Category Archives: Adler

Egeskov Castle – 1936 Adler Junior

By Eugen Pedersen

Another Adler in the Egeskov Collection. This one in ‘the unrestored ‘as found’ condition. Unlike the Adler Trumpf shown in the last article, which can be found here, this is a smaller Trumpf Junior powered by a 995cc four cylinder in-line side-valve engine. The history of the Adler (Eagle) concern is covered in the previous article so will not be repeated here.

 In 1936 Adler started to produce the Trumpf Junior saloon/sedan with an all-steel body and priced the car at 2,950 Marks, which was exactly the same price that they were now asking for the same car with a timber frame body. Both body types continued to be listed until 1939, but following a 250 Mark price reduction for the steel bodied car in 1937, it was the steel bodied car that came with the lower price. The standard all-steel bodies were provided by Germany’s larger supplier of steel car bodies, Ambi-Budd of Berlin.  The model on display seems likely to be a wood framed car given the square finish of the roof when the steel cars took advantage of the material to have much smoother contours.


Period Brochure cover from redbubble website

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Egeskov Castle – 1936 Adler

By Eugen Pedersen

Text and photographs copyright of the Author(s) unless otherwise stated.

Adler were a German engineering company producing a wide range of products. Typewriters were one of their early successes and indeed were continued to be made long after they stopped making cars. Car production started just before the Great War initially using De Dion engines and then later their own designs. In the 1920s they were noted for their performance at many sporting events and their cars were large engined with 2298cc four cylinders and 4,700cc six cylinder engines. A few Standard models featured bodies designed by Bauhaus Designer Walter Gropius and the Standard 6 was the first car to circumnavigate the globe.

In 1930 Adler’s new chief engineer Josef Ganz made a prototype car along the lines to be followed by Porsche when designing the Beetle. Though the Adler had a mid mounted engine. The prototoype was nicknamed Maikäfer (May Beetle). However before this could be progressed the management changed at Adler and a new technical director, Hans Gustav Röhr, was appointed. He shifted the design direction and ordered work on front-wheel driven cars. This lead to the introduction of the Adler Trumpf and Adler Trumpf Junior models. These were 995cc and 1,645cc and gave Adler cars to sell in lower market niches than before. They did continue to make larger engined rear wheel drive cars, the four cylinder Favorit (1,943cc) and six cylinder Diplomat (2,916cc) until the Second World War.

After the Second World War  a decision was made to not resume car production and although they still made motorbikes in the following decade these two were stopped after eight years. The focus of the company returned to typewriters. The company first combined with Triumph office products and were then taken over by Grundig and then sold to Olivetti with Adler typewriter production ending in 1998.

The car in the museum looks to be an Adler Trumpf with a 1.7 liter engine in convertible form. This type of car was often requisitioned for use by Wermacht and Luftwaffe as staff cars. Interestingly this car carries a Swiss nationality plate on the rear so unlike many it will have survived the war without seeing action of any kind.

A period photograph of an Adler Trumpf used by the Wermacht from https://vorkriegs-klassiker-rundschau.blog/

Period brochure artwork above showing a similar convertible car and below showing the range. From an eBay sellers listing of the brochure


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Autopioneer Adler

By Maz Woolley

Thorsten Sabrautzky at Autopioneer has recently sent news of a new issue: Walter Gropius’ 1931 Adler Standard 8

Walter Gropius was a leading light in the inter-war Bauhaus movement in Germany. This art/architecture school operated from 1919 to 1933 when the Nazi regime forced them to close down and Gropius to flee Germany to live in England. Walter Gropius was the architect-director from  1919 to 1928. Under his leadership the school combined crafts and fine art and became famous for its approach to design. It attempted to unify principles of mass production with individual artistic vision. Perhaps unsurprisingly Gropius turned his design skills to vehicles which offered a chance to combine industrial modernity with aesthetic form. In all he designed 30 of them as well as the logo used by Adler car company the sculpture for which is shown below.

Photograph from Artnet.com – Kühlerfigur für Adler-Automobile ca. 1932

For the Paris Motor Show (1930) and Berlin Motor Show (1931) two cabriolets and five large limousines were created on the Standard 6 and Standard 8 chassis. These were built by the coachbuilder Neuss based in Berlin and were based on Gropius’s designs. Karmann of Osnabrück coachbuilt a further 23 Gropius designed cabriolets. These show cars attracted attention but were too expensive and extravagant to sell well in the challenging economic circumstances.

Autopioneer have chosen to model an Adler that Professor Walter Gropius was given to use as his own car which he did until 1934 when he left Germany. This was one of the Neuss bodied cars and it had two way opening doors based on US patents and an enthusiastic journalist managed to open both sides leaving him with a door totally disconnected from the body work.

Although a photograph exists of this car in the wartime it seems to have vanished since then leaving Autopioneer with a lot of studying the few photographic resources they have to make the model master.

With the recent issue of the Le Corbusier designed car by Brianza one could start to create a collection of architect designed cars by adding this Adler.

The detailing on this Autopioneer is lovely and it extends to the leather strap which has been crafted out of real leather. This model is made in Europe for Germany to 1:43 scale and is moulded in resin.


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The Essence Of The Car – Latest News

By David Roots

Text and photographs copyright of the Author(s) unless otherwise stated.

Adler Trumpf Junior Record Breaker

On March 25, 1935, a modified Adler Trump Junior Sport car was taken to the Avus racing circuit. The engine had been uprated to give a top speed of 125 kph whilst lapping consistently at 115 kph.

The car covered around 16,000 km in seven days and six nights! On the penultimate day Paul von Guillaum joined as the fourth driver. When, after 151 hours, the trip was cancelled, the Adler still had a total average speed of 103.36 kph, breaking 13 existing world records. All of this was achieved despite a heavy snowstorm on the penultimate day of the record run. After the record run, the car was put in storage by the Adler Sports Department. In 1943 the car became a casualty of the war.

The Adler Trumpf Junior was produced from 1934. It had front-wheel drive like the larger model, the Adler Trump, but an engine capacity of only one litre. In 1934 and 1935, just over 100,000 Adler Trumpf Juniors were built.

The model photographed above is now available and may be ordered from www.theessenceofthecar.co.uk

Chrysler Airflow

The Chrysler Airflow was a full-size car produced by Chrysler from 1934 to 1937. It was one of the first full-size American production car to use streamlining as a basis for building a sleeker automobile, one less susceptible to air resistance. Two body styles were made, ‎four door sedan and two door coupe.

Ultimately, the car proved to be too advanced for conservative American taste. Therefore while the Airflow may have signalled Chrysler‘s attempt to set itself apart from other manufacturers, the failure of the car in the marketplace caused the company to take a more conservative path with its future models.

Until the debut of Virgil Exner’s “Forward Look” cars of 1955, Chrysler‘s corporate styling was conservative and mainstream.

The model photographed above is now available and may be ordered from www.theessenceofthecar.co.uk


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Autocult June to August 2019

By Maz Woolley

This article takes a quick look at the last three releases of models by Autocult: Releases six, seven and eight of 2019. As usual the vehicles chosen are a mix of unusual and rare vehicles helping to tell a story of the development of the motor vehicle over time. All Autocult models are moulded in resin and hand assembled with photo etched detail to 1:43 scale in China for Germany.

June

Ford A “Juan Manuel Fangio”

Category – early beginnings

This car was borrowed from a taxi driver to allow Fangio to race for the first time. The car was heavily modified by Fangio and his friends for the race but the engine blew up part way through the race so not only didn’t Fangio win but he had some explaining to do when returning the broken car to its owner.

Fangio went on to be one of the greatest drivers of all time and that ensures that the Ford is exhibited and cherished at the museum ‘Museo Juan-Manuel Fangio‘ in Buenos Aires.


Adler Diplomat Stromlinie Autenrieth

Category – Streamliner

Autenrieth, foounded in 1912, became one of the biggest car body builders in Germany. At its peak it employed 400 workers in Darmstadt bodying BMW, Trumpf, and Standard chassis.

The car modelled was designed by an unknown British Businessman and built on an Adler chassis incorporating all the hallmarks of the streamline shapes then in vogue.


Sabra Sport Roadster

Category – engineers/small series

Sabra was founded in 1957 in Haifa Israel in an attempt to build a local car industry. A partner was sought and Reliant of Tamworth in the UK were chosen and a car designed for Sabra. Initially kits of knocked down parts were shipped to Israel for assembly and the intention was to gradually make more parts locally.

