Durkopp 8hp Twin-Cylinder Rear Entrance Tonneau
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Car producer : |
Durkopp |
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Model: |
8hp Twin-Cylinder Rear Entrance Tonneau |
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Year: |
1901 |
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Type: |
Tonneau |
Dürkoppwerke's history began in 1867 when Heinrich Dürkopp, who had earlier completed building a sewing machine on his own co-founded Dürkopp and Schmidt with a colleague, Carl Schmidt. The firm later dropped Schmidt from its name. Operating out of the backroom of a clock-maker's factory, the new firm made both household and industrial sewing machines. As the business profile became enhanced among local customers, the firm moved to a new building close to market street, Bielefeld in 1870. The firm's first automobile followed in 1898. During its early period, Dürkopp experimented with many mechanical ideas and products, led by its founder, the firm began automobile production introducing a successful product. Constructed along Panhard lines, these first Dürkopps featured front-mounted vertical twin-cylinder engines, final drive by chains, and wheels of unequal size. A much smaller car with a rear-mounted engine was on offer in 1899, featuring tandem seating and wire wheels. Motorcycle production commenced around 1901. Dürkopp's range expanded and by 1903 consisted of some five models ranging from an 8PS twin to a 40PS four, while a six-cylinder car was shown for the first time that year. In Britain the importer F Watson marketed Dürkopps under the 'Watsonia' brand name. The firm has produced three wheeled and two wheeled motorcycles. After World War I, the firm's debt profile grew and fell under the receivership of banks who went on to sell its automobile unit to Mercedes Benz.
By 1914 Dürkopp had produced a succession of large-capacity fours, the ultimate being the 13-litre Type DG of 1912, but these sold in limited numbers, prompting the introduction of new smaller models known as the 'Knipperdolling' range.
After WWI, the firm concentrated mainly on medium-size cars of around 2 litres, plus a small number of larger types. Production of cars ceased in 1927 but commercial chassis continued to be available for a few more years.
