Rumpler Vornantrieb Limousine Prototype 1926

[grobmotorix]

Who knows this car?

[FrontMan]

Front-wheel-drive Rumpler prototype?

[grobmotorix]

Front-man obviously likes fwd cars - perfect!

[Carnut]

Front-man obviously likes fwd cars - perfect!

And what's more that makes him an Expert!
Congratulations FrontMan.
Of course it means no more answering Rookie puzzles (after those you've already answered today) but it means you can now proceed to puzzle us with your own!

[Allemano]

http://www.autopuzzles.com/forum/index.php?topic=16077.0

[Carnut]

Oh dear, that too recent a re-post.
What shall we do?  Take away FrontMan's point and re-instate his Rookie status?!
It looks to me like he's due a few more with some answers posted in the Rookies section so he's going to be an Expert today anyway (possibly after scoring a record number of Rookie points...)

[Allemano]

Just merge it and everything's fine IMHO.
(of course I can do that job, too..)

[grobmotorix]

It was my fault - I didn´t realize it was the same car - now I see that it is a detachable top and it is the same car...

I think it´s fair enough to award frontman the expert´s grade:

[Carnut]

Just merge it and everything's fine IMHO.
(of course I can do that job, too..)

Yes, I agree.

[Wendax]

It was my fault - I didn´t realize it was the same car - now I see that it is a detachable top and it is the same car...

Funnily the doors open in the opposite sense than those of the tourer.  
So it is probably a different body.

[Carnut]

It was my fault - I didn´t realize it was the same car - now I see that it is a detachable top and it is the same car...

Funnily the doors open in the opposite sense than those of the tourer.  
So it is probably a different body.

Maybe not on the other side!
I have to say it doesn't look like a detachable top in any way at all!

[grobmotorix]

Funnily the doors open in the opposite sense than those of the tourer.
So it is probably a different body.

You´re right!

Maybe you´re on to something here...

Let´s keep digging!

Maybe not on the other side!
I have to say it doesn't look like a detachable top in any way at all!

Well, the upper sill above the door locks may be a partition line for the whole roof?

[grobmotorix]

I´ve found those photos and brochure scans of the closed limousine on my HDD:

[Carnut]

Well, the upper sill above the door locks may be a partition line for the whole roof?

The weight of it with all that glass would be enormous; it would require a crane to remove it..!

[grobmotorix]

I´ve changed the title to limousine...

[FrontMan]

Well, many thanks for the promotion gentlemen.  My memory of this car derives from the von Metternich book on Rumpler....still stached away in our beloved little French village.
I believe that we have here a significant historical link between the extraordinary mind of Joseph Valentin Laviolette and the invention of the Tracta joint, hence the modern front-drive concept.
My conjecture is based on the fact that from 1918 (possibly earlier), Pierre Fenaille was signing as administrator on Bellanger Freres stock certificates.  Laviolette had been a key player in the Spjeker saga and became a ardent promoter of the front-drive system. One of his own "Festina" prototypes appeared in Detroit in 1917. The V8 Bellanger cars were designed by Laviolette,  In short, it is likely that Laviolette 'indoctrinated' Fenaille!
Unless I have missed something, J.-A. Gregoire creditted Fenaille with the idea of front-drive for the Tracta cars....but did not expand on the background.
I am anxious to pursue the full story as soon as domestic circumstances allow.
Reverting to the Rumpler, the Spjeker books tell us that Spjeker attracted the wild boys to its doors during the Laviolette period,...such as Edmund Rumpler and Jup Tjaarda.
It took a robust homokinetic joint to release the potential, but poor old Laviolette seems to have been outrageously overlooked as the Father of the modern car.  The L29 Cord, Ruxton and Miller efforts owe more to Laviolette than to Christie.

[grobmotorix]

Now, that is a really interesting story.

If you want, please feel free to open a new thread that features the history of front wheel drive or something comparable.

[Wendax]

Metternich says in his Rumpler book that there were several Ru 6 A 104 built, so this is a different car from the tourer.

[grobmotorix]

O.K., thank you for sharing this facts.

[Wendax]

The engine can be seen here: http://www.autopuzzles.com/forum/index.php?topic=16077.msg216718#msg216718

[Wendax]

Another view: