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<\/a>When the first automobile rolled out of the Laurin & Klement factory halls in Mlad\u00e1 Boleslav, the company could already look back on ten years of business success: the production of its own bicycles under the SLAVIA brand had begun in 1895 under the leadership of V\u00e1clav Laurin and V\u00e1clav Klement. On 18 November 1899, the two entrepreneurs expanded their comprehensive model range to include innovatively designed motorbikes with single-cylinder petrol engines in the lower part of the frame. Shortly afterwards, L&K would become one of the first manufacturers in the world to build two-cylinder V-engines and in-line four-cylinder engines. Laurin & Klement motorbikes proved very popular with customers and soon achieved their first motorsport successes.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Laurin & Klement invested more than five years\u2019 development time in their first automobile<\/strong><\/h2>\nTo create additional capacity for building motor vehicles, L&K discontinued bicycle production and significantly expanded the production area in 1905, when the company employed 355 people working on an area of 9,500 square metres using 206 machine tools. The most important product was the Voiturette A, Laurin & Klement\u2019s first automobile.<\/p>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nFollowing a development period lasting more than five years, all the important components were designed and produced in-house. L&K presented a preview of the Voiturette A in the 44th edition of the Viennese motoring magazine \u201cAllgemeine Automobil-Zeitung\u201d of 29 October 1905. The article published there introduced a prototype of the \u201cVoiturette\u201d, the French term describing a compact automobile with low weight.<\/p>\n
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<\/a>Technology and design of the Voiturette A were well received by journalists<\/strong><\/h2>\nThe production version of the L&K Voiturette A finally appeared on the front page of the Bohemian weekly \u201cSport a hry\u201d on Wednesday, 27 December 1905. The editor Vil\u00e9m Heinz wrote a detailed introduction to the new publication from Mlad\u00e1 Boleslav under the heading \u201cThe Democratic Automobile\u201d. The author stated, among other things: \u201cThe Voiturette from Laurin & Klement is not a superficial construction (…) In a word, its appearance is pretty; the lines are elegant (…) It is a perfect car with two seats (…) The speed can be regulated between 5 and 45 km\/h [note: this was the maximum speed permitted by the Austrian Automobile Regulations]; the gears are designed to handle a 20 per cent incline. Vil\u00e9m Heinz\u2019s conclusion was positive; he found this \u201cautomobile practical, comfortable and inexpensive.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ideal for everyday use at an affordable price<\/strong><\/h2>\nOn 18 January 1906, the Voiturette A received its official approval for use on public roads, and on 15 April, L&K presented the model to the visitors of the Prague Motor Show. In addition to its construction, quality of workmanship and design, the Type A won over the public with its everyday practicality and favourable price-performance ratio. The basic version cost 3,600 crowns, while a worker in the car factory at that time earned, on average, two crowns a day. Petrol, which was sold by the kilogram at that time, cost 66 hellers per kilo in Bohemia, which made it only slightly more expensive than a litre of beer.<\/p>\n
State-of-the-art technology and comprehensive customisation options <\/strong><\/h2>\nThe L&K Voiturette A\u2019s base was a ladder frame and two rigid axles with leaf springs. The watercooled V2 engine, which was mounted at the front and had a cylinder bank angle of 55 degrees, had a displacement of 1,005 cm3 and generated an output of 7 hp (5.2 kW). A cone clutch with leather lining transferred the torque to the direct-shift three-speed gearbox. A cardan shaft drove the rear wheels \u2013 as was typical for this type of vehicle at the time \u2013 but a chain drive was also available on request. The agile car, which only weighed around 500 kilograms, was decelerated both by a pedal that braked the drum behind the gearbox and by a lever connected to the drum brakes on the rear axle.<\/p>\n
