443 cc-ohv-engine, 27 hp, with multi disc-clutch and 3- and 4-speed-gearbox, built in 1921 by G.W. Müller & Co.in Oerlikon/Suisse, in 1922 moving to Stuttgart/Gaisburg, there working as Turbo-Motoren-AG.
The cars were very long, but not heavy, starting with around 600kg.
Other available 5cyl-radial-engines: 6/25 hp with 1540 cc and 8/32 hp with 1980 cc.
All available as 2 / 4seater roadster and sedan.
Palmares: 1924 Solitude-race: sports model 75 hp with 140 km/h top speed. Three Turbos started, the driver Friedrich Eitel got the victory in the class of automobiles up to 8 hp.

Best regards from the Nahe-valley
Fritz

LUC RYCKAERT

11 February 2018, 19:00

"1924 Turbo-Motoren AG" From 1921, the Swiss firm "GW Müller & co", based in Oerlikon (Zurich) built cars with radial 5 cylinder engines, available as 2 and 4 seaters. In 1923, the firm moved to Stuttgart Gainburg and continued the production of the 6/27 HP and 8/32 HP under the "Turbo-Motoren AG" name. The Sports model delivered 75 HP and could reach 140 km/h. Turbo cars came first (Friedrich Eitel) and third (Mr. Müller himself) in the 8 HP class of the 1924 Solitude Bergrennen. Sadly this racing succes had no positive effect on the order book, and later that year, production came to an end.

Alan Spencer

10 February 2018, 21:45

In 1920, the Swiss G W Muller started building cars in Oerlikon, Zurich under the name Automobilfabrik G W Muller. Muller’s design featured a 1540 cc air-cooled 5-cylinder radial engine, generating 25 hp. In 1923, Muller moved the firm to Gaisburg in Stuttgart, added a 1980 cc engine of similar design, and operated as Turbo-Motoren A G. Turbo also offered a 75 hp 140 kph sports model, three of which competed at Solitude in 1924, Friedrich Eitel winning the 8 hp class, and Muller himself taking third. The old factory at Ulmer Strasse 172 is now occupied by a mosque.

Fried Stol

10 February 2018, 17:48

Turbo. G.W.. Müller & co. in Oerlikon-Zurich made a sleek car in 1921 with an air-cooled five cylinder over-square radial ohv engine. It was vertically mounted in a tubular chassis. Cooling came from four blade copper fins. On request a Soden gearbox was fitted with the speed selector on the dash. After two years production was moved to Germany. Muller started again in Stuttgart the Turbo Motors AG in 1923. The radial engine was now available as type 6/25 HP with 1.5 liter and a type 8/32 HP 1.9 litre unit, but both were unsuccesful. In 1924, the production stopped.

Gerd Klioba

10 February 2018, 17:18

This is the 1923 Turbo-Wagen 8/32 PS. The Turbo was originally built as the 6/25 PS by the Automobilfabrik G.W.Müller & Co. of Zürich-Oerlikon, but Müller moved to Stuttgart-Gaisburg where he founded the Turbo-Motoren AG in 1923. The Turbo had a tubular chassis with coil-spring suspension. The Soden gearbox was placed in the middle of the chassis, linked with prop shafts to the clutch as well as the rear differential. Three 75 hp Turbo racecars started at the 1924 Solitude race where Turbo driver Friedrich Eitel won its class, another Turbo driven by Müller finishing third.

Fёdor

10 February 2018, 12:53

The "Turbo" was produced in Switzerland from 1921 to 1922, and in Germany from 1923 to 1924

What is it? Quiz #463

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