1914 Brasier 9hp Tourer

Description

CHASSIS PLATE PHOTO ADDED Restored in the 1980s; wheels and gearbox more recently rebuilt; extremely rare French-built Edwardian car in good running order

The Brasier marque originated in 1901 when engineer Henri Brasier left Mors to join Georges Richard who had been building cars since the late 1890s at Ivry on the outskirts of Paris. The cars were initially sold under the Richard-Brasier brand, becoming plain Brasier after 1905 following Georges Richard's departure to found Unic.

In 1904 Brasier shot to fame when one of his cars won the prestigious Gordon Bennett Trophy, a feat he pulled off again the following year. Available in two-, four- and six-cylinder formats ranging from 9hp – 40hp, the cars sold well (around 1,000 a year) until war broke out in 1914 when production switched to making aero engines. The company went into a slow decline after World War One, being acquired by the bicycle manufacturer Chaigneau in 1926 before falling victim to The Great Depression in 1930.

This particular Brasier Four-Seat Tourer comes with a 1974 VCC Dating Certificate which states that it is a 9hp model built in 1914. Our vendor is not so sure about that and believes it may be a slightly earlier car with a 12hp engine but there is no easy way to prove this so bidders will need to make their own minds up on that score.

Nothing is known of the car’s early history but correspondence on file states that it was believed to have been used by the French Army during WW1, later ending up on a French farm where it was discovered by a Mr Russell Welsh in c.1974. He sold the car to a Michael Manning of Somerset who completely restored it in 1983/84 as shown in an album of photos on file plus a few supporting invoices.

Manning was to keep the car until 2007 and it then had one further keeper until 2019 when it was sold at a Bonhams auction in Beaulieu. There are 21 old tax discs on file which show that it was in regular use from 1985 – 2009, the Bonhams catalogue stating that it continued to be used on VCC rallies and other events until 2016.

Invoices and correspondence on file show that it received a new set of wooden artillery wheels in 2006 (made by GJ Garner & Son of Romsey) and the 4-speed gearbox was rebuilt by Neve Engineering of Lewes in 2011. The magneto was also rebuilt in the same year.

Our vendor acquired the car in 2020 and has used it lightly but regularly. He reports that it always starts promptly (it has a push button electric starter below the driver’s seat) and runs and drives well with good oil pressure (measured via the glass tube on the dash).

It comes with sundry spares (as shown in the photos) plus a spare engine which needs rebuilding and will need to be collected from the Wolverhampton area if desired. The history file also includes much technical literature about the marque (mainly in French) and some useful tips on driving and maintenance.

A rare and interesting Edwardian car, in good working order, this Brasier now only needs a new custodian who can preserve it for future generations to enjoy.  

For more information contact James on 07970 309907 or email james.dennison@brightwells.com