The cars designed by Reliant were were generally developed specially for Sabra and designed to use Ford and other proprietary parts. The sports car was different relying on the Reliant Sabre as its inspiration, though there were a number of detail differences between the cars. Sabra had intended to send the car to the US market, and even showed it there at the New York Auto Show in 1961, but exports never took place. Local sales were small and the car was discontinued in 1968.


Audi quattro® Gr.B Mittelmotor-Prototyp

Category ‘Engineers/Small Series’

Even 35 years later thoughts of this car still creates a sense of excitement. In 1985 Audi tested a special quattro protoype in Austria but sadly it was seen by photographers and photographs quickly appeared in magazines leading to Audi terminating the project.

Sadly this mid-engined car, probably destined for Group B rallying if it had been developed, never saw production. Although looking at the model the Lancia Delta seemed to pick up many of the styling features.


July

DAF 40 GT

Category – Prototypes

One prototype of this car exists today in the DAF museum, and that has no engine in it. It was said to have been created in 1965 but it never saw production.

DAF was not known for its sportiness, although their cars did enjoy some minor successes in rallying. In the 1960’s DAF decided to retain Michelotti, firstly to update the styling of the 33 to give them the more modern in appearance 44, and then to style a sports car. Michelotti did that and the prototype even got a name allocated 40 GT. Given its nice styling it is sad that it never went into production.


Maserati 124 Coupé 2+2 Italdesign

Category – engineers/small series

In the early 1970s Maserati was in a financial mess. Things were so precarious that one unsuccessful vehicle would have brought the company down. To hedge their bets they brought in Italdesign Giugaro to create a car based on a shortened Indy chassis and the biggest engine they had in production.

The car appeared at the Turin Motor Show in 1974 and was very well received but it never entered series production as Maserati’s debt mountain meant there was no money available to tool up for production.


VW Käfer “Follow Me” Berlin-Tempelhof

Category – emergency vehicles

There are photographs of a specially equipped Volkswagen Beetle working at Tempelhof airport in 1954, though no survivors exist. The Beetle is actually an earlier model perhaps from 1952. It is not known who converted them, though probably not Volkswagen as the yellow used never appeared on a Volkswagen shade chart. It is also not known how many were built as all air side vehicles are run unregistered and tax free and have no number plates to uniquely identify them.

To the rear of the car it could display either ‘Stop’ on a signal light or ‘Follow Me’ on the board.


Awtowelo Type 650 Sokol

Category – racing cars


In 1949 the automobile engineering department of the Russian Awtewelo organisation was ordered to build a racing car. This car was reserved for the Soviet Head of State Stalin’s son Wassilij to race in Formula Two.

Using pre-war Auto-Union technology two monopostos were built in the GDR and powered by a twelve cylinder two litre engine giving 152 hp. Flown back to Russia carburettor problems prevented them racing and they were returned to Germany.

After the death of Stalin in 1953 his son fell out of favour with the authorities and the project backing was quickly withdrawn. The cars stayed in the DDR and were used for filming and fell into obscurity. Today one car is on display in the PS Speicher museum and the second one is now only a chassis and is in the Saxon Industrial Museum in Chemnitz.


August

Citroen 2CV Wood Tryane II

Category – small cars

The 2CV is not a car associated with wood. The car is a utilitarian device with only sparing use of plastics and much steel showing in the interior as well as externally. But this vehicle powered by a 600cc engine, as used in the 2CV and Dyane, is the opposite. It is all wood, even the fuel tank, except for the suspension and engine.

The car was built by a British cabinet maker called Friend Wood and took 2,000 hours to make. It still exists and has even survived a barrel roll and been repaired. It is capable of doing over a hundred miles on one gallon of fuel.

The appearance is unique all polished wood in a smooth and stylish form.


BMW 1600ti Coupé Paul Bracq

Category – prototypes

This car only existed as a mock up and never reached running prototype stage. It was intended to meet the need to compete with British carmakers in the US where two seater British sportscars were very popular. Lacking confidence in their own design centre’s ability they engaged the French designer Paul Bracq who had previously worked for Mercedes-Benz.

