HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

L'Aster, Aster, Ateliers de Construction Mecanique l'Aster, was a French manufacturer of
automobile A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with Wheel, wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, pe ...
s and the leading supplier of engines to other manufacturers from the late 1890s until circa 1910/12. Although primarily known as an engine mass manufacturer the company also produced
chassis A chassis (, ; plural ''chassis'' from French châssis ) is the load-bearing framework of an artificial object, which structurally supports the object in its construction and function. An example of a chassis is a vehicle frame, the underpart ...
for coach-works and a complete range of components.Grace's Guide, British Industrial History, Profile of Aster
/ref> Aster produced a range of engines including: stationary motors; electricity generators; automobile motors; marine engines and aero engines. There were air-cooled and water cooled Gasoline motors, Kerosene motors, and Gas Motors. Among the companies for which Aster produced
engine An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy. Available energy sources include potential energy (e.g. energy of the Earth's gravitational field as exploited in hydroelectric power gen ...
s and other parts were Ache Frères,
Achilles In Greek mythology, Achilles ( ) or Achilleus ( grc-gre, Ἀχιλλεύς) was a hero of the Trojan War, the greatest of all the Greek warriors, and the central character of Homer's ''Iliad''. He was the son of the Nereid Thetis and Peleus, k ...
,
Argyll Argyll (; archaically Argyle, in modern Gaelic, ), sometimes called Argyllshire, is a historic county and registration county of western Scotland. Argyll is of ancient origin, and corresponds to most of the part of the ancient kingdom of ...
,
Ariès The Ariès was a French automobile manufactured by La Société des Automobile Ariès in Asnières-sur-Seine. The firm was founded in 1902 by Baron Charles Petiet. The decision to end production was taken in 1937. Around 20,000 vehicles were pr ...
, Aster-Newey, Automobiles Barré,
Bolide A bolide is normally taken to mean an exceptionally bright meteor, but the term is subject to more than one definition, according to context. It may refer to any large crater-forming body, or to one that explodes in the atmosphere. It can be a ...
, Belhaven,Grace's Guide, British Industrial History, Profile of Belhaven
/ref>Grace's Guide, British Industrial History, Profile of Belhaven Engineering and Motors
/ref>
Bij 't Vuur The Bij 't Vuur was a Dutch automobile manufactured by C. Bij 't Vuur in Arnhem from 1902 until 1906. The name means something like "Near to the fire". The company started out as a coachbuilder, when in 1901 it made her first car. The first cars ha ...
,
Century A century is a period of 100 years. Centuries are numbered ordinally in English and many other languages. The word ''century'' comes from the Latin ''centum'', meaning ''one hundred''. ''Century'' is sometimes abbreviated as c. A centennial or ...
,Graces Guide, British Industrial History, Profile of Century Engineering and Motor Co
/ref> Clément,
Darracq A Darracq and Company Limited owned a French manufacturer of motor vehicles and aero engines in Suresnes, near Paris. The French enterprise, known at first as A. Darracq et Cie, was founded in 1896 by Alexandre Darracq after he sold his Gladi ...
,
Dennis Dennis or Denis is a first or last name from the Greco-Roman name Dionysius, via one of the Christian saints named Dionysius. The name came from Dionysus, the Greek god of ecstatic states, particularly those produced by wine, which is someti ...
, Durham-Churchill,Graces Guide, British Industrial History, Profile of Durham, Churchill and Co
/ref>
Ernst Ernst is both a surname and a given name, the German, Dutch, and Scandinavian form of Ernest. Notable people with the name include: Surname * Adolf Ernst (1832–1899) German botanist known by the author abbreviation "Ernst" * Anton Ernst (1975-) ...
,
Excelsior Excelsior, a Latin comparative word often translated as "ever upward" or "even higher", may refer to: Arts and entertainment Literature and poetry * "Excelsior" (Longfellow), an 1841 poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow * ''Excelsior'' (Macedo ...
,
Gladiator A gladiator ( la, gladiator, "swordsman", from , "sword") was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gla ...
,
Hanzer Hanzer Frères, Hanzer, was a French manufacturer of automobiles. The Petit-Ivry company of Ivry-sur-Seine began building automobiles in 1899. Production ended in 1903.Harald H. Linz, Halwart Schrader : The International Automobile Encyclopedia. ...
, Hoflack,
