Imperia
Belgian maker of early automobiles, imported into the UK by Mansions Motor Co
The Impéria was a Belgian automobile manufactured from 1906 until 1948. Products of the Ateliers Piedboeuf of Liège, the first cars were designed by the German Paul Henze. These were fours of 3, 4.9, and 9.9 litres.
The next year, the company moved to Nessonvaux, and began production in the old Pieper factory.
Impéria produced a monobloc 12 hp in 1909.
1910 the company merged with Springuel.
The Nessonvaux factory began producing Impéria-Abadals from about 1916.
1921 They built three ohc 5·6-litre straight-eights.
These were quickly replaced by an ephemeral ohc 3-litre 32-valve four which was capable of going 90 mph. This was followed by an 1,100 cc side-valve 11/22 hp four designed by Couchard, one of the first cars ever built with a sunroof. Its engine rotated anti-clockwise, and its transmission brake also served as a servo for those on the front wheels.
In 1937 a six of 1,624 cc appeared; this had been available in three-carburettor Super Sports form from 1930.
Over the course of four years Impéria took over three other Belgian car manufacturers: Metallurgique (1927), Excelsior (1929), and Nagant (1931).
From 1934 until the company folded it built mainly front-wheel-drive Adlers with Belgian-made coachwork.
The company merged with Minerva in 1934, but they split in 1939.
After 1948 Impéria assembled Adlers and Standard Vanguards under license.
After Standard Motor Co decided to set up a new factory in Belgium, the factory was left without work and had to close doors in 1957.
In addition to its production in Belgium, Impéria made a number of cars in Great Britain; these were assembled at a factory in Maidenhead as British Imperia
See Also
- 1908 Motor Show
- 1908 Motor Show: A Review
- 1909 Autocars
- 1909 Motor Show
- 1909 RAC Directory of Cars
- 1910/04/27 Brooklands Race Meeting
- 1910/06/18 Brooklands Race Meeting
- 1910 Automotor: Index
- 1911/04/17 Brooklands Race Meeting
- 1911 Automotor: Index
- 1911 Motor Cars
- 1911 Pattern Pleasure Car Chassis
- 1912 RAC Directory of Cars
- 1913-1914 The Motor: Index
- 1913 Automotor: Index
- 1914 Automotor: Index
- 1914 Motor Car Red Book: Cars
- 1914 RAC Directory of Cars
- 1914 The Motor: Index
- 1917 Motor, Marine and Aircraft Red Book: Cars
- 1920 Motor, Marine and Aircraft Red Book: Cars
- 1924/10/17 Motor Show
- 1924 Automotor: Index
- 1925 Automotor: Index
- 1925 Economy Cars
- 1928/10/05 The 1929 Light Cars
- 1930 Light Cars
- 1937 Motor Show
- Automobile Engineer: 1926/11/11
- British Imperia
- C. E. Whittaker and Co
- Light Car and Cyclecar: 1924/09/19
- Light Car and Cyclecar: 1924/10/17
- Light Car and Cyclecar: 1935/02/22
- Mansions Motor Co
- Metallurgique
- Nagant
- Springuel