Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Rick]

Christina emailed this query over, can anyone help with info?? thanks

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I came across your Classic Car site and would most grateful for your help, if it is no trouble.

I am an author, currently working on a new novel about a member of the family of the last Tsar of Russia. The central character was a car enthusiast but I know very little about old cars and have a simple question to which I can't find an answer. The car I am describing is a Delaunay-Belleville Phaeton 1906/7 model and I wonder whether it was necessary to start such a car with a handle or if there would be any kind of automatic ignition.

Thank you in anticipation of your advice!
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[roverdriver]

Highly unlikely to find any car with a self-starter prior to about 1912. I can't guarantee that a 1905 or 06 model was sans starter, but would feel confident that manual starting was the norm.

Tsar Nicholas ll apparently had a number of Delaunay's including the 70 hp chain driven model known as model SMT for Sa Majeste le Tsar. I believe that the SMT was later than 1906, so for that year I would expect he would have been driven around in one of the 40 hp models. They had separately cast cylinders, 'T' heads, pressure lubrication and four speed gearboxes.

Hope that is of some help,
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Dane- roverdriver but not a Viking.

[Peter_L]

Quote:

[b]The electric starter was introduced as early as 1912, fuel injection and hydraulic dampers earlier still. A consideration of the pneumatic self-starter fitted to Czar Nicholas II’s enormous 11.65-litre Delaunay-Belleville in 1908/9 (designed to facilitate quick getaways from would-be assassins) leads to the conclusion that it was self-starters[/b]


Taken from:

http://www.spectator.co.uk/books/20654/part_2/musts-for-the-glove-compartment.thtml

Perhaps a lead that can be verified elsewhere