Hurtu Hurtu was a pioneering French car made by Diligeon et Cie based in Albert, Somme from 1896 to 1930. As well as cars, the company also made sewing machines and bicycles. The company was founded in 1880 as Hurtu, Hautin et Diligeon as a maker of s ...
,
Korn et Latil The Korn et Latil was a French automobile manufactured from 1901 until 1902. The Korn et Latil Company of Marseille formed in 1898 produced a front wheel drive voiturette with a 3½ hp Aster engine. It was designed by Georges Latil, who later beca ...
,
Lacoste & Battmann Lacoste & Battmann, Lacoste et Battmann, was a French manufacturer of automobiles, based in Paris, from 1897 until 1913.Harald H. Linz, Halwart Schrader : The International Automobile Encyclopedia . United Soft Media Verlag, Munich 2008, George ...
,
La Torpille LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figur ...
, Lucerna, Newey Aster,
Société Parisienne Société Parisienne (''Maison Parisienne'') was a French manufacturer of velocipedes, bicycles and tricycles from 1876. They began limited automobile construction in 1894 and regular light car (voiturette) construction in 1898 or 1899, and they c ...
, Passy-Thellier,
Pearson Pearson may refer to: Organizations Education *Lester B. Pearson College, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada *Pearson College (UK), London, owned by Pearson PLC *Lester B. Pearson High School (disambiguation) Companies *Pearson PLC, a UK-based int ...
,Graces Guide, British Industrial History, Profile of Pearson
/ref> Prunel,
Rochet A rochet () is a white vestment generally worn by a Roman Catholic or Anglican bishop in choir dress. It is unknown in the Eastern churches. The rochet in its Roman form is similar to a surplice, except that the sleeves are narrower. In its Ang ...
, Rouxel, Reyrol,
Sage Sage or SAGE may refer to: Plants * ''Salvia officinalis'', common sage, a small evergreen subshrub used as a culinary herb ** Lamiaceae, a family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint or deadnettle or sage family ** ''Salvia'', a large ...
,
Siddeley-Deasy The Siddeley-Deasy Motor Car Company Limited was a British automobile, aero engine and aircraft company based in Coventry in the early 20th century. It was central to the formation, by merger and buy-out, of the later Armstrong Siddeley Motor ...
, Simplicia,
Singer Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...
,Graces Guide, British Industrial History, Profile of Singer
/ref>
Swift Swift or SWIFT most commonly refers to: * SWIFT, an international organization facilitating transactions between banks ** SWIFT code * Swift (programming language) * Swift (bird), a family of birds It may also refer to: Organizations * SWIFT, ...
,
Vulcan Vulcan may refer to: Mythology * Vulcan (mythology), the god of fire, volcanoes, metalworking, and the forge in Roman mythology Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * Vulcan (''Star Trek''), name of a fictional race and their home p ...
,Graces Guide, British Industrial History, Profile of Vulcan Motor and Engineering Co
/ref> West-Aster,Graces Guide, British Industrial History, Profile of West-Aster
/ref>
Whippet The Whippet is a dog breed of medium size. It is a sighthound breed that originated in England, descended from the Greyhound. Whippets today still strongly resemble a smaller Greyhound. Part of the hound group, Whippets have relatively few ...
,Graces Guide, British Industrial History, Profile of Whippet Motor and Cycle Co
/ref> Whitlock.Graces Guide, British Industrial History, Profile of Whitlock Automobile Co
/ref> and
Le Zèbre Le Zèbre was a French make of car built between 1909 and 1931 in Puteaux, Seine. The company was founded by Jules Salomon and Georges Richard with finance from Jacques Bizet, son of Georges Bizet the composer. History Julius Salomon was a ...
. By 1906 Aster were able to claim over 11,000 users of their engines. From the mid-1900s 'Aster-Wembley' manufactured engines under license in Wembley (London) UK. In 1913 this became the 'Aster Engineering Co' which produced aircraft engines during the First World War, and then in 1922 started production of Aster cars. By 1927 it had been absorbed into
Arrol Johnston Arrol-Johnston (later known as Arrol-Aster) was an early Scottish manufacturer of automobiles, which operated from 1895 to 1931 and produced the first automobile manufactured in Britain. The company also developed the world's first "off-road" ve ...
. In Italy the Aster Società Italiana Motori supplied and built both cars and engines under licence from 1906-1908. In 1904 the Parisian newspaper '' Le Petit Journal'' stated that ''Aster monopolised the mass manufacture of engines in France, and had a 'universal reputation' and success shown by innumerable users.'' By 1912 they claimed to cater for over 130 makes.


History

Aster was a French manufacturer of automobiles and the leading supplier of engines to other manufacturers from 1900 to 1910. Although primarily known as an engine mass manufacturer the company also produced
chassis A chassis (, ; plural ''chassis'' from French châssis ) is the load-bearing framework of an artificial object, which structurally supports the object in its construction and function. An example of a chassis is a vehicle frame, the underpart ...
for coachworks. In 1878 the Aster company was established at 102 rue de Paris, Saint-Denis.Passion Automobiles. Constructeurs automobiles - A.C.M. Atelier de Construction Mécanique Aster 1896 / 1909
/ref> Engine id plates stated Ateliers de Construction Mécanique l'Aster. 74, Rue de la Victoire, Paris'' (the registered office), ''Usines à St Denis (Seine)'' (The factory). At the 1900 'Salon de l'Auto' in Paris Aster exhibited a motor
quadricycle Quadricycle refers to vehicles with four wheels. In 1896 Henry Ford named his first vehicle design the "Quadricycle". it ran on four bicycle wheels, with an engine driving the back wheels.Brinkley, David, ''Wheels for the World: Henry Ford, His ...
equipped with their own 3.5 HP, single cylinder engine.Bonhams Auction House, Profile of 1904 Aster 16/20hp
/ref> The expanding range included : stationary motors; electricity generator; automobile motors and marine launch motors. There were air-cooled and water cooled Gasoline motors, Kerosene motors, and Gas Motors.Aster brochure of Myers, New York, 1900s. Listing Stationary motors; Electricity generator; Air cooled range; Water cooled range; and listing ''Gasoline motors, Kerosene motors and Gas Motors for Automobiles, launches, Electric generators and stationary work. Distributed in the USA by 'A J Myers', New York. A 12 h.p. Aster was exhibited at the 1903
Crystal Palace Crystal Palace may refer to: Places Canada * Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick * Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario * Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition building ...
Motor Show and a range of Aster cars was sold in Britain between 1905 and 1907. In Italy the Aster Società Italiana Motori supplied cars and engines from 1906-1908 under licence. Aster had manufacturing capabilities in
Wembley Wembley () is a large suburbIn British English, "suburb" often refers to the secondary urban centres of a city. Wembley is not a suburb in the American sense, i.e. a single-family residential area outside of the city itself. in north-west Londo ...
, North London, UK which both traded and stamped the engines as ''Aster-Wembley''. Begbie Manufacturing of Wembley was founded in 1899 by Sydney D Begbie (A.M.I.M.E.) and in mid-1900s became British licensees of Aster, making mainly stationary engines. In 1913 they became Aster Engineering Co (1913) Ltd and during the First World War made aircraft engines. In 1922 they began producing Aster automobiles. From 1927 they were absorbed into Arrol Johnston & Aster Eng, Dumfries Scotland GB. The last Aster engines were made in 1930 by Meadows. Shire album "proprietary Engines for Vehicles" (Nick Baldwin) Sydney D Begbie (A.M.I.M.E.) worked as the 'Resident Engineer' of Aster, St. Denis, in Paris during the 1900s. He was an early cyclist, world record holder, and pioneer in the motor engineering business. He was Managing Director of the Begbie Manufacturing Co., Ltd of Wembley, which became the British licensee of Aster. Begbie also worked as Consulting Engineer to Henry Whitlock, Ltd. and The West London Motor Co. Ltd, both of whom were users of Aster engines.graces Guide - British Industrial History. - Profile of Sydney D Begbie
/ref>Motoring Annual and Motorist’s Year Book 1904


