1892 Bremer

Key facts

Year

1892
Country

Great Britain
Cylinders

1 cylinder
Maximum speed

8mph
Price new

Not marketed
Loaned by

Private Owner
Manufacturer

Frederick Bremer, Walthamstow

Believed to be the first British-built four wheeled motor car, it was built by Frederick Bremer 1892 and 1894. It follows a very similar layout to the popular cars being built at that time by Benz in Germany, with a rear-mounted, single-cylinder, water-cooled engine. Drive to the rear wheels is via belts and a chain final drive. Bremer had little money to spend on the car and manufactured many of the components himself. The flywheel was made from a grindstone and the insulation on the spark plug was the stem from a clay pipe.

Bremer restricted use of the car to early on Sunday mornings, to avoid attention from the Police. On one trip he was confronted by a mounted policeman, but the horse bolted with its rider before Bremer could be questioned.