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. Metallurgique Speedster

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

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), joined by a 5-litre , and in 1911 all cars got 4-speed gearboxes. Bodywork was made by

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. 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,

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, 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

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- 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

. 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