Chenard-Walcker
Chenard Walcker &, Chenard et Walcker occasionally Chenard - Walcker or written, was 1900-1946 a French automobile manufacturer.
Company History
Ernest Chenard Walcker and Henri founded the company in 1900 in Asnières. In March 1906, the renamed Société Anonyme des Anciens Établissements Chenard et Walcker and the construction of an additional factory in Gennevilliers was. 1946 ended car production. Vans emerged until 1950. Then Peugeot took over the company.
Rolling stock
The first model was presented at the 1901 Paris Motor Show, with mechanically operated intake valves instead of poppet valves and a De Dion rear axle with two drive shafts to drive the rear wheels. The first models were tricycles and two - or four-cylinder cars.
1909 was the model range from five different vehicle types with one-, two - and four-cylinder engines with outputs between 8/9 hp from 945 cc up to 30/40 hp from 5881 cc.
In the 1920s, the company emphasized the sporty lines of their models. The 1921 model introduced with 2 -liter four- cylinder engine had a single overhead camshaft and inclined overhead valves that were moved via rocker arms. The cylinder block was made of cast iron and had been bolted to the light alloy crankcase. He was regarded as solid and lively. The first 24 - hour race at Le Mans in 1923 was a 3 liter Sport model of this brand in 1922 with the drivers André Lagache and René Léonard winner. They set up with an average speed of 92.064 km / h world record for 24 hours. The second team with Bachmann / Dauvergne Chenard & Walcker drove one. Unlike the competition cars the touring car had an unusual Brake system: The brake pedal worked on a large-sized transmission brake. The torque response was used after Hallot principle to act on the front wheel brakes.
Already in the Le Mans victory in 1923, the company used the advertising effect of success and presented at the Salon a 4 liter eight-cylinder sports car of type X whose overhead camshaft was driven by a vertical shaft. With this model, André Lagache was the strongest competitor, the 3.5 liter Lorraine - Dietrich and the 3 liter Bentleys have successfully stand up and presented with 111.17 km / h on a new lap time. Chenard Walcker & 1924 brought the T3 model with a four-cylinder engine of 1974 cc out of the already made 38 hp. At the 24 -hour race in Spa, the brand won again with a 4 -liter eight- cylinder model. The reputation of reliability and robustness of the brand was strengthened by further victories.
The mid-1920s came Chenard Walcker & with a smaller 1.1 -liter four cylinder OHC engine on the market. The intake valves were compared with very small exhaust unusually large dimensions. In the lower part of the cylinder exhaust slots were mounted, which were controlled by the rotary valves. Surprisingly, this unusual construction proved to be extremely reliable. Contrast, was a two -bearing crankshaft an extremely economical construction. The vehicle is expected to reach a top speed of 150 km / h, which could even be increased by the installation of a Roots compressor 170 km / hr. With class wins at Le Mans, Spa -Francorchamps, San Sebastian and Boulogne gained this car the reputation of " Chenard & Walcker invincible ".
From 1928 Chenard Walcker & no longer took part in competitions at the factory. The technical development soon fell back to the level of the series models of large competitors. During this time, 16 -CV - six-cylinder model was launched with 2.9 liter engine with four crankshaft bearings. Which stood a 14 -CV - six-cylinder model with an engine of Delahaye with overhead valves to the side. In 1927, the car manufacturer Delahaye, Unic and Donnet - Zedel Chenard & Walcker together with a consortium to improve by using shared assemblies and components its research and development ability and increase efficiency at the initiative of Charles Weiffenbach wanted. However, this initiative led to models that were neither technical nor impress with exciting styling and the market found little paragraph. In 1932, the brand broke again from this co-operation, but during the Great Depression, she survived with difficulty in spite of high import duties. Four-cylinder sedans with the name Aigle and Aiglon claimed is difficult to beat the competition, Renault, Citroen and Peugeot. 1934 new model Aigle 8 was presented with a 3.6 - liter V8 engine that delivered 84 horsepower. In 1937 Chenard & Walcker for the end as an independent brand. Later models were powered by Citroën or Ford V8 engines built and supplied parts from large series of other competitors. Also the Vutotal - Cabriolet with a pole -less windshield did not change anything on the sad demise of the once-proud brand. An incorrect model policy drove the company to ruin.
After the war, a few trucks were built before the company was limited to the production of transmissions and components.
Production figures
The following table lists some production figures: