This Lutzmann, pictured on Westminster Bridge en-route to Brighton was driven by Kent Karslake and entered by his friend E.S. Berry who rode as passenger.
Lutzmann cars were made at Dessati on the Mulder River
in eastern Germany between 1893 and 1898. They were one of the first German
car makers, but their designs were strongly influenced by Benz, the great
motoring pioneer.
Lutzmann production was always small, but even so they were the only manufacturer
to join Benz and Daimler at the Berlin Motor Show in 1897.
In 1898 the Lutzmann business was bought by Adam Opel of
Russelsheim, a successful manufacturer of sewing machines and cycles.
The Lutzmann became the first production Opel. Neither it nor a twin-cylinder
successor proved a commercial success. Opel then built French Darracqs under
licence before launching its own models. By the late 1920s it was the biggest
German builder of cars and cycles.
Kent Karslake was an important figure in the Veteran and Vintage car world. He was a prolific writer on the subject and owned a variety of old cars.
