New Orleans

New Orleans 1900 - 1910

1900-1901 Burford, Van Toll & Company. Twickenham, Middlesex.
1901-1905 New Orleans Motor Co. Ltd., Twickenham, Middlesex.
1905-1910 Orleans Motor Co. Ltd., Twickenham, Middlesex.

The first and most popular, New Orleans was a Belgian Vivinus voiturette made under licence in England. It was made by H.G. Burford, who was to have a long career in the motor industry, with Milnes-Daimler and later making commercial vehicles under his own name, and Dutch-born Johannes Van Toll who sold Daimler engines in Holland, and drove a German-built Daimler in the 1896 Emancipation Run. They chaose the name New Orleans after Orleans Road in Twickenham, site of their factory, which was itself named after Orleans House, so called because a former owner had been the exiled Duc d'Orleans.
The car had a frontmounted 3.5hp single-cylinder engine with transmission by belt to fast and loose pulleys on a countershaft, and thence by spur gears to the rear axle. Two forward speeds were provided.
it is likely that the first few New Orleans, launched in February 1900, were imported Vivinus. Indeed New Orleans' design over the next few years followed that of the Belgian cars very closely and it may be that there was more importation, or assembly of imported components, than actual manufacture at Twickenham. A 6hp 2 cylinder car was available from October 1900, and the following spring came a 7hp version with water cooling and, for the first time, three forward speeds. A 9hp twin anda 14hp four came in 1903, the former with a tubular frame, the latter with a flitch plate chassis.
Although the 3hp single-cylinder voiturette was still available in 1905, the company's attention was turned to much larger cars with 4-cylinder T head engines of 22 and 25hp (3498cc and 4560cc), and a 30/35hp six of 6840cc. In 1907 the 25hp was replaced by a 40hp with 8712cc 4-cylinder L-head engine. These larger cars were called Orleans rather than New Orleans, it is said in order to dispel any suggestion of American origin. They were described in 1906 as being the first Orleans cars of all British construction, and certainly their specifications do not tie up with Vivinus models of the period. The 1910 30/35hp six had pair cast cylinders. 1910 was the last year in which the big Orleans were listed, and they were not well-known on the British market, and were probably made in very small numbers. One loyal owner was the Earl Cairns whose 35hp six of 1908 was his third example of the make.

Further reading:-
"The New Orleans - Fact or Fiction?" by David Hales,
The Automobile, May 1995.