Ye Old Motor Car - A 1904 De Dion Bouton 8-HP!
If you have an interest in Automobiles, why not take a look at my collect of images "here"
A 1904 De Dion Bouton 8-HP, kindly identified by "Daniel"
Count Albert De Dion commissioned Messrs Bouton and Trépardoux, brothers-in-law and jobbing engineers, to build light steam carriages for him as early as 1882. In 1895 attention was switched to the fashionable new internal combustion engine and De Dion Bouton et Cie were marketing a diminutive petrol engined tricycle. These early tricycles were powered by Bouton's new, high speed, single cylinder, vertical engine which revved at almost twice the speed of the contemporary Daimlers. By 1899 the company was marketing a 3 1/2hp Voiturette, an all new generation of four wheel motor car with rear mounted engine driving through a system of gears to the rear wheels. With the new car came the renowned De Dion rear axle – then years ahead of its time. A larger 4 1/2hp engine was offered in the vis-à-vis models from 1900 and with this power unit the car had a comfortable running speed of 25mph although braking ability was a limiting factor. By 1904 De Dion Bouton was firmly established as France's most prolific motor car manufacturer, their fast-revving engines having set new standards in engine design at the turn of the century. Early rear-engined models gave way to a new generation of front-engined cars for the 1902 season, again single cylinder models with atmospheric inlet valve and mechanical exhaust valve. These engines were so successful that De Dion sold them to many other manufacturers and had they simply sold engines alone, the De Dion Bouton operation would still have been a very substantial enterprise. De Dion's gearbox was virtually foolproof for the first time car driver, the fast-revving engines were supremely reliable and De Dion back-up and service was second-to-none. The number of surviving cars is testimony to their popularity and build quality and the single cylinder 8hp model of 1904 was the undoubted leader in its peer group.
Ye Old Motor Car - A 1904 De Dion Bouton 8-HP!
If you have an interest in Automobiles, why not take a look at my collect of images "here"
A 1904 De Dion Bouton 8-HP, kindly identified by "Daniel"
Count Albert De Dion commissioned Messrs Bouton and Trépardoux, brothers-in-law and jobbing engineers, to build light steam carriages for him as early as 1882. In 1895 attention was switched to the fashionable new internal combustion engine and De Dion Bouton et Cie were marketing a diminutive petrol engined tricycle. These early tricycles were powered by Bouton's new, high speed, single cylinder, vertical engine which revved at almost twice the speed of the contemporary Daimlers. By 1899 the company was marketing a 3 1/2hp Voiturette, an all new generation of four wheel motor car with rear mounted engine driving through a system of gears to the rear wheels. With the new car came the renowned De Dion rear axle – then years ahead of its time. A larger 4 1/2hp engine was offered in the vis-à-vis models from 1900 and with this power unit the car had a comfortable running speed of 25mph although braking ability was a limiting factor. By 1904 De Dion Bouton was firmly established as France's most prolific motor car manufacturer, their fast-revving engines having set new standards in engine design at the turn of the century. Early rear-engined models gave way to a new generation of front-engined cars for the 1902 season, again single cylinder models with atmospheric inlet valve and mechanical exhaust valve. These engines were so successful that De Dion sold them to many other manufacturers and had they simply sold engines alone, the De Dion Bouton operation would still have been a very substantial enterprise. De Dion's gearbox was virtually foolproof for the first time car driver, the fast-revving engines were supremely reliable and De Dion back-up and service was second-to-none. The number of surviving cars is testimony to their popularity and build quality and the single cylinder 8hp model of 1904 was the undoubted leader in its peer group.