Lancia Motor Club

Here’s a quiz question for all you who are knowledgeable about sliding pillar front suspension. The photographs below are details from a historic photo by the famous French photographer Robert Doisneau – it was taken in Paris in 1946 and his title for it was “Speedsters”.

It looks to me that this car (the one on the right!) has a sliding pillar suspension! As far as I know the only manufacturers that used sliding pillar were Morgan (who held the patent) and Lancia, and this particular gem doesn’t look like either of them.

So, what is it? Sorry to say, I don’t know the answer but I am curious.

Other odd things about this probably French car include: what looks like an air-cooled V twin engine, presumably only three wheels, right hand drive and can that really be a disc-brake? It looks ripe for rescue, but I guess it got junked.

Colin

My first 'car' was a vintage Morgan Aero & at that time I was a member of the Morgan Threewheeler Club.  I am pretty sure I remember that Morgans had been built under licence in France, so this could well be one of those.

Peter

This link: http://www.morgan3w.de/darmont/darmont.htm has a diagram at the bottom of the page showing the suspension. It looks very similar (even identical) to that in your picture Colin. I think Peter has provided the vital clue !

...and having said "Morgan" I can see a V-twin through the grill...

After a quick google the guess is "Darmont", but no proof as yet.  Another licenced Morgan was the "Sandford".

http://www.morgan3w.de/

Might the grill have been a later addition?   Been racking my brain for where I'd seen it and this was the answer.

http://www.rhiw.com/hanes_02/fergi_bach/ffergi_bach/ferguson_tea_20.jpg

Not quite the same - and pretty unlikely.

David

I think that the Carden cycle car at VSCC Malvern also had 'sliding pillars' - but any similarity ends there....

There were one or two Morgans with similar suspension around that week, too. Here's a photo of the Carden.