6 replies to this topic

[Henk]

What happened to Minerva’s four Kaiserpreis racing cars after their outstanding performance in the 1907 Circuit des Ardennes?

In 1907 Minerva built four 8-litre racing cars for international competition under the newly established Kaiserpreis formula. Following disappointing results in the German Kaiserpreis, the cars were successful in the 6th Circuit des Ardennes. A British-Dutch ‘works team’ took 1st (John Moore-Brabazon), 2nd (Frits Koolhoven), 3rd (Kennelm Lee Guinness) and 6th (Warwick Wright) place.

So far, I have been unable to get insight in the subsequent history of these remarkable cars. Yvette & Jacques Kupelian provide some general clues in their book Minerva:
- The winning car was exhibited at the Paris and London motor shows.
- The four cars were sold to private drivers.
- Until 1910, one of the cars competed in several Brooklands events.
- In 1912, the latter was given a ‘Grand Tourisme’ coachwork by its owner Leopold Canning; in 1915 the car was transformed to a two-seater.

I feel that more substantial information, racing accomplishments, pictures, etc., will be available somewhere. Hope that TNF can show me the way.

[robert dick]

One of the 8-litre Kaiserpreis Minervas was offered for sale in 1913, in the magazine "The Motor"/London (don't have the magazine at hand - so no exact date).
Between 1908 and 1912, Minervas often appeared in the numerous French hillclimbs, but, since there are no photos of these Minervas accompanying the results, it's difficult to say if these cars were ex-Kaiserpreis racers or specially prepared stock chassis.

[Hans Etzrodt]

Within my incomplete collection of hill climb winners, the Minerva name appears only five times as outright winner of an event in Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain and Romania. None of those winners seemed to be one of the Kaiserpreis cars. I did not keep record of class winners.

[Henk]

Robert, Hans,

Hill climb records offer an interesting possibility for information. But I think that after 1908 most of the Minerva entries may have been SS models with the Knight sleeve-valve engine. These cars were quite successful in reliability trials such as the Austrian ‘Alpenfahrt’. So possibly also in hill climbing.
Y&J Kupelian mention a gold medal in the hill climb of Guadarrana (Spain) in 1912.

I’d really like to see that offer in ‘Motor’.
Another little piece of evidence of a British aftermath for one of the Kaiserpreis cars is at http://www.brooksuk....quail2k329.html

Motoring was in young Rhodes-Moorhouse’s blood: in 1910 his father – also named William – had raced his blue 90 hp Grand Prix Fiat "Linda" through the streets of the ancient University town of Cambridge at 85 mph early one Sunday morning against the 140 hp Kaiserpreis Minerva of Noel van Raalte, "the loser to pay all the fines".

Anything known about other accomplishments of Van Raalte in this Minerva?

[VAR1016]

Originally posted by Henk
Robert, Hans,

Hill climb records offer an interesting possibility for information. But I think that after 1908 most of the Minerva entries may have been SS models with the Knight sleeve-valve engine. These cars were quite successful in reliability trials such as the Austrian ‘Alpenfahrt’. So possibly also in hill climbing.
Y&J Kupelian mention a gold medal in the hill climb of Guadarrana (Spain) in 1912.

I’d really like to see that offer in ‘Motor’.
Another little piece of evidence of a British aftermath for one of the Kaiserpreis cars is at http://www.brooksuk....quail2k329.html

Motoring was in young Rhodes-Moorhouse’s blood: in 1910 his father – also named William – had raced his blue 90 hp Grand Prix Fiat "Linda" through the streets of the ancient University town of Cambridge at 85 mph early one Sunday morning against the 140 hp Kaiserpreis Minerva of Noel van Raalte, "the loser to pay all the fines".

Anything known about other accomplishments of Van Raalte in this Minerva?

It would certainly be interesting to read about Mr van Raalte. he was of course, the owner of the first Bentley ever made.

PdeRL

[Henk]

And, not to forget, the fate of one of the cars at Brooklands is pictured in an earlier thread.

Originally posted by McRonalds
…included in Ingo Seiffs 'Das große Buch der Oldtimer', 1990 and described as follows:

http://axos.nl/retro.../ha5972-001.jpg

Brooklands Motor Race Meeting 1907, the Minerva of J.T.C. Moore-Brabazon.

[Tim Murray]

I have a book called Under My Bonnet by GRN (Neville) Minchin. He was an undergraduate at Cambridge before the 1914 - 1918 war, along with Rhodes-Moorhouse and Van Raalte, and was present at the street race through Cambridge. I would guess that his reminiscence provided the source for the Brooks blurb:

"A challenge between Van Raalte and Moorhouse resulted in their having a race through the main streets of Cambridge early one Sunday morning, which I'm sure will never be forgotten by those who were present. Moorhouse had a 90 h.p. chain-driven Grand Prix Fiat painted blue and called 'Linda' (a girl he afterwards married), Van Raalte a bright red 'Kaiserpreis' 140 Minerva, live axle.

It was a race from the Market Square to the station, about 1¼ to 1½ miles, the loser to pay all the fines. Sir George Clark, his brother 'Tubby' and I kept kept the crossroads, on the long straight stretch by the Roman Catholic Cathedral, clear and they passed us at about 85 mph. Van Raalte scored a fairly easy win. At the subsequent police court proceedings (fines about £40) the Chairman of the Bench made an attack on Rhodes-Moorhouse, saying what a worthless and good-for-nothing young man he was.

Five years later, when the whole world was ringing with the story of one of the bravest deeds ever done, the deliberate sacrifice of his life by the first airman V.C., Lieut. Rhodes-Moorhouse, I hope the magistrate felt sorry for what he had said."