Basse und Selve (BuS) were German manufacturers of engines for

automobiles A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods. The year 1886 is regarded as ...

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...

boats A boat is a watercraft of a large range of types and sizes, but generally smaller than a ship, which is distinguished by its larger size, shape, cargo or passenger capacity, or its ability to carry boats. Small boats are typically found on inl ...

aircraft An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air. It counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines ...

and

railcar A railcar (not to be confused with a railway car) is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach (carriage, car), with a drive ...

s, supplying engines for ''Selve'' cars built at the Selve Automobilwerke AG, but also various other manufacturers of automobiles and commercial vehicles, such as Beckmann,

Mannesmann Mannesmann was a German industrial conglomerate. It was originally established as a manufacturer of steel pipes in 1890 under the name "Deutsch-Österreichische Mannesmannröhren-Werke AG". (Loosely translated: "German-Austrian Mannesmann pi ...

, and Heim. The

Altena Altena (; Westphalian: ''Altenoa'') is a town in the district of Märkischer Kreis, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The town's castle is the origin for the later Dukes of Berg. Altena is situated on the Lenne river valley, in the northern stretc ...

factory was founded in 1908 by Gustav Selve, employing 2,000 workers, with Dr. Walther von Selve taking over the firm on the death of Gustav Selve, his father. Basse und Selve aero-engines did not make a big impact on the aviation industry in Germany, but did find limited use, particularly in several large aircraft. The largest and most powerful fighter fitted with a Basse & Selve engine was the

Hansa-Brandenburg W.34 Hansa-Brandenburg W.34 was a prototype German two-seat, single-engined floatplane, which had been designed by Hansa und Brandenburgische Flugzeugwerke during World War I. Development The W.34 was similar in design to the W.33, but was powered ...

, a single prototype of which was completed before hostilities ceased in 1918. Several large ''Riesenflugzeuge'' were also fitted with Basse & Selve engines, but they were generally replaced with Mercedes or

Maybach Maybach (, ) is a Automotive industry in Germany, German luxury car brand that exists today as a part of Mercedes-Benz. The original company was founded in 1909 by Wilhelm Maybach and his son Karl Maybach, originally as a subsidiary of ''Lufts ...

alternatives as soon as possible. Basse & Selve continued to build engines until closing its doors in 1932, two years before the closure of its sister company, Selve Automobilwerke AG, which closed in 1934.

Aero-engines

Basse und Selve is known to have produced the following engines for aircraft and/or airships: * BuS.III * BuS.IV * BuS.IVa

Applications

;

:BuS.IVa ;

AGO S.I The AGO S.I was a German prototype ground-attack aircraft built in October 1918 but possibly never flown before the end of World War I. It was a single-seat biplane A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above th ...

: 1 x 150 hp BuS.III (1918) ; Rumpler C.I : 1 x 260 hp BuS.IV (1918) ; Siemens-Schuckert R.VIII : 6 x 300 hp BuS.IVa (1918) ;

Rumpler C.IV The Rumpler C.IV was a German single-engine, two-seat reconnaissance biplane. It was a development of C.III with different tail surfaces and using a Mercedes D.IVa engine in place of the C.III's Benz Bz.IV. The Rumpler 6B 2 was a single-sea ...

:1 x BuS.IVa ;

Zeppelin-Staaken R.VI The Zeppelin-Staaken R.VI was a four-engined Imperial Germany, German biplane strategic bomber of World War I, and the only ''Riesenflugzeug'' ("giant aircraft") design built in any quantity.Gray, P and Thetford, O ''German Aircraft of the First ...

:4 x 300 hp BuS.IVa, R.52/16 only, later replaced by four 245hp

Maybach Mb.IVa The Maybach Mb IVa was a water-cooled aircraft and airship straight-six engine developed in Germany during World War I by '' Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH'', a subsidiary of Zeppelin. It was one of the world's first series-produced engines designed sp ...

engines

External links

* :de:Selve-Brunnen
a photo of a sectioned BuS.IV
{{Authority control Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of Germany Defunct aircraft engine manufacturers of Germany Manufacturing companies established in 1908 German brands Car manufacturers of Germany Companies of Prussia 1908 establishments in Germany Manufacturing companies disestablished in 1934 1934 disestablishments in Germany

Aero-engines

Applications

See also

External links