Fabrique de Moteurs et de Machines ZL

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emblem
ZL 8/10 PS C from 1908 from Swiss production

ZL was a Swiss manufacturer of engines , motorcycles and automobiles with the Société des Moteurs et Automobiles Zedel (ZL) branch in France .

Company history

Ernest Zürcher (in German sources Ernst Zürcher) opened a workshop in Neuchâtel in 1896 and in 1897 was the first Swiss entrepreneur to start manufacturing motorcycle engines. After the first successful sales, he joined forces with Hermann Lüthi on January 4, 1901 and founded the company Zürcher & Lüthi & Cie SA in Saint-Aubin-Sauges . On March 21, 1902, the company was renamed SA Fabrique de Moteurs et de Machines ZL when Hermann Lüthi retired from the company. In 1903, Zürcher founded a branch in Pontarlier , France , in order to bypass the high customs barriers. On June 30, 1905, Zürcher closed the plant in Saint-Aubin-Sauges. On November 11, 1907, Zürcher handed over the management of the branch to the Swiss engineer Samuel Graf and began again with the production of engines, motorcycles and automobiles in Saint-Aubin-Sauges. In 1908, automobile production in the Swiss plant ended.

vehicles

Automobiles

The models made in Switzerland were identical to the French models. From 1907 these were the 8 HP model with a four-cylinder engine with 1128 cm³ displacement and from 1908 the 8/10 HP model , also called 10 HP , also with a four-cylinder engine and either 1693 cm³ or 1791 cm³ displacement. The open bodies offered space for two people as a Phaeton and space for four people as a double phaeton.

A vehicle of this brand can be seen in the Musée de l'automobile de la Fondation Pierre Gianadda in Martigny .

Motors and motorcycles

Initially, four-stroke engines were made for motorcycles, which were sold as built-in engines to motorcycle manufacturers in Germany , England , France and Austria . These included single-cylinder engines with 211 cc and 240 cc displacement for NSU . Motorcycles and motor tricycles were also manufactured later.

Engine deliveries to other automobile manufacturers

Engine deliveries were made to Alcyon , Egg , Seebacher Maschinenbau and Yaxa .

brand names

The engines were marketed as Zürcher. The brand name for vehicles from Swiss production was ZL , for vehicles from French production Zédel . This is an artificial word and was formed from the initials of the two company founders (Z & L).

literature

  • Ernest Schmid: Musée de l'Automobile. Pierre Gianadda Foundation. Martigny. ProLitteris, Zurich 2004, ISBN 2-88443-080-6 . (French)
  • Ernest Schmid: Swiss cars. Swiss automobile designs from 1868 to the present day. Auto-Jahr, Lausanne 1978, ISBN 2-88001-058-6 .
  • George Nick Georgano : Cars. Encyclopédie complète. 1885 à nos jours. Courtille, 1975 (French)
  • Hans Seper, Helmut Krackowizer, Alois Brusatti: Austrian motor vehicles from the beginning until today. Welsermühl, Wels 1984, ISBN 3-85339-177-X .
  • S. Ewald: Encyclopedia of the motorcycle. Bechtermünz Verlag, Augsburg 1999, ISBN 3-8289-5364-6 .
  • Erwin Tragatsch: All motorcycles. Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 1976, ISBN 3-87943-410-7 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h Musée de l'Automobile
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g h Swiss cars
  3. ↑ Cars. Encyclopédie complète
  4. ↑ Zedel. In: zabytkowemotocykleirowery.pl. Retrieved February 17, 2017 .