Cars Alder

At the turn of the 20^th century, a German automobile manufacturer sprang into the automotive industry offering both cars as well as motorcycles to the general public. At first, the Alder automotive company started producing bicycles followed by motorcycles before making their way into the full scale production of automobiles. Using the De Dion engines, the Alder cars featured engines that ranged from only 1032 cc all the way up to 9081 cc. However, it was 2 years after their founding in 1902 that Alder would begin to realise the importance of making their own engines.

The new cars were bearing engines of their own design and driven by both the owner as well as his son began making headlines in the racing circuits of Germany. A number of racers utilised the Alder cars throughout its 57 year history with engines ranging from 1550 cc all the way up to 4700 cc.

By 1926, with much advancement in hydraulics being developed by Lockheed, Alder cars began integrating the hydraulic brakes into their cars giving them the title as the very first European car manufacturer to standardise all models with a hydraulic braking system from Lockheed.

In the early 1930s, with the advancements in the car industry resulting in the development of the first front-wheel drive cars, Alder once again followed suit and began offering their own front-wheeled vehicles for sale to the general public. By this time, the Alder Company was producing both front as well as rear-wheeled vehicles which both were being utilised in various classes of automotive competitions and also winning.

Unfortunately, a sad turn of events were to occur which led up to the Second World War as well as the closing of the manufacturing plant of Alder until the end of the war. When the war ended, Alder decided that although they would once again open up their doors to manufacture vehicles, they would no longer develop cars and instead focused purely on their motorcycle lines. Furthermore, as part of post war reparations, BSA would assume the design of the Alder motorcycle and with it produce their own versions. This led to fierce competition in Europe between the BSA version and the Alder version which would ultimately lead to Alder closing their doors for good in 1957 when they were taken over by the Grundig Company.