Automobiles

At the 1900 'Salon de l'Auto' in Paris Aster exhibited a motor
quadricycle Quadricycle refers to vehicles with four wheels. In 1896 Henry Ford named his first vehicle design the "Quadricycle". it ran on four bicycle wheels, with an engine driving the back wheels.Brinkley, David, ''Wheels for the World: Henry Ford, His ...
equipped with their own 3.5 HP, single cylinder engine. Engine sizes and multi-cylinder engines were progressively developed. A 12 h.p. Aster was exhibited at the 1903
Crystal Palace Crystal Palace may refer to: Places Canada * Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick * Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario * Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition building ...
Motor Show and a range of Aster cars was sold in Britain between 1905 and 1907. In 1904 Aster produced a 16/20 h.p. four-cylinder, five seat automobile with rear-entrance and Tonneau, with a Type 43 JS engine. In Italy, the Aster Società Italiana Motori supplied cars and engines from 1906-1908 under licence. The 'Ateliers de Construction Mecanique l'Aster' from St. Denis (
Seine ) , mouth_location = Le Havre/Honfleur , mouth_coordinates = , mouth_elevation = , progression = , river_system = Seine basin , basin_size = , tributaries_left = Yonne, Loing, Eure, Risle , tributarie ...
) exhibited a four-cylinder chassis at the 1907
Paris Salon The Salon (french: Salon), or rarely Paris Salon (French: ''Salon de Paris'' ), beginning in 1667 was the official art exhibition of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Between 1748 and 1890 it was arguably the greatest annual or biennial art ...


Engines

Aster produced a range of engines including: stationary motors; electricity generators; automobile motors, heavy duty motors, marine launch motors and aero engines. There were air-cooled and water cooled options plus Gasoline motors, Kerosene motors, and Gas Motors. :''This list is provisional and may contain overlapping data. You can help to rationalise it with fully sourced information'' Note : The Type letters are an Aster code: I = 80mm cylinder bore, J = 84mm cylinder bore, K = 88mm cylinder bore, L = 95mm cylinder bore, N = 105mm cylinder bore, S = separate cylinders,


Components

Aster was a major supplier of automobile components to both vehicle manufacturers and end users. As shown in its advertising and exhibition stands, both the French parent and the English associate were suppliers of : engines, gear boxes, gears, chassis, steering gear, radiators, spark plugs, magnetos, coils, accumulators, Oleo plugs, C.M.F. and lubricators.


Partners

On 11 July 1904 the Parisian newspaper '' Le Petit Journal'' stated that the mass manufacture of engines was monopolised in France by Aster, the only brand specialising in manufacturing engines, and which had a 'universal reputation' and success shown by innumerable users.''Le Petit Journal'' (11 July 1904, page 5) stated that : In 1912 the French and English Aster factories claimed that they catered for over 130 vehicle makes.Prewar cars, over 130(!) marques used Aster engines
/ref>


Achilles

A range of
Achilles In Greek mythology, Achilles ( ) or Achilleus ( grc-gre, Ἀχιλλεύς) was a hero of the Trojan War, the greatest of all the Greek warriors, and the central character of Homer's ''Iliad''. He was the son of the Nereid Thetis and Peleus, k ...
cars were advertised, mostly with single-cylinder engines by Aster and De Dion. At least 5 different models were produced including the 8 h.p., 9 h.p. and 12 h.p.


Argyll

In 1904 the Argyll company of Scotland introduced a range of
Aster Aster or ASTER may refer to: Biology * ''Aster'' (genus), a genus of flowering plants ** List of ''Aster'' synonyms, other genera formerly included in ''Aster'' and still called asters in English * Aster (cell biology), a cellular structure shap ...
-engined cars with a front radiator. One of these was a 10  h.p. of 1985 cc; others were fours of 3054 cc, 3686 cc, and 4849 cc. In 1908, the Argyll 40 was the first model with an entirely French Aster engine. It won its class in the Scottish Reliability trials.Scotia web. A Brief History of the Argyll Motor Car by John Campbell Watson


Ariès

The
Ariès The Ariès was a French automobile manufactured by La Société des Automobile Ariès in Asnières-sur-Seine. The firm was founded in 1902 by Baron Charles Petiet. The decision to end production was taken in 1937. Around 20,000 vehicles were pr ...
was a French automobile manufactured from 1903 to 1938. The first cars were equipped with two- and
four-cylinder The engine configuration describes the fundamental operating principles by which internal combustion engines are categorized. Piston engines are often categorized by their cylinder layout, valves and camshafts. Wankel engines are often categorize ...
Aster engines. These shaft-drive cars had an unusual double rear axle.


