Tag Archives: Maybach

Airship Powered Belgian – Métallurgique 60/80 Maybach

In 1898 the Belgian manufacturer of railway locomotives and rolling stock Métallurgique in an effort to diversify unveiled it’s first prototype car that resembled the contemporary German two cylinder Daimlers.

Encouraged by the public’s enthusiastic response Métallurgique built a factory for car manufacture in 1900 and launched it’s first 2 cylinder model for sale in 1901 before expanding it’s range to include four cylinder models with pressed-steel chassis, swing axles, high-tension ignition and with a novel for the period electric dynamo option to facilitate electric lighting.

Métallurgique 60/80 hp Maybach, Brian Moore, Chateau Impney

The companies pre 1914/18 range was topped by the 60/80 model that was powered by a 4 cylinder 10 litre / 610 cui motor that could reach speeds of 62.5 mph.

Métallurgique 60/80 hp Maybach, Brian Moore, Chateau Impney

The engine today’s featured 60/80 car is said to have been swapped for it’s current 6 cylinder 21 litre / 1281 cui Maybach airship motor in 1910 when the motor was new, one source suggests this was allegedly done to satisfy run away school boy turned racer David Loney Bruce Brown’s requirement that the Métallurgique should have a 100mph capability, but I have not seen any independent corroborating evidence backing the allegation.

Métallurgique 60/80 hp Maybach, Brian Moore, Chateau Impney

MM 1907 was first registered for use on British roads on 17th of May 1950, thanks to the “YoungManGoneWest” blog published in August 2011 we know that Douglas Fitzpatrick, believed to be Douglas Bader’s flying instructor, appears to have owned this Métallurgique from at least 1957 as evidenced by a Pathé newsreel that show’s him polishing the car at Beaulieu and that he drove it in the Brighton Speed Trials in 1959, ’61 and ’64, Douglas reckoned his Métallurgique was capable of 120 mph in one report on Bizarre Cars in 1966.

Métallurgique 60/80 hp Maybach, Brian Moore, Chateau Impney

A Dutchman Ad Schuring who visited Douglas Fitzpatrick at Sheringham Hall in Norfolk and was taken for rides in the Métallurgique seems to recall that the 60/80 appeared in non staring rolls in the films Around the World in 80 Days 1956 and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang 1968.

Douglas Fitzpatrick had a German called Gerry, who lived above the garages at Sheringham Hall, look after the Métallurgique along with his other cars that included an Achilles, a Wolseley Siddley, a brace of Rolls Royces and a supercharged Singer Gazelle.

Brian Moore is seen at the wheel of the Métallurgique 60/80 Maybach in these photograph’s at Chateau Impney Hillclimb last year, if you happen to know anything about the veracity of the story about David Loney Bruce Brown’s involvement with the fitting of the Maybach engine to this Métallurgique in 1910 please do not hesitate to chime in below.

Thanks for joining me on this “Airship Powered Belgian” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow for another visit to Aust Services. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Zeppelin Airship Power – Maybach Spezial-Rennwagen

Today’s featured 1920 Maybach Spezial-Rennwagen like last weeks featured Brutus is run and operated by the Auto & Technik Museum Sinsheim.

Maybach Spezial-Rennwagen, Cholmondeley Pageant of Power, Cholmondeley Castle

Maybach’s first car built in 1919 is said to have used a proprietary chassis, most likely from Daimler considering that Wilhelm Maybach was not only an almost life long friend of Gottlieb Daimler, but also his former assistant.

Maybach Spezial-Rennwagen, Cholmondeley Pageant of Power, Cholmondeley Castle

If the 1920 date for today’s featured vehicle is correct then the this car was built before Maybach ever showed a vehicle in public, since that did not occur until the Maybach W3 appeared at the Berlin Show in 1921.

Maybach Spezial-Rennwagen, Cholmondeley Pageant of Power, Cholmondeley Castle

My suspicion is that like Brutus, the Napier Bentley, the GN JAP and numerous other Curtiss engined specials, the Maybach Spezial-Rennwagen is another creation made from an assortment of vintage parts.

Maybach Spezial-Rennwagen, Cholmondeley Pageant of Power, Cholmondeley Castle

The 6 cylinder engine for the Maybach Spezial-Rennwagen is said to have been built for use in Zeppelin’s, Maybach’s Luftfahrzeug Motoren GmbH was founded as a subsidiary of Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH in order to build motors for airships in 1909.

Maybach Spezial-Rennwagen, Cholmondeley Pageant of Power, Cholmondeley Castle

The engine size is quoted as 23 litres which is the same as the Maybach Mb IVa
motors built from 1916 to 1918 used to power the Zeppelin airships LZ 105 to 114.

Maybach Spezial-Rennwagen, Cholmondeley Pageant of Power, Cholmondeley Castle

In theory the Maybach Mb IVa could produce 300 hp at sea level but because the engine was designed for maximum power at high altitude the motor had to be restrained to producing just 245hp at sea level in order to enhance it’s longevity, this is still enough to easily propel the Maybach Spezial-Rennwagen seen in these photographs at Cholmondeley Pageant of Power to 100 mph.

Thanks for joining me on this “Zeppelin Airship Power” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at some of the competitors vehicles at the recent Great Western Sprint at Castle Combe. Don’t forget to come back now !

