RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run 2022 | Page 44

VETERAN CAR GUIDE
Phoenix There are several marques known as Phoenix . The most well-known made a tricycle called Phoenix Trimo powered by a Minerva engine .
Pierce George Norman Pierce was a businessman in Buffalo , New York , USA . He made a range of domestic goods and bicycles , and towards the end of 1901 , 25 Pierce Motorettes ( called the Knockabout ) with 2.75 singlecylinder engines were made . The design was by an Englishman named David Fergusson . The Runabout followed in 1902 with a 3.5hp De Dion engine . In 1903 , Fergusson made the company ’ s first front-engined car with a 15hp twin-cylinder De Dion engine , and called it the Arrow .
Pope-Toledo One of Colonel Pope ’ s enterprises was the International Bicycle Company in Toledo , Ohio , USA . It made two models of petrol-driven cars in 1904 , a 14hp twin-cylinder and a 24hp four-cylinder .
Rambler Two Englishmen , Thomas B Jeffery and R Philip Gormully , made bicycles in Chicago in the 1890s . They also had a factory in Coventry , England . After the death of Gormully in 1900 , Jeffery and his son bought a large factory in Kenosha , Wisconsin . They produced the Model C with a single-cylinder engine under the seat and single chain drive , and automatic advance and retard . In 1902 , 1500 sold at $ 750 each . The single-cylinder continued until 1905 with increased engine and wheelbase , and twin-cylinder cars in 1904 , when 3342 were produced .
Raynaud Based in Flayosc in the Southern Var region of France , roughly 40 miles inland from St Tropez , between Marseille and Cannes , Claude Raynaud ran an electric engineering business . The Raynaud may well be the only car of its kind because it is believed that Mr Raynaud ’ s vehicle was intended for his own personal use . It is not known whether Raynaud ’ s plan would have been to further expand his collection of cars or in turn expand it into a business venture . on top . Helped by his brothers , he set up the company and production commenced using De Dion or Aster engines . Improvements were continuous , and in 1902 he started to use engines of Renault design . Racing and building racing cars were an integral part of the company . Marcel Renault won the 1902 Paris to Vienna in the four-cylinder car . Six cars were prepared for the 1903 Paris to Madrid . Marcel was killed and the race stopped at Bordeaux , and Louis did not race again .
Rochet Rochet was a French cycle manufacturer . In 1902 , it made a small car driven by a 4.5hp single-cylinder Aster engine . In 1904 , the licence to make these was acquired by Daneels of Ghent .
Rochet-Schneider Founded in 1894 , this company manufactured highquality cars that were originally modelled on the Benz system , being rear-engined with single horizontal cylinder up to 1901 . After that , Rochet-Schneider changed the design to the more conventional Systeme Panhard with the engine up front , two or four vertical cylinders , and updated it again in 1903 to imitate the latest Mercedes designs .
Rover The first branded ‘ Rover ’ machine was a two-wheeled pedal cycle , manufactured in 1888 by John Kemp Starley , which rapidly led to the Ordinary or Penny Farthing bicycle becoming obsolete . The first motor vehicle , an 8hp single-cylinder car with an aluminium backbone frame , was launched in 1904 before a more conventional 6hp model appeared the following year .
1902 Renault .
Renault Louis Renault built a very small car in Billancourt , France . Its wheelbase was only 43 inches , and it featured a tubular frame and a small hp De Dion engine . It was an advanced design with front-mounted engine , wheel steering , and his very special final drive by shaft to a bevel gear on the back axle ( no chain or belt drive ). The three-speed gearbox had direct drive
44 The London to Brighton Veteran Car Run