Topic: Solved ropat#42: 1928 Cozette 1100

[ropat53]

Not aviation, famous in the car field, even though it all started because of the person's (name of the car) experience as a pilot during WWI.

[nicanary]

I'm getting very frustrated by this puzzle. Well done Ropat !

So.. 1)It's all French
       2)It's a one-only racing car
       3)It was built by a well-known car company
       4)The car was founded by an ex-WW1 pilot

I've been though a list of the famous French WW1 aces, and I don't recognise a name which is famous as a car manufacturer - Rene Fonck made a few cars, but I can't find a record of any racers. Voisin and Farman made more than one racer. Garros and Guynemer didn't build cars as far as I know.

When you say that this is a one-off, did the maker build other racing cars of a different style?

[faksta]

So.. 1)It's all French
       2)It's a one-only racing car
       3)It was built by a well-known car company
       4)The car was founded by an ex-WW1 pilot

That's the trick - as far as I understood from ropat53's replies, the company is automotive related, but this is the only car they have ever built in their history.

[nicanary]

Thanks faksta. Now I understand - I misread the details. I still can't solve it though !

[nicanary]

Is it anything to do with Andre Dubonnet, who patented a form of independent suspension in the 20s ?

[ropat53]

I've been though a list of the famous French WW1 aces, and I don't recognise a name which is famous as a car manufacturer - Rene Fonck made a few cars, but I can't find a record of any racers. Voisin and Farman made more than one racer. Garros and Guynemer didn't build cars as far as I know.

He was only a pilot not a famous ace, but having experienced problems with a certain part of the airplanes, after the war he went on to design and build these parts. Not Fonck, Voisin, Farman, Garros or Guynemer

When you say that this is a one-off, did the maker build other racing cars of a different style?

This is the first and last car he made, but he did work on other projects, even in USA.

Is it anything to do with Andre Dubonnet, who patented a form of independent suspension in the 20s ?

Not Dubonnet.

Driven at Montlhéry by a non French driver.

[nicanary]

About the only thing in common for cars and aircraft is the engine. You say there was a problem he solved - was it to do with the carburetor ? I'm thinking of Solex ?

[ropat53]

About the only thing in common for cars and aircraft is the engine. You say there was a problem he solved - was it to do with the carburetor ? I'm thinking of Solex ?

Yes carburetors but not Solex.

[nicanary]

I'm only guessing now - Claudel ?

[ropat53]

Not Claudel

[faksta]

(S.I.D.E.A.) Jouffret?

(Although I can't say I'm sure about the number of cars they've made)

[ropat53]

Not (S.I.D.E.A.) Jouffret.
Very well known name.
Ill-fated car.

[targhediferro]

Bendix?

[ropat53]

No not Bendix, remember French car. The surname of the person that made it.

[nicanary]

I'm having trouble finding the origins of the Stromberg carb - they ended up as part of the Zenith company, who were associated with the French Solex company. The name could conceivably be of French Alsace origin - is this the answer ?

[SACO]

Leyat ?

[ropat53]

Not Leyat. He started with carburetors but is extremely well know for something else. He was only 34 years old when he died.

[SACO]

Maurice GUILLAUX ?

[ropat53]

Sorry I missed this question.

I'm having trouble finding the origins of the Stromberg carb - they ended up as part of the Zenith company, who were associated with the French Solex company. The name could conceivably be of French Alsace origin - is this the answer ?

No the carburetors he made had his name, same as the other car part he made, that was used on may cars and not only French.

Maurice GUILLAUX ?

No not Maurice Guillaux. The person that made it was killed in it.

[Allan L]

That'll be René Cozette I think, but it's too late at night for me to find more.

Or perhaps not: this roughly translated piece tells a bit about it:
 He then turned to the opposed piston two-stroke and made ​​his prototype in 1927, it was an engine of 1100 cc, four-cylinder and eight pistons driving two crankshafts He made extensive use of light alloys, and of course, his supercharger. . This modified engine was mounted on a frame itself designed by Rene Cozette, which included two transverse leaf spring suspensions. Very streamlined and very fast, the car, driven by the Romanian prince Ghyka Canta-cuzéne , won numerous records at Montlhery. In 1929, René Cozette, himself an excellent driver, took to the track to try to establish new records. As a result, presumably, of a failure of a steering control, the car left the track at nearly 200 km / h, causing the death of his driver. The death of René Cozette, aged only thirty-four years, equal to the greatest engineers, was a great loss.

[ropat53]

YES 1928 Cozette 1100cc.
I quote from:

Montlhéry
The story of the Paris Autodrome
William “Bill” Boddy

“Another typically French car which took records at Montlhéry about this time was an 1100cc Cozette with a four-cylinder horizontally-opposed two-stroke engine and two crankshafts, one above and the other below the cylinders, charging by means of a blower instead of crankcase compression, and two eight-cylinder magnetos. It also had quite remarkable steering gear involving a chain and many spur gears. With a slim single-seater body and fairing over both axles, the Cozette was an impressive little car, with which Prince Ghia Cantacuzino claimed Class G records up to the hour at over 103mph, obviously with something in hand”.

The driver's name is miss-spelled he was Romanian Prince Jean Ghica(Ghyka) Cantacuzino

In 1929 34 year old René Cozette was killed in this car, presumably a steering failure made him lose control at 200 kph. Cozette had been a pilot during WWI and having experienced problems with carburetors during flights, when the war was over began designing carburetors and superchargers.

[Allan L]

To think I have Bill Boddy's book on Monthléry but never thought to look in it - but it was late at night of course!
As was often the case Bill let himself down when writing about technical aspects:
a twin-piston two-stroke engine is not "horizontally opposed" as normally understood.
there seems to be no logic for a four-cylinder engine to use eight-cylinder mags.

From Bill's description, the steering mechanism does seem a bit strange and failure quite likely. Most would want a reliable and simple system if we were going to run at 200 k.p.h. in 1928.

[ropat53]

.
there seems to be no logic for a four-cylinder engine to use eight-cylinder mags.

Unless it had two spark plugs per cylinder, it is two stroke after all.

[Allan L]

.
there seems to be no logic for a four-cylinder engine to use eight-cylinder mags.

Unless it had two spark plugs per cylinder, it is two stroke after all.

but two eight-cylinder mags would fire 16 plugs

[ropat53]

Yes I now see what you mean, Boddy wrote two eight cylinder magnetos, so unless there's something else we don't know that doesn't make much sense.