MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH VINTAGE ZEISS LAMPS
MOST FOLK THAT REBUILD OR HAVE SPECIALISTS REBUILD THEIR VINTAGE BENTLEY WILL DEMAND THAT THOSE UGLY,WIMPISH, UNRELIABLE WITH POOR LIGHT SPREAD SMITHS HEADLAMPS BE FITTED TO THEIR CARS BECAUSE THAT`S WHAT WERE FITTED AS ORIGINAL.
THIS IS SIMPLY A MISCONCEPTION FROM THE BENTLEY DOGMA THAT IS THERE TO HAUNT US FOR EVER MORE!
THE FACT IS THAT THE PERSONS ORDERING A NEW BENTLEY COULD HAVE ANY LAMPS THAT THEY WERE WILLING TO PAY FOR FITTED TO THEIR CARS!
DURING ONE OF THE LE MANS EVENTS, THE SMITHS HEADLAMPS THAT THE TEAM CARS WERE FITTED WITH DEVELOPED FAULTS THAT MADE THEM STOP WORKING AND THAT WAS THE REASON THAT ZEISS HEADLAMPS WERE USED ON THE TEAM CARS FOR SUBSEQUENT LONG DISTANCE RACING.
THIS IS SIMPLY A MISCONCEPTION FROM THE BENTLEY DOGMA THAT IS THERE TO HAUNT US FOR EVER MORE!
THE FACT IS THAT THE PERSONS ORDERING A NEW BENTLEY COULD HAVE ANY LAMPS THAT THEY WERE WILLING TO PAY FOR FITTED TO THEIR CARS!
DURING ONE OF THE LE MANS EVENTS, THE SMITHS HEADLAMPS THAT THE TEAM CARS WERE FITTED WITH DEVELOPED FAULTS THAT MADE THEM STOP WORKING AND THAT WAS THE REASON THAT ZEISS HEADLAMPS WERE USED ON THE TEAM CARS FOR SUBSEQUENT LONG DISTANCE RACING.
ABOVE, A PAIR OF ORIGINAL FRONT OPENING ZEISS HEADLAMPS FROM THE 1920`S HERE FITTED TO A GENUINE TEAM CAR BLOWER. THE RIMS WERE HINGED TO THE SIDE OF THE SHELL SO THAT THEY COULD BE OPENED EASILY BY PRESSING A LATCH UPWARDS. THIS ENABLED A QUICK CHANGE OF THE BULB TO BE MADE.
THE 1920`S HINGED RIM FRONT OPENING ZEISS HEADLAMPS.
UNFORTUNATELY THE MANUFACTURERS RECORDS OF PREWAR ZEISS LAMPS WERE DESTROYED DURING WW2, SO THAT THERE`S NOT A LOT OF INFORMATION OUT THERE TO BE FOUND.
THEY WERE MANUFACTURED IN BOTH 300 AND 200mm DIAMETER SIZES AND IN BOTH SIZES THE DESIGN WAS VERY SIMILAR AND IN SOME CASES THE PARTS WERE INTERCHANGEABLE..
THEY WERE MANUFACTURED IN BOTH 300 AND 200mm DIAMETER SIZES AND IN BOTH SIZES THE DESIGN WAS VERY SIMILAR AND IN SOME CASES THE PARTS WERE INTERCHANGEABLE..
I REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME THAT I REALLY NOTICED ZEISS LAMPS WAS AT AN EARLY "RETROMOBILE" SHOW IN PARIS. I USED TO GO THERE FOR THE FIRST FEW YEARS WHEN IT HAD AN AMATEURISH FEEL ABOUT IT. THE WIFE WAS HAPPY AS SHE COULD SPEND A LOT OF MONEY ON THINGS THAT SHE DIDN`T NEED AT THE SHOPS ON THE GRANDE BOULEVARDS. AT THIS PARTICULAR EVENT, I NOTICED A PAIR OF BREATHTAKINGLY BEAUTIFUL LARGE FRONT OPENING ZEISS HEADLAMPS ON THE EXTENSIVE STALL OF A DEALER. SADLY, NOWADAYS, SUCH A HUGE SELECTION OF REAL QUALITY AUTOMOBILIA WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND.
I BADLY NEEDED TO BUY THEM SO THAT THEY COULD ADORN THE FRONT OF MY IN PROGRESS BITSA BUT JUST DIDN`T HAVE THE CASH AVAILABLE AT THAT MOMENT SO THAT I GOT THE DEALERS CONTACT DETAILS SO THAT I COULD CONTACT HIM AFTER THE SHOW.
