Fischer 10/33 CV
Car : Fischer 10/33 CV
Year : 1913
Engine : 4 cylinders in line
Bore and stroke :85?120 mm
Cylinder capacity : 2723.5 cc
Gears : 4 forward
Brake horse power : 33
Maximum speed : 46 mph
Wheelbase :-
Suspension : front: semi-elliptic leaf- springs ; rear : elliptic leaf- springs
This make also had a short life (from 1909 to 1914). It was founded in Zurich by Martin Fischer who had gained his design experience at Turicum and who was considered one of his country’s most versatile and eclectic designers. Amongst other things he invented a gearbox with internally toothed pinions and a sleeve valve engine.

The 10/33 was a successful model. It incorporated the two technical features already mentioned and its wheels could be fitted quickly because there was only a single, central bolt. The front-mounted engine was water cooled and developed 33 bhp at 1,200 revs. The 10/33 had shaft drive, Bosch magneto ignition and a multi-plate clutch. The brake pedal acted on the transmission and the hand brake controlled drum brakes.
Before the outbreak of the First World War Fischer had designed a 6-cylinder car but he was only able to produce three examples. After the war he began again as an independent designer putting forward, in 1919 , an idea for a small car with seats in tandem, and in 1921 a new engine with sleeve valves which he handed over to a German firm.
Fischer’s most valuable invention was perhaps the gearbox with internally toothed gear-wheels.

Germain 18/22 HP
Car : Germain 18/22 HP
Year : 1905
Engine :4 cylinders in line
Bore and stroke :102?110 mm
Cylinder capacity : 3595 cc
Gears : 3 forward
Brake horse power : 22
Maximum speed : 42mph
Wheelbase :9 ft 3 ins (2.82m)
Suspension : front: semi-elliptic leaf- springs ; rear : ?elliptic leaf- springs
Founded in 1897, in Monceau-sur-Sambre, Germain began by assembling Daimler cars. Only in 1903 did it start independent production with the 15/18 HP which had an engine with an L-shaped cylinder head and dual ignition. The 35 HP had a rounded radiator and this became a characteristic of the make. In 1905 the 14/22 was put into production. This had a T-shaped cylinder head and a 3-speed transmission and was very fast for its capacity (3000 cc). It was thus able to make a name for itself in the racing world. The 18/22 is a derivation of it, the increase in capacity being achieved by increasing the bore (from 92 to 102 mm). This model remained in production until 1914.

Germain was involved in some sporting activity, taking part in the French Grand Prix of 1908. Subsequently the company took up a manufacturing licence for the sleeve-valve engine and its history is strewn with numerous attempts to keep pace with the other Belgian and International makes. The 1914 war put an end to its business. Historically this make will be remembered for the mechanism introduced on the 1906 range of models for lifting the valves. A centrifugal speed governor was fitted which limited the engine speed to 1,000 revs to protect the engine from damaging over-use.

Car : Hispano-Suiza H6 B
Year : 1922
Engine : 6 cylinders in line
Bore and stroke :100?140 mm
Cylinder capacity : 6597 cc
Gears : 3 forward
Brake horse power : 135
Maximum speed : 95 mph
Wheelbase :12 ft 1? ins (3.70 m)
Suspension : front: semi-elliptic leaf- springs ; rear : cantilever springs
The Type 68 and the 68 Bis were launched in 1931 with the specific intent of competing with Rolls-Royce’s cars. The magnificent 12-cylinder engine was, at the time, regarded as a marvel and it is still considered to be one of the most refined units ever to have been put into production.

The first version (9424 cc) developed 220 bhp at 3,000 revs and the second versions (11310 cc, the stroke being increased from 100 to 120 mm) developed 250 bhp. The chassis, like all those built by this company, was especially rigid and was available in light, normal and long versions, thus allowing a wide choice of body. With this car Hispano-Suiza regained its position alongside Rolls-Royce and Duesenberg. However the outbreak of the Second World War placed the company in serious difficulties. The Spanish company was absorbed by ENASA and the French company attempted, with-out success, to re-enter the car market with a V-8 front wheel drive car.