Belhaven

Belhaven built steam and petrol-engined vehicles from 1908 at their 'Belhaven Engineering and Motors' works in
Wishaw Wishaw ( sco, Wishae or Wisha ; gd, Camas Neachdain) is a large town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, on the edge of the Clyde Valley, south-east of Glasgow city centre. The Burgh of Wishaw was formed in 1855 within Lanarkshire. it formed ...
Scotland. The petrol-powered, chain driven lorries (trucks) initially used Tyler engines, then latterly Aster units.


Bij 't Vuur

The
Bij 't Vuur The Bij 't Vuur was a Dutch automobile manufactured by C. Bij 't Vuur in Arnhem from 1902 until 1906. The name means something like "Near to the fire". The company started out as a coachbuilder, when in 1901 it made her first car. The first cars ha ...
was a Dutch automobile manufactured from 1902 until 1906. The first cars had Aster engines but later ones used
De Dion-Bouton De Dion-Bouton was a French automobile manufacturer and railcar manufacturer operating from 1883 to 1953. The company was founded by the Marquis Jules-Albert de Dion, Georges Bouton, and Bouton's brother-in-law Charles Trépardoux. Steam cars T ...
or
Panhard Panhard was a French motor vehicle manufacturer that began as one of the first makers of automobiles. It was a manufacturer of light tactical and military vehicles. Its final incarnation, now owned by Renault Trucks Defense, was formed ...
units. In 1902 a 9 h.p. and a 12 h.p. -version were offered, which had a quite modern cardan axle with three gears forward and one backwards.


Century

'Century Engineering and Motor Co' of
Willesden Junction Willesden Junction is a railway station in Harlesden, north-west London, UK. It is served by both London Overground and London Underground services. History The station developed on three contiguous sites: the West Coast Main Line (WCML) st ...
, London produced motorcycles from 1902 to 1905. In 1904 their Tandem
forecar A Forecar is a body style of small sometimes three-wheeler vehicles that were produced in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Forecars were produced with three or four wheels and by companies which produced light cars or motorcycles. In thi ...
model was equipped with either a 5 h.p. Aster engine, (or 6.5 h.p. with 'Begbie Audin' water cooled radiator) driving a countershaft by chain. The rear axle was driven by one of two chains, to give high and low speeds. A tradesman's carrier model was also listed.


Darracq

In 1896
Alexandre Darracq Alexandre Darracq (10 November 1855 – 1931) was a French investor, engineer, cycle manufacturer and automobile manufacturer. By 1904, Darracq was producing more than ten percent of all automobiles in France and he sold a substantial part of h ...
founded the 'Societe Alexandre Darracq Suresnes' to build motorised cycles. The first models were ''Perfecta'' tricycles and quadricycles, made under licence from
Léon Bollée Léon Bollée (1 April 1870 – 16 December 1913) was a French automobile manufacturer and inventor. Life Bollée's family were well known bellfounders and his father, Amédée Bollée (1844–1917), was the major pioneer in the automobile i ...
and equipped with Aster engines.Google Books - Mercedes And Auto Racing In The Belle Epoque, 1895-1915 By Robert Dick. page 69
/ref>


Durham-Churchill (Hallamshire)

Durham-Churchill of Grimesthorpe near
Sheffield Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...
manufactured
charabanc A charabanc or "char-à-banc" (often pronounced "sharra-bang" in colloquial British English) is a type of horse-drawn vehicle or early motor coach, usually open-topped, common in Britain during the early part of the 20th century. It has "ben ...
s as 'Hallamshire Cars' from 1903 until 1917. In 1905, they displayed a 24-seater charabanc powered by a four-cylinder 24 h.p. Aster engine. It drove the rear axle via a Champion clutch and four-speed gearbox. It was launched at the Royal Agricultural Hall Show at a cost of £600. In 1906 they also used Aster engines in their range of cars: the two-cylinder 10–12 h.p. and four-cylinder 12–14 h.p.; 20 h.p.; and 24 h.p. models. By 1908, their 26-seater charabanc was powered by a 30 h.p. Aster engine.


