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The first V8 engine

Started by Eddie Berrisford , Jun 16 2009 19:59

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7 replies to this topic

#1 Eddie Berrisford

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Joined: February 08

Posted 16 June 2009 - 19:59

I know it can be a little bit boring to discuss who was first with with this or that idea, but a question from a friend as to who made the first V8 engine and when it was made has set me thinking. I immediately thought of the GN/JAP special raced by Richard Scaldwell which has a 1908 engine. Adams (in the USA ?) also built a V8 in 1908 and, also in 1907/8, Antoinette made a V8 engine for flying machines. The V8 Darraq land speed record car was built in 1906 for K.L.G. But preceeding all of these is the V8 'Legalimit' built by Henry Royce in November 1905. I have found no earlier references and so the Royce engine appears to be the first to use eight cylinders in a Vee configuation. ( Mors were half way there when they went into production with a V4 in 1899.)
Can anyone add anything to all this??
Eddie berrisford.

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#2 f1steveuk

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3,589 posts
Joined: June 04

Posted 16 June 2009 - 20:16

[quote name='Eddie Berrisford' date='Jun 16 2009, 20:59' post='3697555']
I know it can be a little bit boring to discuss who was first with with this or that idea, but a question from a friend as to who made the first V8 engine and when it was made has set me thinking. I immediately thought of the GN/JAP special raced by Richard Scaldwell which has a 1908 engine. Adams (in the USA ?) also built a V8 in 1908 and, also in 1907/8, Antoinette made a V8 engine for flying machines. The V8 Darraq land speed record car was built in 1906 for K.L.G. But preceeding all of these is the V8 'Legalimit' built by Henry Royce in November 1905. I have found no earlier references and so the Royce engine appears to be the first to use eight cylinders in a Vee configuation. ( Mors were half way there when they went into production with a V4 in 1899.)
Can anyone add anything to all this??
Eddie berrisford.
[/quote

Léon Levavasseur patented a V8 in 1902, which he called Antoinette, and I recall reading the first engines were built in that year, and one fitted to a car the year after, but then you have to trust who wrote it was accurate!

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#3 Doug Nye

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Joined: February 02

Posted 16 June 2009 - 22:18

Here's the Ader V8 ready to run in the 1903 Paris-Madrid epic.

Photo by Maurice-Louis Branger from: The GP Library

DCN

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#4 onelung

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546 posts
Joined: November 07

Posted 16 June 2009 - 23:06

Here's the Ader V8 ready to run in the 1903 Paris-Madrid epic.

Photo by Maurice-Louis Branger from: The GP Library

DCN

This picture says a million words. Wonderful, Doug - thankyou. :up:

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#5 Ray Bell

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82,240 posts
Joined: December 99

Posted 16 June 2009 - 23:16

There's a fascinating thread on the Technical forum about the V8 engine...

Started by Marion Anderson, it's about the use of the 90º crankshaft. Hope you can find if with the search facility.

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#6 Eddie Berrisford

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Joined: February 08

Posted 17 June 2009 - 21:03

Here's the Ader V8 ready to run in the 1903 Paris-Madrid epic.

Photo by Maurice-Louis Branger from: The GP Library

DCN

Doug, Thank you for the info and great picture of the V8 Ader. Looking it up in the Beaulieu Encyclopaedia, it is given as being two V4 engines coupled together with a total capacity of 3616 cc.
According to Gerald Rose 'A Record of Motor Racing 1894-1908', he states that in the Paris - Madrid two cars rated at 32 H.P. ran in the light car class finishing 12th and 13th in class, 52nd and 53 rd overall out of 99. The average speed was 38.6 and 38.3 m.p.h. and total race time of 8hours 51 minutes 53 secs / 57 mins, 17 secs.
Compare this with the winner of this class and 2nd overall, Louis Renault driving his 30 H.P. car, whos race time was just 5 hours 29 mins 39 secs, average speed 62.3 M.P.H.
Renaults time is even more impressive when compaired to the overall winner Gabriel who driving a 70 H.P. Mors was only 3 MPH faster. What a great drive that must have been!