Imperia Automobiles

Imperia Automobiles was a Belgian automotive factory. The brand name was revived in 2009 to market a hybrid sports car based on research from the company Green Propulsion.

Historical Impéria

Imperia TA-9 BS 1938

Impéria was a Belgian automobile manufactured from 1906 until 1948. Products of the Ateliers Piedboeuf of Liège, the first cars were designed by the German Paul Henze. These were four-cylinders of 3, 4.9, and 9.9 litres. The next year, the company moved to Nessonvaux, Trooz municipality, and began production in the old Pieper factory. Impéria produced a monobloc 12 hp (8.9 kW) in 1909; in 1910, the company merged with Springuel.

The Nessonvaux factory began producing Impéria-Abadals from about 1916; in 1921, it built three ohc 5.6-litre straight-eights. These were quickly replaced by an ephemeral ohc 3-litre 32-valve four-cylinder which was capable of going 90 mph (140 km/h). This was followed by an 1100 cc side-valve 11/22 hp four designed by Couchard, one of the first cars ever built with a sunroof. Its engine rotated counterclockwise, and its transmission brake also served as a servo for those on the front wheels. In 1937 a six-cylinder of 1624 cc appeared; this had been available in three-carburettor Super Sports form from 1930.

Over the course of four years, Impéria took over three other Belgian car manufacturers: Métallurgique (1927), Excelsior (1929), and Nagant (1931). From 1934 until the company folded it built mainly front-wheel-drive Adlers with Belgian-made coachwork.[1] The company merged with Minerva in 1934, but they split in 1939.

After 1948 Impéria assembled Adlers and Standard Vanguards under license. After Standard decided to set up a new factory in Belgium, the factory was left without work and had to close doors in 1957.

In 1925, the company hired Louis de Monge as chief research engineer. Some of his work included torsion bar suspension and automatic transmissions. De Monge left in 1937 to join Ettore Bugatti for whom he would design the Bugatti 100P racer plane.[2]

Imperia Nessonvaux piste

Rooftop test track

Around and on top of the factory buildings, there was a test track over 1 km long. The track was built in 1928.[3][4]

The only other rooftop test tracks were on Fiat's Lingotto plant, opened in 1923 and 'Palacio Chrysler' in Buenos Aires, opened in 1928.

UK production

In addition to its production in Belgium, Impéria made a number of cars in Great Britain; these were assembled at a factory in Maidenhead.

In Michael Chabon's 2004 novel The Final Solution, set in 1944, the Anglican vicar drives a Belgian Imperia.[5]

2009 revival

Imperia GP

The Imperia GP, the first model of the revived brand, is going to be sold in 2011, from €78,091 before taxes, with preorders already opened.

The Imperia GP has been designed by a Belgian designer Denis Stevens (www.imperia-gp.com / www.miysis.be).

The motorisation of the Imperia GP roadster relies on the PowerHybrid motorization technology developed by Green Propulsion.[6]

References

  1. ↑ Ritzinger, André. "Imperia TA-8". www.ritzsite.nl. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  2. ↑ Pegasus, newsletter of the Bugatti Association, issue 23
  3. ↑ "Trooz (Municipality, Province of Liège, Belgium)". 12-01-2010. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ↑ "Testing cars on the factory rooftop - Imperia (Nessonvaux, Liège, Belgium)". 2009-04-21.
  5. ↑ The Final Solution, pp. 87, 88.
  6. ↑ "Imperia Automobiles". Imperia-auto.be. Retrieved 2009-07-19.

Historical Imperia

2009 revival

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