I BADLY NEEDED TO BUY THEM SO THAT THEY COULD ADORN THE FRONT OF MY IN PROGRESS BITSA BUT JUST DIDN`T HAVE THE CASH AVAILABLE AT THAT MOMENT SO THAT I GOT THE DEALERS CONTACT DETAILS SO THAT I COULD CONTACT HIM AFTER THE SHOW.
AFTER SEVERAL WEEKS I PHONED THE DEALER AND THE LAMPS WERE STILL AVAILABLE. I WASN`T SURPRISED AS THE ASKING PRICE AT THE SHOW WAS RATHER ASTRONOMICAL! WE MADE A DEAL AND I TOOK A COUPLE OF DAYS OFF WORK, FLEW FROM OSLO TO PARIS, THEN BY HIRE CAR TO A VILLAGE NEAR REIMS.
AT THE DEALERS PREMISES I WAS TREATED TO THE SIGHT OF A HUGE BARN FULL OF VINTAGE CARS AND AUTOMOBILIA, HE HAD BEEN VERY CLEVER BY HOOVERING UP MASSES OF STUFF THAT WOULD ONE DAY MAKE HIM A LOT OF MONEY. CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS
AT THE DEALERS PREMISES I WAS TREATED TO THE SIGHT OF A HUGE BARN FULL OF VINTAGE CARS AND AUTOMOBILIA, HE HAD BEEN VERY CLEVER BY HOOVERING UP MASSES OF STUFF THAT WOULD ONE DAY MAKE HIM A LOT OF MONEY. CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS
ABOVE, NOT THE PAIR THAT i MENTIONED IN THE TEXT ABOVE BUT A PAIR OF VERY NICE STIRRUP MOUNTED 12 INCH ZEISS WITH ORIGINAL MOUNTING BRACKETS WHICH WERE DESTINED FOR MY BITSA BUT I HAD TO SELL THEM ON TO CREATE A CASH FLOW. A TYPICAL CASH STRAPPED BITSA BUILDER SITUATION!
THERE WERE UNDOUBTEDLY MANY VARIATIONS OF THESE LAMPS DURING THEIR PRODUCTION RUN WHICH I THINK WAS FROM THE EARLY 1920`S TO THE EARLY 1930`S, THE MAIN CHANGES BEING INTERNAL AFFECTING THE WAY THAT THE MAIN BEAM WAS DIMMED AND THE FOCUSSING OF THE BULBS.
ABOVE IS THE SHELL OF A STIRRUP MOUNTED FRONT OPENING ZEISS FROM MY MODEST COLLECTION. ALL VINTAGE ZEISS HEADLAMPS HAD A DEDICATED NUMBER ALLOCATED WHICH WAS STAMPED ON THE TOP OF THE SHELL OR ON THE RIM HINGE BRACKET AND THE NUMBER ON THIS SHELL IS 121134. HERE YOU CAN SEE THE CAST BRASS HOUSING SOLDERED TO THE SHELL THAT CATERS FOR THE ENTRY OF THE WIRING AND THE BOWDEN CABLE THAT OPERATED THE DIMMING SHROUD. IN THIS CASE THE HOLE FOR THE BOWDEN CABLE HAS A PLUG IN IT AS THIS PARTICULAR LAMP IS A LATE MODEL THAT HAS A DOUBLE DIPPING BULB. IN MANY CASES ZEISS USED UP EXISTING STOCKS OF PARTS THAT WERE GOING OUT OF PRODUCTION BY USING TEMPORARY PARTS TO ENABLE THIS. MORE LATER.
ABOVE LEFT, THE FRONT OF THE SHELL. CENTRE, THE HINGED RIM OPENED. RIGHT, THE RIM CLOSED. YOU CAN SEE THE LATCH ON THE LEFT OF THE RIM..
ABOVE IS A TYPICAL ZEISS REFLECTOR, THESE WERE UNUSUAL IN THAT THEY WERE MADE FROM GLASS WHICH IS PERHAPS NOT SURPRISING SINCE ZEISS WERE MANUFACTURERS OF HIGH QUALITY LENSES. THIS WAS ONE OF THE FEATURES THAT MADE THE LAMPS SO EXPENSIVE. TODAY IT`S DIFFICULT TO FIND A COMPANY THAT CAN RE SILVER THESE GLASS REFLECTORS AS THEY HAVE TO BE SEPARATED FROM THEIR BRASS RIMS, WHICH IS RATHER DELICATE AND SKILLED WORK WITH THE RISK THAT HEAT OF SOLDERING CAN SHATTER THE REFLECTOR.
