Lost Marques - Lagonda to Triumph |
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What
a shame that so many fine automobile manufacturers
have closed their doors - fortunately there are many
museums and private collectors dedicated to the preservation
of such important automotive history.
In tribute to
those people, we are writing a series of articles on
the lost marques of last century - and there a quite
a few!
It seems paradoxical today that the owners of
such legendary marques as Stutz and Mercer would compose
such impolite slogans about each other, one wonders
if they would still recite “There’s nothing
worser than a Mercer” and “You’d have
to be nuts to drive a Stutz” had they foreseen
global events such as war and the depression wiping
out the manufacturer of their cherished automobile.
And remember to check back regularly as we expand our
collection of “Lost Marques”… |
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Lagonda
While most classic car enthusiasts associate,
quite rightly, the name “Lagonda” with the
legendary car marque, not many would know that the name
originates from the US and not the UK! The company’s
founder was one Wilbur Gunn, who first lived in a small
town named Lagonda, in the state of Ohio. More>> |
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Mercer
Mercer County, New Jersey, USA. Home of the
now largely forgotten Mercer Automobile Company and their
wonderful Type 35 "Raceabout". Introduced in
1911 the car was designed by Finley Robert Porter and
made possible by the financial backing of Washington
A Roebling. More>> |
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Riley
It should come as no surprise, particularly
if you have read other articles in the “Lost Marques”
feature of this site that Riley did not start out manufacturing
cars. In fact the automobile was simply a progression,
the company at first being involved in the weaving trade
and later manufacturing bicycles. More>> |
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Stutz
The progress from component manufacturer to
automobile manufacturer was set in motion in 1911 when
Harry C Stutz's company built a successful Indianapolis
race car as a publicity exercise. The success would gain
investors, and so Harry set about the manufacture of
his own “complete”
passenger car. More>> |
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Sunbeam
“Fill up the Sunbeam”, mention this
in an Australian home today and most would assume you
are talking of the kettle. But there was a time when the
word Sunbeam would evoke the very essence of automotive
fervor. Until the mid 1920s Sunbeam were one of the very
few British companies to seriously build, develop and
race a team of Grand Prix cars. And in 1923 Sunbeam would
taste success with Sir Henry Segrave taking out the French
Grand Prix, making for a British Driver/Manufacturer combination
that would not be repeated until the 1950’s. More>> |
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Talbot
Talbot was originally founded by the Earl of
Shrewsbury & Talbot (hence the name), to assemble
cars in London from French components. Keen to become
an entirely British concern, in 1905 they replaced the
original Clement-Bayard models with home grown versions
– cars that helped Talbot gain a reputation for
building durable, if somewhat austere cars. More>> |
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Talbot
Lago
Major Tony Lago created the Talbot-Lago marque
in 1935 when he purchased the French branch of the bankrupted
Sunbeam-Talbot-Darracq combine. However many contest that
the story really began at the end of the 19th century
when Adolphe Clement, a French industrialist, began to
manufacture cars. More>> |
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Triumph
You don’t have to look far to find numerous
car companies that have made the successful transition
from motorcycle to car manufacturer. Japanese companies
such as Honda and Suzuki immediately spring to mind,
but the undisputed pioneer in making such a transition
is Triumph. More>> |
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A Brief History
of the Automobile:
If you enjoyed the features listed on these pages, we
hope you will also enjoy our "Brief History of the
Automobile". From Cugnot's 1770 “Fardier”
to the 1950's, by which time many manufacturers had succumb
to financial difficulty, we have tried to capture all
the important events and milestones of our favourite
invention. In many ways the 1930s were a watershed -
they saw the last of the big luxury cars from makers
such as Hispano-Suiza, Duesenberg and Minerva, as well
as the end of many small, independent manufacturers and
coachbuilders (victims of the swing to mass-produced
cars with pressed-steel bodies). The motor industry had
reached the point where it had become vital to the economic
well-being of the major industrialized countries. Now
it was to prove just as vital in providing weapons of
war. Click
here to go to our latest feature, A Brief History
of the Automobile... |
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