Métallurgique were cars made by ''
Société Anonyme
The abbreviation S.A. or SA designates a type of limited company in certain countries, most of which have a Romance languages, Romance language as their official language and operate a derivative of the 1804, Napoleonic, civil law (legal syste ...
L'Auto Métallurgique'',
Marchienne-au-Pont
Marchienne-au-Pont (; ) is a town of Wallonia and a district of the municipality of Charleroi, located in the Hainaut Province, province of Hainaut, Belgium.
It was a commune in its own right before the merger of communes in 1977, when it had a p ...
,
Belgium
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
, between 1898 and 1928. Before making cars, the company had made railway locomotives and rolling stock.
Production
The first cars were 2-cylinder models with chain drive. In 1900, the company switched to shaft drive. In 1905 an all-new range was introduced, resembling contemporary
Daimlers, both designed by Ernst Lehmann, who come to Métallurgique from there in 1903.
[Ritzinger, Andre, Métallurgique 12/14 HP http://www.ritzsite.nl/Archive/0408.htm www.ritzsite.nl] These cars, with pressed-steel chassis, live rear axle, shaft drive, high-tension ignition, and the option of dynamo-powered electric lighting, were to establish the company as one of the finest makers of sporting cars in Europe. Production was targeted for export, and most sales were in Britain. In 1906, there came the 4-cylinder
inlet over exhaust , with a claimed output of at 1400 rpm, enabling the car to reach . The cars got a distinctive V front radiator in 1907.
For 1908 the car range included the 60/80 and the 40-hp, which was a smaller version of the 60/80, the 2-cylinder cars being finally dropped, the last of them a 12/14. They were replaced in 1909 by a 12/14 four-cylinder (built in Germany by ''
Bergmann Elektrizitäwerke'' of
Berlin
Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
), joined by a 5-litre , and in 1911 all cars got 4-speed gearboxes. Bodywork was made by
Vanden Plas
Vanden Plas is the name of coachbuilders who produced bodies for specialist and up-market automobile manufacturers. Latterly the name became a top-end luxury model designation for cars from subsidiaries of British Leyland and the Rover Group, ...
. The Bergmann-built cars proved expensive in Britain, thanks to tariffs.
Métallurgique cars were also made from 1909 under licence by Bergmann in Berlin, Germany who had previously made electric cars. These were sold as Bergmann-Métallurgique.
All prewar cars were of exceptionally high quality.
The company's agent in Britain,
Oscar Cupper
Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to:
People and fictional and mythical characters
* Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar
* Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer J ...
, also served as "one of the firm's most able" works drivers.
After World War I, car production restarted with the 26/60, the 20/40, and the 15/20. The 26/60 was newly-fitted with Adex brakes at all four corners,. a rarity at the time. The first post-war designs arrived in 1921 with the 3-litre.
The 15/20 disappeared in 1922, replaced by a new tourer with four-wheel brakes, powered by an overhead-valve four, designed by Paul Bastien. It remained the company's primary product until 1927.
It was in 1927 the company was taken over by
Minerva
Minerva (; ; ) is the Roman goddess of wisdom, justice, law, victory, and the sponsor of arts, trade, and strategy. She is also a goddess of warfare, though with a focus on strategic warfare, rather than the violence of gods such as Mars. Be ...
-
Impéria, and it ceased to exist.
[Wise, p.1329.]
Takeover
The company was taken over by
Impéria in 1927 and the factory was acquired by
Minerva
Minerva (; ; ) is the Roman goddess of wisdom, justice, law, victory, and the sponsor of arts, trade, and strategy. She is also a goddess of warfare, though with a focus on strategic warfare, rather than the violence of gods such as Mars. Be ...
.
The name was dropped. Paul Bastien joined
Stutz
The Stutz Motor Car Company was an American automobile Automotive industry, manufacturer based in Indianapolis, Indiana that produced high-end Sports cars, sports and Luxury vehicle, luxury cars. The company was founded in 1911 as the Idea ...
in America where he was responsible for the Vertical Eight.
La Societe Anonyme des Automobiles Métallurgique has been set up to bring Métallurgique owners together.
References
Sources
*Wise, David Burgess, "Métallurgique: The luxury market their forté", in Ward, Ian, executive editor. ''World of Automobiles'' Volume 12, pp.1328-9. London: Orbis, 1974.
External links
*https://web.archive.org/web/20170925182658/http://metallurgique.com/
{{DEFAULTSORT:Metallurgique
1890s cars
Cars introduced in 1898
Car manufacturers of Belgium
Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of Belgium
Vintage vehicles
Companies based in Hainaut (province)
Cars discontinued in 1927