Solved: Wendax 865 - Leesdorfer Phaeton

[Wendax]

From the very early days of motoring.

For one point, please respond and identify this car.

[Wendax]

up

[nicanary]

1898 Gobron-Brillie ?

[Wendax]

No

[ropat53]

1899 De Dietrich 10hp.

[Wendax]

Now we are getting closer. It is not a De Dietrich, but built after De Dietrich patents.

[ropat53]

Amédée Bollée

[Wendax]

No

[nicanary]

Turcat-Mery of 1899 ?

[Wendax]

No

[ropat53]

Burlington Carriage Co

[Wendax]

No

[4popoid]

German?

[Wendax]

No

[4popoid]

Austrian?

[Wendax]

Yes

[ropat53]

Nesselsdorf 9 hp

[Wendax]

No

[4popoid]

Leesdorfer?  I believe Leesdorfer had a De Dietrich license about 1900.

[Wendax]

Spot on! It is a Leesdorfer Phaeton from 1901. Leesdorfer cars were built under De Dietrich licence. But as I notice right now, the contemporary brochure says "Patent Amedée Bollée".  On further research, I can see that De Dietrich itself took an Amedée Bollée fils licence. So I have to say sorry to ropat53 for my misleading answer to your Amedée Bollée question.

[ropat53]

Spot on! It is a Leesdorfer Phaeton from 1901. Leesdorfer cars were built under De Dietrich licence. But as I notice right now, the contemporary brochure says "Patent Amedée Bollée".  On further research, I can see that De Dietrich itself took an Amedée Bollée fils licence. So I have to say sorry to ropat53 for my misleading answer to your Amedée Bollée question.

I was rather puzzled about the De Dietrich license, because all De Dietrich cars were made under license from other manufacturers except the De Dietrich Bugatti, but even if I had known about the "Patent Amedée Bollée" I doubt I would have reached such an obscure Austrian car maker.

[pnegyesi]

I have a great story about Leesdorfer.
In  1904 (I can't reach my notes now) the plant equipment, parts etc. were bought by a Hungarian mill industry supplier, Podvinecz&Heisler. Podvinecz&Heisler also acquired a licence to the German Cudell Phoenix. At the 1905 Budapest Autoshow a Phoenix, put together by Podvinecz&Heisler was shown. And that's how the company's automobile career started.
At least what one can deduct from historical materials, contemporary press reports etc.

And then comes the surprise. The Royal Hungarian Automobile Club set out to celebrate its golden anniversary in 1925 with a Jubilee Book. Due to financial difficulties it was only published in 1930. Manuscript was more or less unchanged (now try to image the confusion when the book refers to something which happened "20 years ago"). This Jubilee Anniversary Book also features a picture of motorized omnibus, most probably a Leesdorfer with the caption "The first autobus in Budapest in 1901 (!) was supplied and assembled by the Podvinecz&Heisler company". There's no evidence whatsoever which could substantiate the claim, the P&H built any motorized vehicles in 1901 - first Leesdorfer-related reports appeared three years later.
Oh, how joyful is to research

[Wendax]

A contemporary postcard: