Sizaire-Berwick
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive |
| Founded | 1913 |
| Founder | Maurice Sizaire, Georges Sizaire, Frederick William Berwick (financial backer) |
| Defunct | 1927 |
| Headquarters | Courbevoie , France |
Area served | France, United Kingdom |
Key people | Maurice Sizaire, Georges Sizaire, Frederick William Berwick |
| Products | Luxury automobiles |
Sizaire-Berwick was a manufacturer of luxury automobiles operating between 1913 and 1927, with production based in Courbevoie near Paris. Although the company was financed from England, where the majority of its vehicles were bodied and retailed, some manufacturing also occurred in the UK during the early 1920s.
Background
The Sizaire-Naudin firm was established in 1903 by brothers Maurice (1877–1970) and Georges Sizaire (1880–1924). After encountering disputes with one of their investors, the siblings departed from the company in 1912.
History of the business
In 1913, backed financially by Frederick William Berwick—London's importer of Corre La Licorne automobiles—the Sizaire brothers founded Sizaire-Berwick. The enterprise specialized in producing large luxury vehicles. Chassis assembly took place in Courbevoie, with roughly 80% transported to England for coachwork by Berwick’s Highgate-based bodybuilders. By the onset of World War I in 1914, production had reached 139 cars.
Berwick opened a factory at Park Royal, London in 1915, initially dedicated to aircraft manufacturing. Following the war, he launched F. W. Berwick & Co Ltd in 1919 and began producing Sizaire-Berwicks domestically in Britain from 1920 until 1925.
The French operations were acquired by an American named Burke in 1919, who at first imported vehicles from Berwick’s UK plant before restarting manufacture at Courbevoie. In 1923, the Austin Motor Company took control over the British segment of the business.
By late 1922, none of the original founders remained involved; the Sizaire brothers concentrated on their new enterprise, Sizaire Frères, while Berwick shifted focus to Windsor automobiles. Production of Sizaire-Berwicks continued on a limited scale in France until 1927.
The cars
The initial Sizaire-Berwick model was equipped with a Decolange-supplied 3014 cm3 engine, which was soon replaced by a more powerful 4-litre (20 CV) monobloc unit. Early radiator designs bore a strong resemblance to those of Rolls-Royce but were later modified to a shallow V-shape to prevent legal issues.
At the Paris Motor Show in October 1919, Sizaire-Berwick presented a "torpedo" style automobile featuring a smooth-running four-cylinder engine displacing 4523 cm3, producing 60 hp at 2000 rpm and mounted on a substantial wheelbase, continuing its emphasis on large luxury cars.
By the time of the 1924 Paris Motor Show, this engine remained unchanged but was paired with an extended wheelbase. In 1925, Sizaire-Berwick entered a -litre vehicle into the 1925 24 Hours of Le Mans race; however, it completed only 23 laps and did not achieve classification.
During its final showing at the Paris Motor Show in 1926, Sizaire-Berwick exhibited a large luxury automobile powered by a six-cylinder engine supplied by Lycoming from Pennsylvania.
After Austin acquired majority ownership following 1923, the British division offered models powered by Austin’s four-cylinder engines of 1861 cm3 and 3610 cm3, as well as a six-cylinder unit displacing 3397 cm3. Production in Britain ended in 1925.