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The famous shipbuilder,
Delaunay, introduced its automobile at the Paris Salon in 1904.
The car's unique, round, radiator attracted a great deal of attention
and became typical together with radiators of Benz and Renault.
Up until World War I, this car was an extremely popular model. Revised
again in 1909 as a compact version, the car featured a very reliable,
quiet, six-cylinder engine and a grand body design, which received
the support of royalty such as NicholasII of Russia. |
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In this period of automotive
manufacturing, experiments with various types of self-starting devices, based
on a powerful spring or compressed-air system, were carried out, but none was
successful. However, in July 1911, the new Cadillac prototype that was unveiled
was equipped with a revolutionary, self-starting motor. Using just a small 6-volt
battery, it could instantaneously obtain the required 24-volt power needed to
turn over the motor. With this new, electrically powered starter, the inconveniences
of the engine hand crank could be eliminated. In addition to its innovative starting
system, another totally new feature of the Cadillac was seen in the standard electric
headlights. |
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Benz hung on to
the success of the Velo for too long, and this resulted in a general
falling behind technologically. But from 1906, Benz concentrated
on the development of his four-cylinder models and scored successes
in a number of trial runs. The complete touring model, released
in 1912, incorporated modern styling and elegantly curved lines,
in addition to electric headlights. Its unique radiator, combined
with its overall quality design and efficiency, established it as
a model for the auto industry of the time. |
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Renault's early
cars made use of a hood that opened and closed in the front of the car, just
like the automobiles of today, and it adopted the distinctive feature of the
radiator being placed behind the engine. Because of this unique positioning,
it became possible to achieve sleek and futuristic styling as well as greater
ease of maintenance. The limousine-bodied, Type DJ luxury car produced in 1913
incorporated these technological advances, but certain features characteristic
of the era of horse-drawn carriages remained, such as the driver and passenger
being separated; the driver of this car was very much the modern equivalent
of a coachman. |
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