In fact the production of the car was envisaged as being undertaken under contract by Brissonneau & Lotz Bracq‘s employer. The mock up was made and designated 1600Ti Concept which implied the fitting of the standard four cylinder BMW engine unit not a V8 as originally considered. In any event BMW decided not to proceed with the concept.


Skoda 532 Autobahnbus

Category – buses

This bus designed by Skoda to meet the challenge of constant high speed travelling in the age of the Autobahn only ever existed as a prototype and that was destroyed during Allied bombing in the Second World War.

Driven by an eight litre, six cylinder petrol engine producing 108hp the streamlined shape allowed it to maintain speeds of around 100 km/h. The rounded shape and faired in rear wheels all contributed to its aerodynamic properties.

Comfort was also addressed with the use of fully independent suspension across all three axles. Even the driver’s position was placed centrally and well forward in the curving screen to give exceptional vision.


GMC L´Universelle

Category – delivery vehicles.

The ‘Dream Truck’ designed by Harvey Earl and Chuck Jordan at GMC in 1955. Whilst most US trucks were standard cabbed pickups with a front engine driving rear wheels Earl and Jordan saw that in Europe the cab over engine designs were popular and provided for a better load space. Here the Pontiac derived 4.6 Litre V8 sat over the front axle in a very low chassis.

The truck created a great deal of interest when shown to a selected audience at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, and even more when shown to the public later in the year.

GMs enthusiasm for putting the van into production vanished when the accountants said that it would have to sell for the price of a Cadillac to make a profit.


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Esval September 2018 Release Announcement

By Maz Woolley

All text by, and copyright of the Author. All images provided by the Manufacturer.

Esval models have been often been the subject of discussion on bulletin boards. They have announced many models of interest to collectors that have either taken a long time to appear or which have not yet been produced. Recently they sent out publicity material announcing twelve models to be released between November 2018 and  Spring 2019.  Sadly none of these are the 1938 Humber Snipe or 1958 Packard hard top coupe previously announced as future subjects and which also no longer appear as future releases on the web site or in the 2018 brochure.

Esval models are resin cast in China for the US to either 1:18 or 1:43 scale.

1:18 Scale Models

1937 Duesenberg SJ Towncar

This model is due for release in November 2018. It comes in four different configurations. This is the first 1:!8 scale model from Esval and if of the 1937 Duesenberg SJ Towncar by Rollson, which is known as the last Duesenberg ever made. This car was modelled by Esval a couple of years ago in 1:43 scale.

 

The cars first owner was a wealthy German avant-garde painter, Rudolf Bauer who had it built even though Duesenberg had already gone out of business. It was intended to be the longest and most distinctive Duesenberg ever built. The body was constructed by Rollson, an American coachbuilder that specialised in town cars or town cabriolets. The car was delivered to the owner in 1940.

1:43 Scale Models

1950 Mercury Leo Lyons Coupe

This is due to be released in November 2018.

A custom car based upon the 1950 Mercury and built by a  20-year old called Leo Lyons. Drawing on the help of established custome builders in California like Ed Iskenderian and George and Sam Barris. Chassis and body panels were bought from Ford and “California Metal Shaping” custom designed and built the doors, hood, and top.  This car is regarded as the most radical custom version of the 1949-51 Mercury .

It was originally intended to make ten cars but in the end only the prototype was built. The model is based on the post-restoration version of this car.

2010 Porsche Cayenne 2 door Coupé by Merdad

Another release planned for November and a modern vehicle. The  2010 Porsche Cayenne 2 door coupé by Merdad. Merdad are a UK based coachbuilder who creates very expensive upgraded versions of Land Rover Evoques and Porsche Cayennes. It is not just a question of more powerful engines but they also fit strengthening frames as well as finishing the car in very high quality materials.

Only three of the 2010 versions were produced each slightly different and Esval has made two of them.

 

1920-21 Pierce Arrow Model 32 7-Seat Limousine

One of the models due in Spring 2019 is this 1920-21 Pierce Arrow Model 32 7-seat limousine. This was the largest car offered by Pierce Arrow at the start of the 1920s. Pierce Arrow was based in Buffalo, New York and is best known for its expensive luxury cars which did not survive the later depression.

The bodies for the Model 32 were designed by Leon Rubay, a freelance who also designed models for Marmon and Duesenbergs. In 1920, Pierce-Arrow launched the Model 32, which would form the basis of the company’s entire model lineup. This new chassis would be the only chassis available but would be available with 10 different factory body styles. 2,239 examples of the Model 32 were made before upgrades were made and the Model 33 was launched.

