1904 Star 7hp Twin-cylinder Two-seater

1904 Star 7hp Twin-cylinder Two-seater

One of Britain's top six motor manufacturers prior to World War One, the Wolverhampton-based Star Motor Company produced its first automobile in 1898. A close neighbour of Sunbeam, the company had been founded by Edward Lisle Sr, proprietor of the Star Cycle Company that would later build its own Starling cars under the guidance of his son, Edward Jr. Star's first automobile was a built-under-license Benz, though it was manufactured entirely in Wolverhampton, which remained in production into 1902. The basic Benz design was to influence car production for some 15 years from 1885 to 1900, until the arrival of the new Système Panhard and De Dion-Bouton's fast revving vertical engines sounded its death knell.

Progressing from that first single-cylinder 3½hp Benz-based design, Star added twin-cylinder and four-cylinder cars to a diverse and expanding range of De Dion, Panhard, and Mercedes types. The first Panhard-type Star - a 1.1-litre, 7hp, twin-cylinder design - was introduced around 1900, and the 7hp model would continue to be a fixture of the range for the next seven or so years, though the bore, stroke, and cubic capacity changed on an almost yearly basis. Well specified and easy to use, these 7hp Stars were positioned towards the top end of the market, being priced at £320 - £20 cheaper than the equivalent Panhard but considerably more expensive that the comparable Darracq. Although technically un-adventurous in its early years, Star built up a deserved reputation for building luxuriously appointed and well constructed cars, aided by the fact that it made most of its parts, chassis frames excepted, in house.

An example of Star's final 7hp model, this car is powered by a 1.4-litre Panhard-type twin-cylinder engine.

Descriptions & pictures by bonhams