Instead of the standard wooden rims and spokes, customers could opt for wire wheels and the seating arrangement could be either two single seats or a double bench with a luggage compartment behind it. Vehicle lighting and a roof were also on the list of equipment options. In addition to the basic colours red, green and blue, French-speaking countries also had the option of having the Voiturette painted in grey. White was also available for an extra charge of 50 crowns.<\/p>\n
From 1905 to 1907, at least 44 copies of the Voiturette A were made by Laurin & Klement. Five of them survive to this day, one of which is in the permanent exhibition of the \u0160KODA Museum in Mlad\u00e1 Boleslav.<\/p>\n
The Voiturette A provides the impetus for Laurin & Klement\u2019s successful further development <\/strong><\/h2>\nThe L&K Voiturette A became a springboard for the company\u2019s dynamic development. Between 1906 and 1914, Laurin & Klement\u2019s car sales increased more than 20-fold.\u00a0 The model portfolio ranged from two-cylinder models to the in-line eight-cylinder FF type of 1907, as well as numerous bus and commercial vehicle versions alongside highly successful racing cars. The L&K brand was already active in the international markets before the First World War and rose to become the largest car manufacturer in Austria-Hungary.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nFollowing a development period lasting more than five years, all the important components were designed and produced in-house. L&K presented a preview of the Voiturette A in the 44th edition of the Viennese motoring magazine \u201cAllgemeine Automobil-Zeitung\u201d of 29 October 1905. The article published there introduced a prototype of the \u201cVoiturette\u201d, the French term describing a compact automobile with low weight.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Technology and design of the Voiturette A were well received by journalists<\/strong><\/h2>\nThe production version of the L&K Voiturette A finally appeared on the front page of the Bohemian weekly \u201cSport a hry\u201d on Wednesday, 27 December 1905. The editor Vil\u00e9m Heinz wrote a detailed introduction to the new publication from Mlad\u00e1 Boleslav under the heading \u201cThe Democratic Automobile\u201d. The author stated, among other things: \u201cThe Voiturette from Laurin & Klement is not a superficial construction (…) In a word, its appearance is pretty; the lines are elegant (…) It is a perfect car with two seats (…) The speed can be regulated between 5 and 45 km\/h [note: this was the maximum speed permitted by the Austrian Automobile Regulations]; the gears are designed to handle a 20 per cent incline. Vil\u00e9m Heinz\u2019s conclusion was positive; he found this \u201cautomobile practical, comfortable and inexpensive.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ideal for everyday use at an affordable price<\/strong><\/h2>\nOn 18 January 1906, the Voiturette A received its official approval for use on public roads, and on 15 April, L&K presented the model to the visitors of the Prague Motor Show. In addition to its construction, quality of workmanship and design, the Type A won over the public with its everyday practicality and favourable price-performance ratio. The basic version cost 3,600 crowns, while a worker in the car factory at that time earned, on average, two crowns a day. Petrol, which was sold by the kilogram at that time, cost 66 hellers per kilo in Bohemia, which made it only slightly more expensive than a litre of beer.<\/p>\n
State-of-the-art technology and comprehensive customisation options <\/strong><\/h2>\nThe L&K Voiturette A\u2019s base was a ladder frame and two rigid axles with leaf springs. The watercooled V2 engine, which was mounted at the front and had a cylinder bank angle of 55 degrees, had a displacement of 1,005 cm3 and generated an output of 7 hp (5.2 kW). A cone clutch with leather lining transferred the torque to the direct-shift three-speed gearbox. A cardan shaft drove the rear wheels \u2013 as was typical for this type of vehicle at the time \u2013 but a chain drive was also available on request. The agile car, which only weighed around 500 kilograms, was decelerated both by a pedal that braked the drum behind the gearbox and by a lever connected to the drum brakes on the rear axle.<\/p>\n