The success that Hispano-Suiza cars were enjoying led to an important step in the company’s history. Both Birkigt and Mateu were convinced that the construction of a second factory in France (at Bois-Colombes near Paris) would increase the sales of the company’s products. In time, the French Hispano-Suiza became much more important than its parent company.
The H6, the first car developed and produced in France and until 1930 the only model built there, is considered to be one of Hispano-Suiza’s most successful cars. At the same time it was also built in Spain, though in small numbers intended mainly for the domestic market and fitted with a 3700 cc engine. Its technical details (the engine developed 135 bhp at 2,750 rpm), its performance (a maximum speed of around 95 mph) and the ease with which it could be driven made the H6 a much admired and sought after model. The engine was a derivative of one built of airplanes; it had a single camshaft, overhead valves, two spark plugs per cylinder, alloy pistons and pressure lubrication was used for the crankshaft, which had seven bearings. The exceptional rigidity of the crankshaft explains why only a 3-speed transmission was required. It had 4 servo-operated drum brakes.

Car : Hispano-Suiza Type 68 and 68 Bis
Year : 1931
Engine :V-12
Bore and stroke :100?100 mm
Cylinder capacity : 9420 cc
Gears : 3 forward
Brake horse power : 220
Maximum speed : 100 mph
Wheelbase :12 ft 5? ins (3.80 m)
Suspension : front and rear : semi-elliptic leaf- springs

Métallurgique 12 CV 12 CV
Car : Métallurgique 12 CV 12 CV
Year : 1910
Engine :4 cylinders in line
Bore and stroke :80?130 mm
Cylinder capacity : 2614 cc
Gears : 4 speed
Brake horse power : 32
Maximum speed : 52 mph
Wheelbase :10 ft 1? ins (3.09 m)
Suspension : front: semi-elliptic leaf- springs ; rear : cantilever springs
In the history of the Belgian car industry, so rich in makes once well known but which have all now disappeared, Métallurgique 12 CV occupies a place in the front rank, in particular because of its intense activity in the sporting field. Founded in 1898 , in Marchienne-au-Pont under the name of SA L’Auto Métallurgique 12 CV, it began by producing cars with twin-cylinder engines.

The company’s destiny took a decisive from Daimler, Ernst Lehmann, was engaged. Lehmann completely changed the products, experimenting with large capacity cars inspired by Mercedes. Metal chassis, honeycomb radiators and 4-cylinder engines with T-shaped cylinder heads (monobloc from 1908 and from 1911 with a 4-speed gearbox) were immediately adopted.
The car illustrated here was the smallest built in the pre-war years and was made until 1914. The pointed radiator became a characteristic of the Métallurgique 12 CV range which used, almost exclusively, Van den Plas bodies. The valve arrangement, a single overhead inlet valve and two side exhaust valves, was distinctive of the sports engines. The Adex brake system with diagonal linkage was noteworthy. Métallurgique 12 CV merged with Minerva in 1927 and production ceased.

Minerva 30 CV
Car : Minerva 30 CV
Year : 1921
Engine :6 cylinders in line
Bore and stroke :90×140 mm
Cylinder capacity : 5344 cc
Gears : 4 forward
Brake horse power : 110
Maximum speed : 75 mph
Wheelbase :11 ft 11 ins (3.63 m)
Suspension : front: semi-elliptic leaf- springs ; rear : cantilever springs
Minerva, perhaps the most famous of the Belgian makes of car, was the creation of a Dutchman, Sylvain de Jong, who had settled at Antwerp and begun by building bicycles and motorcycles. Automobile production started with small capacity cars and expanded into the production of the Minervette, a small car with a 636 cc single-cylinder engine.

De Jong then made a major shift in production , concentrating on large cars. The 30 CV was the first of these with a 6-cylinder engine. It had a monobloc Knight engine with seven main bearings. Initially it had a cone clutch, but on subsequent models this was replaced by a multi-plate clutch. It could reach a speed of 75 mph. Servo brakes were fitted in 1923 and in 1927 the capacity was increased to 6000 cc. With the loss of de Jong in 1928, Minerva stressed the design and construction of luxury cars which, though they earned widespread praise, did not sell well. In 1938 Minerva ceased building their own cars and in 1954 they concentrated on assembling Rovers and Armstrong-Siddeleys. The unveiling of a prototype derived from the CEMSA Caproni F II at the Brussels Motor Show of 1953 was the final attempt to re-start independent production. However, there was no follow-up.

