Salmson 1100. Apart from a few short-lived deviations, the French sports Salmson adhered consistentl

At first they were spidery creations called 'cyclecars', denoting a specially cheap taxation category devised by the French, but when the concession ended in 1925 they became voiturettes or light cars. The first Salmson fours had two-bearing crankshafts and hemispherical heads with eight inclined overhead valves operated by four pushrods only, a mechanical 'miracle' achieved by each pushrod actuating both the inlet and exhaust valves of each cylin-der through a system of T-bars and springs. Such economy in moving parts from a lesser maker might have been derided, but Salmson had several years' experience of making aircraft engines, and the four-pushrod engine worked well, remaining in production from 1921 to 1927, when it was succeeded briefly by an eight-pushrod touring model.

Light weight being obligatory to qualify for the French cut-price tax, the 1921 Salmson chassis was a simple 'bedstead' with quarter-elliptic springs projecting fore and aft. A three-speed gearbox in unit with the engine, shaft drive and a differential-less rear axle also featured, while a gossamer open two-seater body was normal wear, with fittings such as a spare wheel, electric lighting, instruments etc. rating as optional extras above the 350kg weight limit. While the four-pushrod engines went into production, new and sophisticated twin-ohc heads and three-bearing bottom ends were quickly developed for a team of special 1100cc eight-plug racers which won first time out in the 1921 Cyclecar GP at Le Mans, and swept the 1100 board clean for the next four years. Production twin-cam models — the first by any marque in the world — were announced in 1922, and marketed in touring, sports and racing forms up to 1930. With exotic model names such as Grand Prix, Grand Sport and San Sebastian, these were the much-loved `Sammies' that sold briskly and figured successfully in all branches of motor sport, from trials and rallies to sprints and road and track racing, all with impressive reliability.

Specification Engine: four-pushrod' models (see text) — straight-four; 62 x 90mm, 1087cc; pushrod ohv; single carburettor; 22bhp (approx) at 3000rpm. twin ohc models — as above, but twin ohc; 33bhp (approx) at 3800rpm. Gearbox: three-speed manual, but four-speed manual on twin-ohc Grand Sport model. Chassis: pressed steel side members; front suspension by reversed quarter-elliptic leaf springs and friction dampers (but semi-elliptic springs from 1922); rear suspension by quarter-elliptic leaf springs and friction dampers; rear-wheel drum brakes from 1921, four-wheel drum brakes on twin-ohc models and on all models from 1925. Dimensions: four pushrod' model — wheelbase 259cm/102in; track 107cm/42in. twin ohc model — wheelbase 254cm/100in; track 114cm/45in.