Topic: Solved NIC#674 -1899 Star (Benz Velo copy)

[nicanary]

A nice easy one. What is it?

[Allan L]

harder than you'd think, I'd say . . .

[nicanary]

harder than you'd think, I'd say . . .

They only have to ask the right questions.... but what questions are they?

[nicanary]

Experts?

[Allan L]

Well, as a former Star owner who has been to a gathering at the Black Country Museum in Dudley, I think I can say that this is the 1899 Star Benz I saw there.
Star legend has it that they bought a Benz and dismantled it to copy it but as they did get a licence from Benz it was qquite official in the end.
I gather that the first six cars were fitted with bodies made by Strouds, furniture makers, of Niphon Works, Villiers Street, Wolverhampton so I think it's safe to say this is one of 'em as it's a wooden body.

[nicanary]

Well, as a former Star owner who has been to a gathering at the Black Country Museum in Dudley, I think I can say that this is the 1899 Star Benz I saw there.
Star legend has it that they bought a Benz and dismantled it to copy it but as they did get a licence from Benz it was qquite official in the end.
I gather that the first six cars were fitted with bodies made by Strouds, furniture makers, of Niphon Works, Villiers Street, Wolverhampton so I think it's safe to say this is one of 'em as it's a wooden body.

You know more than me! I didn't investigate it much further, so I take your word for it. I reckon someone could write a decent-size feature article on Benz copies/patented copies/replicas/w.h.y., but it's not really my forte.

I guessed you would solve this one, as long as you were online at the time.