VETERAN CAR GUIDE
Amédée Bollée The Bollée family first began producing vehicles in 1873 , when Amédée-Ernest Bollée , who had been running the family bell foundry at Le Mans , built his first steam vehicle , the 12-seater L ’ Obéissant . Steam vehicle production notably included the La Mancelle , generally regarded as the first series production automobile with 50 built . In 1887 his son Amédée- Ernest-Marie Bollée built a prototype gasoline engine and by 1896 Amédée-Jr had developed an internal combustion engine , and launched his first gasoline car , the Type D , that same year . Aimed at the luxury market , the Type D had a 6 hp engine with two horizontal-facing cylinders . It sold well - as many as 100 a year – and was licensed by De Dietrich for production in Germany .
American Bicycle Co In September 1900 , the American Bicycle Company of Toledo , Ohio , announced they would stop building bicycles in favour of steam automobiles . Its first steam car debuted at the New York Auto Show that year under the name Billings ( after its designer , Frederick Billings ). The first Toledo steam cars were powered by 2-cylinder engines producing 6¼ hp . Steam car production stopped at the end of 1902 after a petrol car with an 18 hp 3-cylinder engine was introduced .
Argyll An Argyll-branded motor car , inspired by the early De Dion Bouton-engined Renault , was made in 1899 , a year before the Hozier Engineering Company was formed in Glasgow to make it . The 1901 Argyll used a 5hp MMC engine , and it had distinctive horizontal radiators linked by vertical tubes . For 1902 , engines by MMC or Simms were offered , and before the year was out , 10hp and 12hp twin-cylinder and 16hp four-cylinder
1899 Benz engines were listed . In 1904 , a range of front-radiator , Aster-engined vehicles was introduced , including one of 4849cc capacity . The company was known for its magnificent factory and office accommodation that cost £ 220,000 to build in 1906 .
Arrol-Johnston George Johnston played a prominent role in the early days of motor vehicle development in Scotland and was building his own prototypes before the end of 1895 . Sir William Arrol provided the financial backing to launch a company whose first vehicle was a six-seater dogcart , powered by a 10hp , twin-cylinder opposedpiston engine , mounted beneath the floor . The chain drive , high-wheeled , solid tyre , horse carriage type of body , was conservative on launch day , but positively anachronistic by 1906 . Nevertheless , it sold well in Scotland , where it coped admirably with the poor quality , undulating terrain . The company merged with Aster in 1927 .
Autocar Autocars were built in Ardmore , Pennsylvania , USA from 1900 , following the re-location of the original Pittsburgh Motor Vehicle Company . The first Autocar was a two-seater runabout with a 3hp single-cylinder and chain drive . The following year ’ s 6hp , twin-cylinder car may have been America ’ s first shaft-driven car with more than one cylinder . For 1904 , the Autocar was equipped with an 11hp horizontal-mounted flat twin engine , and three-speed transmission . Early Autocars had left-hand tiller steering , and when wheel steering was introduced on the 1905 model , the wheel remained on the left .
Barré Barré was an automobile manufacturer based in Niort , France . At the 1899 Paris Salon , the company exhibited a light car with a 4hp Gaillardet engine , two-speed transmission and belt drive . For 1901 , their vehicles were equipped with a choice of single cylinder De Dion Bouton engines , two-cylinder units from Aster , or four-cylinder ones from Buchet . From 1903 , core components were sourced from Lacoste et Battmann , including tubular chassis for the smallerengined vehicles , and the larger engines were housed in wood and flitch plate frames . All had three-speed gearboxes with direct drive on top and shaft drive .
Benz Karl Benz was a motoring pioneer who made the first petrol-engined car to run successfully . His factory was at Mannheim , Germany where the 1.5hp , two-speed Patent-Motorwagen went into production in 1888 . The growth in engine capacity along with a license
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