Instead of the standard wooden rims and spokes, customers could opt for wire wheels and the seating arrangement could be either two single seats or a double bench with a luggage compartment behind it. Vehicle lighting and a roof were also on the list of equipment options. In addition to the basic colours red, green and blue, French-speaking countries also had the option of having the Voiturette painted in grey. White was also available for an extra charge of 50 crowns.<\/p>\n
From 1905 to 1907, at least 44 copies of the Voiturette A were made by Laurin & Klement. Five of them survive to this day, one of which is in the permanent exhibition of the \u0160KODA Museum in Mlad\u00e1 Boleslav.<\/p>\n
The Voiturette A provides the impetus for Laurin & Klement\u2019s successful further development <\/strong><\/h2>\nThe L&K Voiturette A became a springboard for the company\u2019s dynamic development. Between 1906 and 1914, Laurin & Klement\u2019s car sales increased more than 20-fold.\u00a0 The model portfolio ranged from two-cylinder models to the in-line eight-cylinder FF type of 1907, as well as numerous bus and commercial vehicle versions alongside highly successful racing cars. The L&K brand was already active in the international markets before the First World War and rose to become the largest car manufacturer in Austria-Hungary.<\/p>\n
On 18 January 1906, the Voiturette A received its official approval for use on public roads, and on 15 April, L&K presented the model to the visitors of the Prague Motor Show. In addition to its construction, quality of workmanship and design, the Type A won over the public with its everyday practicality and favourable price-performance ratio. The basic version cost 3,600 crowns, while a worker in the car factory at that time earned, on average, two crowns a day. Petrol, which was sold by the kilogram at that time, cost 66 hellers per kilo in Bohemia, which made it only slightly more expensive than a litre of beer.<\/p>\n
State-of-the-art technology and comprehensive customisation options <\/strong><\/h2>\nThe L&K Voiturette A\u2019s base was a ladder frame and two rigid axles with leaf springs. The watercooled V2 engine, which was mounted at the front and had a cylinder bank angle of 55 degrees, had a displacement of 1,005 cm3 and generated an output of 7 hp (5.2 kW). A cone clutch with leather lining transferred the torque to the direct-shift three-speed gearbox. A cardan shaft drove the rear wheels \u2013 as was typical for this type of vehicle at the time \u2013 but a chain drive was also available on request. The agile car, which only weighed around 500 kilograms, was decelerated both by a pedal that braked the drum behind the gearbox and by a lever connected to the drum brakes on the rear axle.<\/p>\n
Instead of the standard wooden rims and spokes, customers could opt for wire wheels and the seating arrangement could be either two single seats or a double bench with a luggage compartment behind it. Vehicle lighting and a roof were also on the list of equipment options. In addition to the basic colours red, green and blue, French-speaking countries also had the option of having the Voiturette painted in grey. White was also available for an extra charge of 50 crowns.<\/p>\n
From 1905 to 1907, at least 44 copies of the Voiturette A were made by Laurin & Klement. Five of them survive to this day, one of which is in the permanent exhibition of the \u0160KODA Museum in Mlad\u00e1 Boleslav.<\/p>\n
The Voiturette A provides the impetus for Laurin & Klement\u2019s successful further development <\/strong><\/h2>\nThe L&K Voiturette A became a springboard for the company\u2019s dynamic development. Between 1906 and 1914, Laurin & Klement\u2019s car sales increased more than 20-fold.\u00a0 The model portfolio ranged from two-cylinder models to the in-line eight-cylinder FF type of 1907, as well as numerous bus and commercial vehicle versions alongside highly successful racing cars. The L&K brand was already active in the international markets before the First World War and rose to become the largest car manufacturer in Austria-Hungary.<\/p>\n
The L&K Voiturette A became a springboard for the company\u2019s dynamic development. Between 1906 and 1914, Laurin & Klement\u2019s car sales increased more than 20-fold.\u00a0 The model portfolio ranged from two-cylinder models to the in-line eight-cylinder FF type of 1907, as well as numerous bus and commercial vehicle versions alongside highly successful racing cars. The L&K brand was already active in the international markets before the First World War and rose to become the largest car manufacturer in Austria-Hungary.<\/p>\n