Excelsior

From January 1904, the Belgian Manufacturer
Excelsior Excelsior, a Latin comparative word often translated as "ever upward" or "even higher", may refer to: Arts and entertainment Literature and poetry * "Excelsior" (Longfellow), an 1841 poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow * ''Excelsior'' (Macedo ...
(''The Belgian Bentley'') built a few cars equipped with a reinforced wooden frame and fitted with Aster engines, single, twin and four cylinders. The first models were powered by a two- or four-cylinder Aster engine; this was considered nothing special however.


Gladiator

The Gladiator Cycle Company, Clément-Gladiator (from 1896), was a French manufacturer of bicycles, motorcycles and cars based in Le Pré-Saint-Gervais, Seine. In 1899 they launched a motor car with a front-mounted Aster engine, steering wheel, two-speed transmission by foot pedals and final drive by chain. By 1902 Gladiator manufactured its own four-cylinder engines.Car History Club, Classic Cars - Gladiator 2030 Hp - 1905-1907
/ref>


Horley Motor & Engineering Co. Ltd

The Horley Motor & Engineering Co. Ltd, used Aster engines in their vans from 1908-1909.Motorsport Magazine Archives, pg 41 Nov 1982


Korn et Latil

The
Korn et Latil The Korn et Latil was a French automobile manufactured from 1901 until 1902. The Korn et Latil Company of Marseille formed in 1898 produced a front wheel drive voiturette with a 3½ hp Aster engine. It was designed by Georges Latil, who later beca ...
was a French automobile manufactured from 1901 until 1902. It was a
voiturette A voiturette is a miniature automobile. History ''Voiturette'' was first registered by Léon Bollée in 1895 to name his new motor tricycle. The term became so popular in the early years of the motor industry that it was used by many makers t ...
with a 3½ h.p. Aster engine.


Lewis

Vivian Lewis began the 'Ormonde Bicycle Depot' on Freeman Street, Adelaide in 1893.S.A. Cyclist, 29 January 1897 In November 1900, the Lewis Cycle and Motor Works on McHenry Street, Adelaide produced the first Lewis car. By the mid-1900s they produced the 'Lewis-Aster' but the quantity is currently unknown.EarlyMotor - Lewis Motor Cars
/ref>


Newey-Aster

Gordon Newey Newey, Newey-Aster, Gordon Newey, Gordon Newey Ltd, G.N.L. (GNL), (1907-1920) was a British automobile manufacturer from Birmingham.Linz, Schrader: ''Die Internationale Automobil-Enzyklopädie.''Georgano: ''The Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automob ...
manufactured three models of motorcar with Aster engines: 10/12 HP, 20/22 HP and 24/30 HP, plus trucks which could carry a 500 kg payload.Linz, Schrader: ''Die Internationale Automobil-Enzyklopädie.''


Orient Aster

In 1898 or 1899Antique Motorcycles: Charles Metz & Waltham Mfg.
Charles Metz of the
Metz Company The Metz Company was a pioneer brass era automobile maker established by Charles Herman Metz in Waltham, Massachusetts, from 1909 to 1922. History C. H. Metz began in business in 1886 making bicycle parts, and in 1893 formed the Waltham Manufac ...
of Waltham, Massachusetts built the first US produced motorcycle. It used an Aster engine which was a copy of
De Dion-Bouton De Dion-Bouton was a French automobile manufacturer and railcar manufacturer operating from 1883 to 1953. The company was founded by the Marquis Jules-Albert de Dion, Georges Bouton, and Bouton's brother-in-law Charles Trépardoux. Steam cars T ...
's small, light, high reviving four-stroke single with battery and coil ignition.Motorcycles' Early History by Maricon Williams