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It’s Not Simplex – Mercedes Simplex

On the 1st of March 1902 the; former organiser of steam train races on the Morovian railway, diplomat, tobacco trader, insurance inspector and entrepreneur who sat on the board of the Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft (DMG), Emil Jellinek took delivery of the very first Mercedes Simplex in Nice, France, a month ahead of the Nice – La Turbie Hillclmb into which it was entered for E.T.Stead. A second Simplex was entered in the same event to be driven by Albert Lemaître, official winner of ‘the world’s first competitive motoring event’ from Paris to Rouen in 1897.

Mercedes Simplex, Exeter Trial,

As the 35hp Mercedes, driven by Wilhelm Werner, of 1901 had done the new Simplex model swept to a 1-2 victory with Stead leading Lemaítre home. After Werner had won the Frankfurt circuit race later in the same year he and Otto Hieronimus returned to Nice in 1903 and claimed another 1-2 for the Simplex model with Otto beating Werner.

Mercedes Simplex, VSCC Prescott

In his pursuit of a “mechanical greyhound” Jellink father of daughter Mercedes who’s name Jellink insisted on selling DMG’s products under, had encouraged Wilhelm Maybach and Gottlieb Daimler’s son Paul to pursue lightweight designs against all contemporary mechanical wisdom. That wisdom had been largely based on experience with steam locomotives which as a general rule of thumb could be reckoned to be faster the bigger they were.

Mercedes Simplex, Exeter Trial,

While the Simplex was not outwardly revolutionary, it followed the Panard Systém with the engine at the front and rear wheel drive it was the detail improvements which made it such a good performer. In particular the transmission featured 4 forward speeds that were engaged by the worlds first foot operated (Simplex) spring pressure clutch which made changing gears a good deal easier and faster.

Mercedes Simplex, Goodwood Festival of Speed

By enclosing the motor from above and below the Simplex relied on the draft of air through the worlds first honeycomb radiator to cool the motor which was not fitted with a cooling fan, but instead relied for a draft on the air vanes built into the 60 cm / 23 5/8ths inch flywheel. This improved cooling system allowed a 2 litre saving in water coolant over the previous model, now only 7 litres 1.5 gallons of water were required to cool the four cylinder motor.

Mercedes Simplex, Exeter Trial,

Interestingly the vehicle was not only fitted with regular rear wheel brakes as were most vehicles of the time but it was also fitted with a band brake acting on a shaft connecting the gearbox to the sprocket shaft which was also actuated by a foot pedal. When ever the brakes were applied water dripped from a reservoir onto the friction surfaces to keep them cool.

Mercedes Simplex, Goodwood Festival of Speed

At the Berlin Motor Show in 1903 when the Simplex was presented to Emperor Wilhelm II he is alleged to have shared some Imperial Prussian humour with Wilhelm Maybach, saying “A truly beautiful engine you have here! But it’s not as simplex as that, you know.” Polish Count Zborowski crashed his Simplex out of the 1903 Nice – La Turbine hillclimb but Mercedes honour was salvaged later in the week when Hermann Braun won the Nice Mile race on the Promenade des Anglais.

Mercedes Simplex, Exeter Trial,

Originally fitted with a 6,786 cc / 411 cui 40 hp motor later models, like today’s featured 1903 example driven by Ben Collings in the Exeter Trial with his father in the passenger seat and at Prescott, were fitted with a 9,236 cc / 563 cui producing 60hp at under 1500 rpm. A further race victory was achieved by Belgian Camille ‘Red Devil’ Jenatzy in the 1903 Gordon Bennett Cup run over a 40 mile closed figure of eight road course marshalled by over 2,000 police officers. This victory was only achieved after Mercedes lost their intended three 12.7 litre / 775 cui 90 hp machines, along with 87 further vehicles, in a fire at DMG’s Cannstatt plant and the factory had borrowed three 60hp Simplex vehicles from their customers to enter the race, the winning #4 car was lent by US millionaire Clarence Clay Dinsmore.

Mercedes Simplex, Goodwood Festival of Speed

On March 14th 1902 Billionaire William K. Vanderbilt Jr took delivery of the fifth 40 hp Simplex to be built from the Cannstadt factory and drove it 600 kms to Paris where he arrived the following day, this was the first of several Simplex models Vanderbilt would own and this car is thought to be not only the oldest surviving Simplex, but the oldest surviving Mercedes in the world. In January 1904 Vanderbilt briefly held claim to the land speed record when he recorded a speed of over 92 mph at the wheel of a 90hp Simplex at Daytona Beach.

Mercedes Simplex, Exeter Trial,

Louis Rigolly raised the record to 95.705 mph driving a Gobron-Brillie in Nice 2 months later. Pierre de Caters driving a 90 hp Simplex at Ostend in Belgium raised the bar to just over 97mph in May 1904 before Louis Rigolly became the first man to exceed 100 mph when he was timed at 103 mph driving his Gobron-Brillie Ostend in July 1904.

Manufactured from 1902 to 1909 there are thought to be just 13 Simplex cars still in existence, GV 602 has been in the Collings family for many decades.

Thanks for joining me on this “It’s not Simplex” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a how the Red Bull young guns team got on in the 2013 Formula One Championship. Don’t forget to come back now !

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