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B2533 Automobile, full size, Sheffield Simplex, Type 7B, open four seater torpedo touring body and 6 cylinder engine, chassis made by Sheffield Simplex Motor Works Ltd, body made by Van den Plas, England, 1913.. Click to enlarge.

1913 Sheffield Simplex Type 7B tourer

This Sheffield Simplex automobile, built in 1913, is a rare surviving example of the luxury touring cars built in England by the Sheffield Simplex Motor Works Ltd of Tinsley, near Sheffield. Only two other cars of this make are known to exist.

The Sheffield Simplex evolved from the Brotherhood car made by the London based Brotherhood Engineering Company. That car's designer, Percy Richardson, encouraged the wealthy Earl Fitzwilliam to finance a new company to produce the "best car in the …

Summary

Object No.

B2533

Object Statement

Automobile, full size, Sheffield Simplex, Type 7B, open four seater torpedo touring body and 6 cylinder engine, chassis made by Sheffield Simplex Motor Works Ltd, body made by Van den Plas, England, 1913.

Physical Description

The coachwork is by Van den Plas of London and is an open, four-seater torpedo touring body with four doors and a detachable hood. The body is made of aluminium and the side panels are flush, with the door handles being located on the inside only. The hood is made of khaki-coloured Birkmyre canvas with a bevelled glass oval window at the back. The seats are bench types back and front, upholstered in dark green leather with diamond pattern buttoning. They are covered with khaki Birkmyre canvas seat covers, and the interior door panels also have detachable canvas covers. The aluminium step, or running board, on the passenger side holds the timber battery box. The spare wheel is carried in a well on the step beside the driver's door; it is kept upright with a special bracket and secured with a thin leather strap. The windscreen is split horizontally and can be detached from the car.

The engine has six cylinders cast in two groups of three with non-detachable cylinder heads, screw-in valve caps, enclosed side valves and a chain-driven camshaft. The carburettor is a Zenith compensating type with a diaphragm piston. The gearbox has four forward gears and one reverse gear, and the gate change and gear lever are mounted on the driver's right hand side.

Lubrication is by a pinion pump driven by an extension of the inclined worm shaft. This circulated oil to the seven main crankshaft bearings. Oil thrown out of the bearings flowed to troughs under the big ends and splashed oil to the rest of the engine.

Specifications

Builder: Sheffield Simplex Motor Works Ltd, Tinsley, Sheffield, England,
Year: 1913
Type: 7B
Power: 30 horsepower
Identification No. (on fire wall): 1081
Identification No. (on chassis): 1090
Number of cylinders: 6
Bore and stroke: 3.5 inches x 5 inches (89 mm x 127 mm)
Capacity: 4741 cc
Carburettor: Zenith
Cooling: Thermo-syphon
Lubrication: forced
Clutch: disc
Weight: approx. 2 tonnes

Dimensions

Height

1900 mm

Width

1900 mm

Source

Credit Line

Presented by the University of Sydney, 1983

Acquisition Date

15 August 1983

Cite this Object

Harvard

1913 Sheffield Simplex Type 7B tourer 2023, Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences, accessed 25 March 2023, <https://ma.as/213151>

Wikipedia

{{cite web |url=https://ma.as/213151 |title=1913 Sheffield Simplex Type 7B tourer |author=Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences |access-date=25 March 2023 |publisher=Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences, Australia}}