La Voiturette „Victoria Combination“, Translation – Cycle & Automobile – 24 June 1900
The French Société Parisienne came up in the end of 1899 with this vehicle, powered by a one-cylinder DeDion-Bouton engine. The engine, the transverse two-speed gearbox and the rigid front axle mounted on a frame that could pivot around the steering center line. She was called the „Victoria Combination“ and should have been manufactured in […]
La Voiture Roulleau et Pilat – La Vie Automobile – 24 May 1902
This article was published in May 1902! Here, the well-known French technicalist-journalist and writer of several books on automobiles, Louis Baudry de Sainier describes the 1902 Roulleau & Pilat sans-chevaux with front-wheel drive. Mind You; I believe that this is one of the two first continental front-wheel driven cars. The Austrian Gräf & Stift was […]
La Voiture Roulleau et Pilat, Translation – La Vie Automobile – 24 May 1902
This article was published in May 1902! Here, the well-known French technicalist-journalist and writer of several books on automobiles, Louis Baudry de Sainier describes the 1902 Roulleau & Pilat sans-chevaux with front-wheel drive. Mind You; I believe that this is one of the two first continental front-wheel driven cars. The Austrian Gräf & Stift was […]
Der Kompressor-Alvis mit Vorderradantrieb – Automobil=Zeitung – 1 May 1925
The Austrian magazine „Automobil=Zeitung“ published this article on the 1.5 liter supercharged front-wheel drive Alvis. With this car, the idea also was applied that it be better pulling the car than pushing it; so as to improve on curve stability. As the propshaft failed, the driver could be seated very low. In short, it looks […]
Front-Wheel Drives, are they Coming or Going? Part III – SAE Journal – September 1928
This September 1928 issue of the Journal of the SAE, deals with the up-to-then status of front wheel drive. In all, this very lenghty article comprises of no less that 25 pages, inclusive photograhs. All aspects are discussed; davantages and disadvantages are listed and compared. Almost all known front wheel drives in the US and […]
Front-Wheel Drives, are they Coming or Going? Part IV – SAE Journal – September 1928
This September 1928 issue of the Journal of the SAE, deals with the up-to-then status of front wheel drive. In all, this very lenghty article comprises of no less that 25 pages, inclusive photograhs. All aspects are discussed; davantages and disadvantages are listed and compared. Almost all known front wheel drives in the US and […]
Front-Wheel Drives, are they Coming or Going? Part II – SAE Journal – September 1928
This September 1928 issue of the Journal of the SAE, deals with the up-to-then status of front wheel drive. In all, this very lenghty article comprises of no less that 25 pages, inclusive photograhs. All aspects are discussed; davantages and disadvantages are listed and compared. Almost all known front wheel drives in the US and […]
Front-Wheel Drives, are they Coming or Going? Part I – SAE Journal – September 1928
This September 1928 issue of the Journal of the SAE, deals with the up-to-then status of front wheel drive. In all, this very lenghty article comprises of no less that 25 pages, inclusive photograhs. All aspects are discussed; davantages and disadvantages are listed and compared. Almost all known front wheel drives in the US and […]
La vapauer et l’Essence- La Vie au Grand Air – 23 February 1906
In those early days, the different means of mechanised propulsion still were available, parallel to each other, one might say. Steam and electicity as the propulsive technolgy, as well as the new internal combustion engines. Here, the French Serpollet steam car is considered; as well as its ad- and disadvantages are discussed. Steam cars could […]
Les Roues avant Motrices, Translation – Omnia – Octobre 1929
In this october 1929 issue of the French automotive magazine Omnia, front wheel drive is discussed. Based on what happened till then in the United States on this subject, the French technical press looks into some new concepts. Examples of both the Auburn and the Cord car first are briefly highlighted, followed by the new […]