Samson Supra

Samson
Simson-Supra Type A in the vehicle museum in the CCS
Supra
Production period:	1924-1934
Class :	upper middle class
Body versions :	Touring car , roadster , sedan , coupé
Engines:	Petrol engines : 2.0-4.7 liters (29-66 kW)
Length:	4200-4750 mm
Width:	1660-1840 mm
Height:	1550-1900 mm
Wheelbase :	2600-3550 mm
Empty weight :	1250-2050 kg

The Simson Supra was the most famous car model from the Simson company . Around 1,520 of the vehicle were built between 1924 and 1934.

history

emblem

Lettering on the radiator grille

The Simson brothers' weapons factory in Suhl , Thuringia , also manufactured bicycles from 1896 and passenger cars from 1911 to 1934 . In 1922, Paul Henze was hired as a designer who had made an outstanding contribution to the Reichenberger Automobilfabrik (RAF) and the Steiger -Werke Burgrieden. The Supra developed by Henze for Simson was a distinctive sports car: the Type S presented in 1924 developed 50 hp from a two-liter displacement and had a wheelbase of 2.60-3.00 m. The maximum speed was 120-140 km / h. The four-cylinder engine was ventilated by four valves per cylinder, which in turn were controlled by two overhead camshafts with vertical shafts .

Numerous motorsport victories have proven the power of this car. The So type with a 3.00 m wheelbase was created for less potent customers . Its engine had two valves per cylinder, an overhead camshaft with vertical shaft and made 40 hp. Of the 4-cylinder types S and So, around 750 copies were built in five years. At the same time there was the type J with a six-cylinder engine (3.1 liter displacement, 60 hp). Its engine, like that of the So type, was equipped with two overhead valves per cylinder, an overhead camshaft and a vertical shaft. The wheelbase of this larger car was 3.50 m.

1926 replaced Type R the type J . Its slightly enlarged engine now had an underlying camshaft that powered the two valves per cylinder. It remained at 60 hp. All models mentioned so far had right-hand drive and cable brakes that acted on all four wheels. In 1928 the type R was revised: The cable brakes received suction air assistance and it was switched to left-hand drive. The vehicle was manufactured with this equipment until 1931.

The successor was the RJ type . With otherwise the same design, it had an engine with 3.4 liters displacement, which made 70 hp. The types J , R and RJ were built around 750 times in nine years. Simultaneously with the RJ was type A presented. With an enlarged wheelbase (3.55 m) it had an 8-cylinder in-line engine with valves on the side. Its displacement was 4.7 liters and it made 90 hp. A total of 20 vehicles were built in three years.

In 1934, only twelve of the types RJ and A were delivered. Then the car production was stopped due to a lack of profitability.

As far as we know today, only a few Supra models have survived; there are no longer any examples of the legendary four-valve engines. The Supra So can still be seen in the Dresden Transport Museum . A Supra A (18/90) was in the possession of various collectors such as the German actor Manfred Krug and Hermann Cornel. The vehicle has been open to the public again in the Vehicle Museum Suhl since 2009.

Technical data of types S, S Sport, J and So

Type	S.	S sport	J	So
Construction period	1924-1926	1924-1926	1925-1926	1925-1929
engine	4 cyl. Row 4-stroke	4 cyl. Row 4-stroke	6 cyl. Row 4-stroke	4 cyl. Row 4-stroke
Valves	16V overhead control with 2 overhead camshafts and vertical shaft (dohc)	16V overhead control with 2 overhead camshafts and vertical shaft (dohc)	overhead control with overhead camshaft and vertical shaft (ohc)	overhead control with overhead camshaft and vertical shaft (ohc)
Bore × stroke	70 mm × 128 mm	70 mm × 128 mm	72 mm × 128 mm	70 mm × 128 mm
Displacement	1970 cc	1970 cc	3120 cc	1970 cc
Horsepower)	50	60-80	60	40
Power kW)	37	44-59	44	29
at speed (1 / min)	4000	4000	2800	3000
consumption	12 l / 100 km	14 l / 100 km	14 l / 100 km	11 l / 100 km
transmission	4-speed	4-speed	4-speed	4-speed
Top speed	120 km / h	over 140 km / h	95 km / h	100 km / h
Empty weight	1250 kg	1250 kg	1550 kg	1250 kg
length	4200 mm	4200 mm		4200 mm
width	1660 mm	1660 mm		1660 mm
height	1550 mm	1550 mm		1550 mm
wheelbase	2600-3000 mm	2350 mm	3500 mm	3000 mm
Front / rear track	1320 mm / 1300 mm	1320 mm / 1300 mm	1420 mm / 1400 mm	1320 mm / 1300 mm
wheel size	705 × 105 HD	705 × 105 HD	820 × 120 HD	705 × 105 HD

Technical data of types R, RJ and A

Type	R (until 1928)	R (from 1928)	RJ	A.
Construction period	1926-1928	1928-1931	1931-1934	1931-1934
engine	6 cyl. Row 4-stroke	6 cyl. Row 4-stroke	6 cyl. Row 4-stroke	8 cyl. Row 4-stroke
Valves	top steered (ohv)	top steered (ohv)	top steered (ohv)	standing (sv)
Bore × stroke	76 mm × 115 mm	76 mm × 115 mm	79.5 mm × 115 mm	79.5 mm × 115 mm
Displacement	3130 cc	3130 cc	3358 cc	4673 cc
Horsepower)	60	60	70	90
Power kW)	44	44	51	66
at speed (1 / min)	2800	2800	2900	3000
consumption	16 l / 100 km	16 l / 100 km	17 l / 100 km	21 l / 100 km
transmission	4-speed	4-speed	4-speed	4-speed
Top speed	95 km / h	95 km / h	95 km / h	120 km / h
Empty weight	1550 kg	1800 kg	2000 kg	2050 kg
length	4700 mm	4700 mm	4700 mm	4750 mm
width	1750 mm	1750 mm	1840 mm	1840 mm
height	1900 mm	1900 mm	1900 mm	1900 mm
wheelbase	3500 mm	3500 mm	3500 mm	3550 mm
Front / rear track	1420 mm / 1400 mm	1420 mm / 1400 mm	1420 mm / 1420 mm	1460 mm / 1420 mm
wheel size	33 x 6.20 ND	32 × 6.00 ND or 6.00-20 "	6.00-20 "	6.50-20 "

Web links

Commons : Simson Supra  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Vehicle Museum Suhl
• Information from the Suhler Bildungswerk

literature

• Oldtimer Markt magazine, issue 7/1998, article "Simson-Supra Type S"
• Dähn, Ewald: Simson - Cars from Suhl, (1988) ISBN 3-344-00271-6
• Gränz, Paul / Kirchberg, Peter: Ancestors of our cars, Berlin (1975)
• Werner Oswald : German Cars Volume 2 - 1920-1945 . 2nd new edition, Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 2005, ISBN 3-613-02170-6

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Existing Simson automobiles (status: 2013)