Pre-War Classics Of The Road – Part 13

1911 Empire


Known as the ‘Little Aristocrat’, the Empire 20hp car was built in Indianapolis . Like so many American cars, it made use of proprietary components, such as a four-cylinder bi-block GBS engine. Open raceabout bodywork, such as that shown here, was fashionable wear on many American chassis of this period. In 1912, production of Empire cars was shifted from Indianapolis to Greenville, Pennsylvania.

 

1911 Hansa

A real Edwardian ‘boy-racer’, the 7/20hp Hansa Type B had a four cylinder engine with overhead valves, and was capable of some 50mph flat out. An aggressively raked bonnet and flared wings all contributed to the appeal of this model, which was the star attraction of Hansa’s stand at the 1911 Berlin Motor Show. Despite its sporting image, the Hansa won more prizes for styling than for competition success.

 

1911 Rolls-Royce

Like Henry Ford, Henry Royce achieved his greatest fame by adhering to a policy of producing just one model for the span of nineteen years. In Royce’s case, the car was the 40/50hp Rolls-Royce, first announced in 1906. Initially, the 40/50hp (familiarly known as the ‘Silver Ghost’. after the thirteenth car of this type) had a 7036cc, six cylinder engine, but in 1909 the swept volume was raised to 7428cc. This 1911 40/50 has touring coachwork by Barker & Co.

 

1912 Darracq

In 1912, Alexandre Darracq announced that the new models from his factory at Sureness would be fitted with the Henriod ‘valveless’ engine (which in fact had more valve than conventional power units, as a rotating valve shaft, connecting inlet and exhaust passages alternately with a single port per cylinder, was employed). The Henriod engine proved gutless and liable to seize irrevocably; poppet-valve models (bottom right) saved the day.

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