VETERAN CAR GUIDE
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 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.
Aster The Aster company, established in Paris during 1898, was a well-known manufacturer initially of engines and, subsequently, of a wide range of components from spark plugs to chassis. In 1898, the Begbie Manufacturing Company of Wembley, was licensed to make engines. Engines of all types were supplied to many other tricycle and motor car manufacturers, including Argyll, Dennis, Swift and Gladiator. An Asterbranded quadricycle was exhibited in 1900 at the Paris Salon and a 12hp model with a British made chassis was on display at the 1903 Crystal Palace Exhibition. Complete car production was never a feature of the company’ s output.
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.
Baker Electric The Baker Motor Vehicle Company was founded in 1899 by Walter C. Baker, with support from his fatherin-law, Rollin C. White, who later produced cars and trucks under his own‘ White’ brand. Baker had been engaged in electric vehicle development since 1893. The first Baker Electric was a tiller-steered two-seater runabout, which was followed by a better equipped Phaeton Stanhope that was distributed until the end of 1904. Early Baker electric models had a range of 50- 100 miles on a single charge and could reach speeds of up to 23mph. The vehicles were known for their comfortable interiors, and often had leather fenders. Examples of the marque were part of the White House fleet in Washington.
Bardon Founded by Louis Bardon in Puteaux, France in 1899, the company made very few vehicles. The Bardon cars used an unusual opposed-piston layout where two pistons shared a single-cylinder but drove two separate crankshafts with individual flywheels geared together. They propelled the car through a sliding pinion transmission and double chain final drive. The company merged briefly with Gaillarder, builder of the Doctoresse car, in 1901, and some Bardon cars were built at the Gaillarder factory, before financial and manufacturing constraints caused operations to close in 1903, after which Georges Richard took over the factory space to build Unic cars.
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-
1902 Arrol Johnston
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