Scania-Vabis 18/20 HP
Car : Scania-Vabis 18/20 HP
Year : 1911
Engine :4 cylinders in line
Bore and stroke :85?100 mm
Cylinder capacity : 2270 cc
Gears : 4 speed
Brake horse power : 22
Maximum speed : 40 mph
Wheelbase :-
Suspension : front and rear : semi-elliptic leaf- springs
The history of the merger between Scania and Vabis for the production of cars is a rather unusual tale. Scania (Maskin A.B. Scania of Malmo) began by producing Humber bicycles and later, cars powered by front-mounted Kamper twin-cylinder engines.

AB Vabis of Sodertalje was founded in 1891 and specialized in the manufacture of railway coaches, starting to build cars in 1897 whilst still carrying on with the former activity. In 1911 Scania and Vabis decided to merge, the former concentrating on truck production and the latter on cars. In 1911 , the year of their agreement , they offered two sorts of car: both each company’s trade mark, differing in size and in degree of finish. In 1914 the two companies amalgamated almost entirely and they used a single trade mark. The 18/20 had a short life, appearing in 1911 and remaining in production for just a year. Until 1924 there was nothing new of importance. The numbers produced by Scania- Vabis were never large and they were subject to the needs of the market. Car production was abandoned in 1929, but Scania –Vabis continued to be a major producer of commercial vehicles and today still trades under the name Scania.

Spyker
Car : Spyker
Year : 1905
Engine :4 cylinders in line
Bore and stroke :90?100 mm
Cylinder capacity : 2546 cc
Gears : 3 forward
Brake horse power : -
Maximum speed : -
Wheelbase :7 ft 9 ins
Suspension : front and rear : semi-elliptic leaf- springs

The Netherlands today, apart from DAF, lacks a car industry but at the beginning of the century it had a very active one. Spyker, in particular , was a leading car manufacturer, producing the first 6-cylinder engine and the first car with 4-wheel drive. The firm started in 1880 by building carriages, but changed over to cars because one of the Spijker brothers (Spijker was their real name) became the Dutch agent for Benz. There was nothing exciting about Jacobus and Hendrik Spijker’s first car. In 1903 they produced the first 6-cylinder engine, shortly before the English Napier, and one of the Dutch firm’s 6-cylinder is known to have appeared in London in 1903. This car also had 4-wheel drive and brakes on each wheel. It was intended for racing, but so far as is known it never competed, and only one was made. Cars made by Spyker were characterized by a rounded radiator.
Spyker’s decline started to become apparent in 1920, as its innovative streak faded, though its last car was a 6-dylinder of high quality. It used a 5700 cc Maybach engine with dual ignition. S. F. Edge set some endurance records in one of these cars. Spyker terminated production in 1925.

Tatra 77
Car : Tatra 77
Year : 1935
Engine :V-8
Bore and stroke :80?84 mm
Cylinder capacity : 3380 cc
Gears : 4 forward
Brake horse power : 60
Maximum speed : 100 mph
Wheelbase :10 ft 4 ins (3.15 m)
Suspension : front: independent with transverse leaf- springs ;
rear : independent with coil springs
The origins of this firm go as far back as 1850, but actual car production did not begin until 1897. This was synonymous with the arrival of Hans Ledwinka, an exceptionally gifted engineer who has left an indelible mark on the history of the car.

The 77, which is considered his masterpiece, appeared at the 1934 Berlin Motor Show, where it excited great interest because of its advanced features, including independent suspension to all four wheels, an air cooled rear mounted V8 engine, hydraulic brakes, a gearbox with 4 synchromesh gears and a centralized lubrication system. The body shape was also highly original, its aerodynamic design being of particular importance. Other ingenious details were the central driver’s seat, the space for luggage under the back seat and the two spare wheels kept in the front trunk. The maximum speed of this highly original car was about 100 mph. The 77 was followed by the 77A which and a reduced capacity of 2900 cc and a maximum speed of about 95 mph. The distinctive body shape of these cars suggested a stylistically similar design to Ferdinand Porsche for his new legendary Volkswagen Beetle. Hans Ledwinka has passed into motoring history as one of the most innovative automobile engineers.