1951 GMC Series 100 5-Window pickup

November 2018 is the expected release date Our surprise new release this fall is one of the most legendary American pickup truck designs, 1951 GMC Series 100 5-window pickup.

The 1950s were the era when the classic American pickup became part of everyday US life and laid the grounds of the ‘lifestyle’ pickup of today. The Chevrolet and GMC’s so-called “Advance-Design” trucks led the way with production starting in 1947. These were entirely restyled and introduced new levels of comfort, convenience, and up to date looks. The new cab was wider, and offered more head and legroom. The model is based on a post-restoration vehicle.

 

1934-41 Adler Trumpf Junior 2 door Sedan

Spring 2019 should see the release of this model. A car for the masses was a German obsession throughout the pre-war period culminating in the KDF-Wagen. The 1934-41 Adler Trumpf Junior 2 door sedan was an early precursor which offered middle class families a practical and reasonably priced car.

Made in Frankfurt by Adler (Adlerwerke vorm. H. Kleyer AG), from early in 1934 the small two-door “Limousine” modelled here had a recommended price of 2,750 Marks. This model went on to be the company’s best selling car with over 100,000 being built before production ceased in 1941 during the Second World War.

 

1971 Trident Venturer Sport Coupe

The arrival of freely available equipment for building tubular frames and making fibreglass bodies spawned a collection of speciality car manufacturers in the UK in the 1970s. Some like TVR and Marcos are still remembered well, others have been lost in the past. Here Esval show a 1971 Trident Venturer sport coupe which they intend to release in Spring 2019.

Trident Cars Ltd. built cars from 1966 until 1977 in Woodbridge and then Ipswich. The first car was the Clipper convertible with a body styled by Englishman Trevor Frost. This was based on a TVR prototype TVR. The Clipper Coupe was built on a TVR Grantura Mark III chassis, but this was later switched to an Austin-Healey 3000 chassis. The Trident Venturer was launched in 1969 as a cheaper alternative to the Clipper using a similar body fitted to a Triumph TR6 chassis powered with a Ford 3-litre V6. Sadly the late 1970s was beset with financial crisis and Trident closed in 1974. An attempt to revive the company in 1976 but the company finally closed in 1977.  This car is now rare as only 84 Trident Venturers were built.

 

1949-50 Delahaye 135M Coupé by Guilloré

Another model due to be released in November. This is a stylish 1950s design from the French car maker Delahaye. This is a 1949-50 Delahaye 135M coupé by Guilloré.

Delahaye was one of the firms whose Grand Turismo cars were famous and fashionable in the inter-war period. The firm was a pioneer of the French motor industry opening its first workshop in 1896. Delahayes won a reputation for high quality engineering and after the success of the Delahaye 135 in the “Coupe des Alpes” in 1935 they focused on sportier cars. After the Second World War Delahaye revived production of the 135M and eight of this model were made from 1949-50 and only five now survive. The car has right-hand drive like many high quality French and Italian cars of the period. Delahaye’s 135 rapidly dated as the new generation of cheaper, faster and cheaper factory produced sports cars like the Jaguar XK120 emerged. Esval Models intends to make two versions of this car in dark blue and in off-white, each car has distinctive design.

 

1961 Cisitalia DF85 Coupe

Due for release by Esval this November. Italy had many small producers and styling houses in the 1950s. The 1961 Cisitalia DF85 Coupe, is a product of that era. Consorzio Industriale Sportiva Italia was established by Piero Dusio in 1939 and made a variety of sporting goods. After the Second World War Dusio built a number of Fiat-powered racing cars using the extended acronym Cisitalia and started making passenger cars in 1947. By 1949 Cisitalia was bankrupt by 1949 and Dusio moved to Argentina. In 1960, Dusio attempted to resurrect the Cisitalia brand. The 1961 Cisitalia DF85 Coupé was a car of the revived company and based on the Fiat 1500S.

The body was crafted by Carrozzeria Fratelli Fissore of Savigliano, one of the biggest names in the coachbuilding business after the Second World War. Like many of these small concerns records of their output are rare. It is estimated that fifteen to thirty of these cars were produced.


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