Parsons Biplane

The Parsons biplane was built in May 1913 by J.G. Parsons and Percy Maxwell Muller as an engineering test-bed for the Parsons Pendulum Paddle-Wheel Stabilizer. The first model was initially fitted with an Aster 40 h.p. four-cylinder, inline, water-cooled, engine driving an 8 ft 2in diameter Normale propeller, but it was replaced by a Gnome engine by July 1913.
/ref>


Pearson

The
Pearson (motorcycle) Pearson may refer to: Organizations Education *Lester B. Pearson College, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada *Pearson College (UK), London, owned by Pearson PLC *Lester B. Pearson High School (disambiguation) Companies *Pearson PLC, a UK-based int ...
was a British motorcycle manufactured by the Pearson brothers of Southsea, Hampshire, in 1904. It was equipped with a 4 h.p. Aster engine mounted in a 'loop and diamond' frame.


Phébus-Aster

Noe Boyer & Cie, from
Suresnes Suresnes () is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, Île-de-France. Located in Hauts-de-Seine, from the centre of Paris, it had a population of 49,145 as of 2016. The nearest communes are Nanterre, Puteaux, Rueil-Malmaison, Saint-Cloud an ...
, Paris, named their 1899-1903 Automobilette after
Phoebus Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label=Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label= ...
, the Greek god who drove the sun across the heavens each day. It was powered by a 3.5 hp Aster engine.
Charles Jarrott Charles Jarrott (16 June 1927 – 4 March 2011) was a British film and television director. He was best known for costume dramas he directed for producer Hal B. Wallis, among them ''Anne of the Thousand Days'', which earned him a Golden Globe ...
, partnered by F.F. Wellington, achieved 38 mph at the
Crystal Palace Crystal Palace may refer to: Places Canada * Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick * Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario * Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition building ...
velodrome, establishing Aster-engined Phebus tricycles as fast and powerful. Wellington was the English importer of Phebus tricycles and voiturettes. The two-speed voiturette was powered by a rear-mounted single-cylinder 397cc Aster engine.Bonhams - 1900 3 1/2-hp Phebus-Aster 'Automobilette' 606
/ref>


Rouxel

The Rouxel was a French automobile manufactured from 1899 until 1900. The company produced two models, including a two-speed
voiturette A voiturette is a miniature automobile. History ''Voiturette'' was first registered by Léon Bollée in 1895 to name his new motor tricycle. The term became so popular in the early years of the motor industry that it was used by many makers t ...
with 2½ h.p. Aster engine.


Siddeley-Deasy

Siddeley-Deasy The Siddeley-Deasy Motor Car Company Limited was a British automobile, aero engine and aircraft company based in Coventry in the early 20th century. It was central to the formation, by merger and buy-out, of the later Armstrong Siddeley Motor ...
used Rover chassis and Daimler and Aster engines.


Simplicia

The Simplicia was a French automobile manufactured only in 1910. It used a 10/12 h.p. Aster engine.


Singer

Singer made their first four-wheel car in 1905. The first Singer-designed car was fitted with an Aster 4-cylinder 2.4 litre 12/14 in 1906. For 1907 a range of two-, three- and four-cylinder models using
White and Poppe White and Poppe Limited owned a Coventry proprietary engine building and gearbox manufacturing business established in 1899. Many early motor vehicle manufacturers making only a small number of vehicles bought in their major components and Whit ...
engines launched. The Aster engined models were dropped in 1909.


West Aster

Enoch John West started building cars in
Coventry Coventry ( or ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its ...
, England under the name of 'The Progress Cycle co' in 1900.Pre-war Car - What happened to West? by Steven Spicer
/ref> but in 1903 it went bankrupt so he founded West and West-Aster which produced cars from 1904 with Aster engines, but by 1908 (or 1910) the company had failed. The guide to the 1906 Olympia Motor Show described the West-Aster thus : :A car which attracted our attention by reason of its up-to-date construction and reasonable price was the "West" made by West, Ltd, of South Molton Street, Bond Street, London, W. It is fitted with the celebrated Aster engine, which carries the Aster Company's guarantee. It is otherwise made in Coventry, and good, sound construction is put into every part.Graces Guide - British Industrial History. 1906 Motor Show (SMMT) - West Aster.
/ref>


Whippet Motor and Cycle Co

The Whippet Motor and Cycle Co produced Whippet motorcycles from 1903 to 1905. Two machines were exhibited at the late-1903 Crystal Palace show, of which the
forecar A Forecar is a body style of small sometimes three-wheeler vehicles that were produced in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Forecars were produced with three or four wheels and by companies which produced light cars or motorcycles. In thi ...
was fitted with a 3.25 h.p. Aster engine. It also had two-speed gearing using two chain wheels of different diameters, fitted to the rear hub and a device to shift the drive chain from one to the other, just as on a bicycle.


