VETERAN CAR GUIDE
He had a significant involvement in the development of power units for racing tricycles and quadricycles . He did this by increasing the size of the cylinder bore , or by lengthening the stroke of standard engines . The advertising literature indicates that from 1902 he variously produced 6hp single cylinder vehicles , twin cylinder cars of 12hp and 16hp , as well as a 20hp four-cylinder machine . Only one 6hp model is known to survive , and it is possible that Deckert re-badged or upgraded vehicles that were made by companies such as Lacoste et Battmann or Malicet & Blin .
1904 English Mechanic .
De Dion Bouton was comfortably the largest producer of compact , lightweight , high-revving single cylinder engines , which it supplied to many other manufacturers . Rear-engined , two-seater voiturettes were launched in 1899 , followed by front-engined vehicles in 1901 that were equipped with more powerful engines , as passenger capacity expanded , including two twin cylinder options from 1903 . The use of expanding clutch gearboxes and Cardan shaft transmission was consistent across all models .
Decauville The Decauville company was based at Seine-et-Oise , France , and in 1898 it produced a small tubular-framed car powered by two 1.75hp De Dion Bouton engines on the same crankcase mounted under the seat , with a two-speed gearbox , called a voiturelle . The front suspension was independent , by a transverse spring and sliding pillars , and was the first known example of IFS on a petrol-engined car . There was no rear suspension . By 1899 , a water-cooled engine of 5hp had been installed , along with rear suspension and a three-speed gearbox . For 1900 , an 8hp in-line twin , 1416cc engine was placed in the front , with a round bonnet and dashboard radiator , and now there was a four-speed gearbox . This was followed by a model with a 2090cc , twin cylinder engine with a fully floating rear axle that achieved prominence because Henry Royce used several design features in his first Royce car of 1904 . Thereafter the company focused on twin cylinder 12 / 14hp and larger four-cylinder vehicles .
Deckert Henri Deckert initially promoted his Paris-based business in the 1890s as ‘ Transformation de Moteurs ’.
Delahaye Emile Delahaye began manufacturing motor cars on a limited scale in the mid-1890s in Tours , France , and participated in the 1896 Paris-Marseille-Paris race in 1896 . The vehicle he used had certain characteristics of an early Benz , but the steel frame was tubular , and the tyres were pneumatic . Léon Desmaris and Georges Morane bought the business in 1897 , and gradually moved the production to Paris . Delahaye ’ s 6hp Type 0 was replaced with the Type OA in 1901 , and there were Types 6 , 7 , and 8 , each with horizontal engines . In 1902 , a vertical twin appeared , with a 12hp , 2194cc engine , and thereafter there were numerous engine upgrades , revised chassis lengths , and transmission arrangements . In 1904 , it was possible to buy a 5320cc , four-cylinder model .
Dennis John and Raymond Dennis manufactured ‘ Speed King ’ bicycles initially , and then turned their attention , in 1899 , to motor tricycles and quadricycles , and then Dennis-branded motor cars from 1901 . The Dennis company , despite its expressed focus on technical development , procured its chassis in complete form from Lacoste et Battmann . Along with Speedwell and Brush , it was one of the earliest adopters of complete vehicles from Paris that it simply re-badged . The company offered a single cylinder shaft-driven vehicle with a De Dion Bouton engine of 8hp , and from 1903 there was a twin cylinder 12-14hp option , or the larger , four cylinder 16-20hp model , both made by Aster . Dennis cars from 1904 were characterised by their overhead worm-drive transmission .
English Mechanic A magazine called English Mechanic and World of Science and Art was launched at the turn of the century and featured design templates and construction instructions for cars that could be built at home . The originator was T Hyler White . The series started in May 1899 with a tricycle featuring a 1.75hp De Dion Bouton engine . In January 1900 , the first of 56 weekly parts on ‘ A small car and how to build it ’
50 The London to Brighton Veteran Car Run