1914 Horstmann car
Horstman Cars Ltd., Bath, Somerset, UK 1914 - 1929
Prior to entering the motor manufacturing business Sidney Horstmann had founded the Horstmann Gear Company which made gears and precision tools.
In 1912 he began the developing a highly individualistic light car of advanced design. The car that was put into production in 1914 had a number of unusual features. The engine was a 4 cylinder 995cc monoblock with horizontal overhead valves operated directly by a camshaft mounted in a detachable cylinder head. The aluminium crankcase casting was attached to the chassis frame at the flywheel end and became the mounting for the front quarter elliptic springs whilst doubling up as an undershield. The engine was started by a foot pedal which could be reached from the driver's seat and operated on a massive "acme" thread on the propeller shaft and the three speed gearbox was contained within the rear axle casing. A few two-seaters were made before the war.
The company's precision tools, particularly their thread gauges, were very much in demand for the war effort and Sidney Horstmann received on MBE for his contribution. He dropped the last "n" from his name which was of German origin and inherited from his father Gustav an immigrant clock maker who had settled in Bath in 1854 for obvious reasons.
Horstman Cars Ltd. (with one "n") were in production again in 1919 with the pre-war design, but very soon adopted the 1,498cc Coventry Simplex engine and a chassis modified at the front to accommodate it.
The company also built sports and racing models fitted with the more powerful 1,496cc Anzani engine. These engines were catalogued as standard from 1923 but a smaller 4 cylinder Coventry Climax engine of 1,246cc was also listed up to 1929.
Most Horstmans were fitted with conventional open bodies of two or four seats although a saloon model was listed in 1921. The radiator was a very unusual finned aluminium casting reminiscent of the early Daimlers. (motorsnippets.com)
1914 Horstmann car
Horstman Cars Ltd., Bath, Somerset, UK 1914 - 1929
Prior to entering the motor manufacturing business Sidney Horstmann had founded the Horstmann Gear Company which made gears and precision tools.
In 1912 he began the developing a highly individualistic light car of advanced design. The car that was put into production in 1914 had a number of unusual features. The engine was a 4 cylinder 995cc monoblock with horizontal overhead valves operated directly by a camshaft mounted in a detachable cylinder head. The aluminium crankcase casting was attached to the chassis frame at the flywheel end and became the mounting for the front quarter elliptic springs whilst doubling up as an undershield. The engine was started by a foot pedal which could be reached from the driver's seat and operated on a massive "acme" thread on the propeller shaft and the three speed gearbox was contained within the rear axle casing. A few two-seaters were made before the war.
The company's precision tools, particularly their thread gauges, were very much in demand for the war effort and Sidney Horstmann received on MBE for his contribution. He dropped the last "n" from his name which was of German origin and inherited from his father Gustav an immigrant clock maker who had settled in Bath in 1854 for obvious reasons.
Horstman Cars Ltd. (with one "n") were in production again in 1919 with the pre-war design, but very soon adopted the 1,498cc Coventry Simplex engine and a chassis modified at the front to accommodate it.
The company also built sports and racing models fitted with the more powerful 1,496cc Anzani engine. These engines were catalogued as standard from 1923 but a smaller 4 cylinder Coventry Climax engine of 1,246cc was also listed up to 1929.
Most Horstmans were fitted with conventional open bodies of two or four seats although a saloon model was listed in 1921. The radiator was a very unusual finned aluminium casting reminiscent of the early Daimlers. (motorsnippets.com)