Whitlock

The Whitlock company, based in Holland Park London, moved into the car industry in 1903 when they rebadged a 'Century' car manufactured in Willesden, London as a 'Whitlock Century'. (See 'Century' above). In 1905 'The Whitlock Automobile Company' was formed to market Whitlock-Aster cars. They produced a 10-12 h.p.; a 12 h.p.; a 12-14 h.p. twin cylinder with shaft drive; an 18 h.p. and a 24 h.p. model, which were listed as of French manufacture. The cars reportedly were well received but cannot have been a commercial success as the company closed down in 1906.


Vulcan

Vulcan Vulcan may refer to: Mythology * Vulcan (mythology), the god of fire, volcanoes, metalworking, and the forge in Roman mythology Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * Vulcan (''Star Trek''), name of a fictional race and their home p ...
was an English manufacturer of cars from 1902 until 1928. The company built a range of engines for the early models, but in 1912 their new small car, the 10/12, was equipped with a 1.8 L two-cylinder Aster engine, the first use of a bought in engine.


See also

*
Arrol-Aster Arrol-Aster was a British car maker founded in 1927 when Arrol-Johnston and the English Aster company merged. The Wembley, London works of Aster was closed and production concentrated at the Heathhall, Dumfries factory of Arrol-Johnston. At fir ...
*
Arrol-Johnston Arrol-Johnston (later known as Arrol-Aster) was an early Scottish manufacturer of automobiles, which operated from 1895 to 1931 and produced the first automobile manufactured in Britain. The company also developed the world's first "off-road" ve ...
*
Aster (automobile) : ''For the French Aster automobile manufacturer of 1900-1910, see Ateliers de Construction Mecanique l'Aster'' The Aster was an English automobile manufactured from 1922 to 1930. The company's car roots can be traced to 1899 when Begbie Manufa ...


Notes


References


Other sources

* The Automobile Vol. III. Edited by Paul N. Hasluck and published by Cassell in 1906. Re - Durham-Churchill * Buses and Trolleybuses before 1919 by David Kaye. Published 1972. Re - Durham-Churchill * Ian Allan - British Buses Since 1900 - Aldridge and Morris. Re - Durham-Churchill * Motoring Annual and Motorist’s Year Book 1904. Re - Sydney D. Begbie.
Google Books. ''The Complete Encyclopedia of Motorcars, 1885 to the present''
by
Georgano, G.N. George Nicolas "Nick" Georgano (29 February 1932 – 22 October 2017Nick Georgano
Alvis Archive Bl ...
, Published by Dutton, 10 Oct 1973
Google Books. ''The New Encyclopedia of Motorcars, 1885 to the present''
by
Georgano, G.N. George Nicolas "Nick" Georgano (29 February 1932 – 22 October 2017Nick Georgano
Alvis Archive Bl ...
and Thorkil Ry Andersen, Published by Dutton, 21 Oct 1982


External links


Image - The 1898 Orient-Aster motorcycle engine



Image - 1904 Aster 16/20hp Four-cylinder, Five Seat, Rear-entrance, Tonneau, Registration no. AK 268 Chassis no. 9589 Engine no. Type 43JS 9589. Auctioned at Bonhams


* ttp://www.prewarcar.com/magazine/previous-features/mystery-four-pot-please-send-measurements-015614.html Prewar cars, over 130(!) marques used Aster engines
Grace's Guide - British Industrial History, Aster Engineering Co
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aster (Auto Parts Company) Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of France Auto parts suppliers of France Companies based in Paris French companies established in 1878 Manufacturing companies established in 1878