ABOVE, AN ORIGINAL CUT GLASS HEADLAMP LENS. THE ZEISS LOGO CAN BE SEEN NEAR THE TOP OF THE LENS ETCHED INTO THE GLASS.
ABOVE LEFT, THE REFLECTOR MOUNTED IN THE SHELL. NOTE THE DIFFERENCE IN SIZE OF THE HOLE IN THE REFLECTOR TO THE BULB MOUNTING STEM. THE REASON FOR THIS IS THAT THE REFLECTOR IS OLD STOCK THAT WAS USED FOR A MECHANICALLY OPERATED SHROUD, HENCE THE SIZE OF THE HOLE.
ZEISS USED THE SPACER THAT YOU CAN SEE IN THE CENTRE PHOTO THAT WHEN SLID OVER THE BULB STEM HID THIS GAP. YOU CAN SEE THE RESULT IN THE RIGHT HAND PHOTO.
ZEISS USED THE SPACER THAT YOU CAN SEE IN THE CENTRE PHOTO THAT WHEN SLID OVER THE BULB STEM HID THIS GAP. YOU CAN SEE THE RESULT IN THE RIGHT HAND PHOTO.
ABOVE LEFT, A LATE TYPE BULB SHROUD. THIS IS MANUfACTURED FROM LIGHT GAUGE BRASS SHEET AND LINED WITH AN OPAQUE ORANGE COLOURED INCREDIBLY THIN GLASS RING AND DESIGNED TO BE ULTRA LIGHT. THIS MADE THE ASSEMBLY RATHER DELICATE. YOU CAN SEE THAT THE SHROUD IS DISINTEGRATING AFTER MANY YEARS OF VIBRATIONS THAT STRESS CRACKED THE BRASS SHEET, IT WAS OPERATED BY BOWDEN CABLE FROM A DEVICE LOCATED ON OR NEAR THE DASHBOARD. I`VE ONLY EVER SEEN ONE OF THESE DASHBOARD DIPPING DEVICES AND THAT WAS IN JIMMY MEDCALF`S 6.5 LITRE "THE GREY LADY".
THE CENTRE PHOTO SHOWS THE SHROUD FORWARD IN THE DIPPED POSITION OVER THE SINGLE FILAMENT BULB AND THE RIGHT HAND PHOTO THE SHROUD TO THE REAR FOR THE MAIN BEAM POSITION. .
THE CENTRE PHOTO SHOWS THE SHROUD FORWARD IN THE DIPPED POSITION OVER THE SINGLE FILAMENT BULB AND THE RIGHT HAND PHOTO THE SHROUD TO THE REAR FOR THE MAIN BEAM POSITION. .
ABOVE, ANOTHER TYPE OF SHROUD USED ON THE 12 INCH HEADLAMPS
THE ORIGINAL SHROUDS WERE MADE FROM GLASS AND THERE WERE SEVERAL VARIATIONS. BEING GLASS THEY WERE PRONE TO BREAKAGE. UNFORTUNATELY THESE GLASS SHROUDS ARE NOW UNOBTAINABLE AND I`VE HEARD STORIES OF CUT DOWN BROWN BEER BOTTLES THAT APPROXIMATED TO THE ORIGINALS BEING USED AS REPLACEMENTS
ONE VARIANT THAT I`VE SEEN IS A COMPLEX CAST GLASS SHROUD THAT WAS OPERATED BY A SOLENOID. WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN TOP OF THE RANGE. THE LAMPS THAT I MENTIONED THAT I BOUGHT IN FRANCE WERE OF THIS TYPE BUT AS THIS WAS BEFORE I HAD A DIGITAL CAMERA I PROBABLY HAVE SOME PHOTO IMAGES SOMEWHERE, AND IF I FIND THEM, I`LL ADD THEM TO THIS BLOG.
ONE VARIANT THAT I`VE SEEN IS A COMPLEX CAST GLASS SHROUD THAT WAS OPERATED BY A SOLENOID. WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN TOP OF THE RANGE. THE LAMPS THAT I MENTIONED THAT I BOUGHT IN FRANCE WERE OF THIS TYPE BUT AS THIS WAS BEFORE I HAD A DIGITAL CAMERA I PROBABLY HAVE SOME PHOTO IMAGES SOMEWHERE, AND IF I FIND THEM, I`LL ADD THEM TO THIS BLOG.
THE LATER NON HINGED RIM ZEISS HEADLIGHTS
ALTHOUGH I`VE SAID "LATER" IN THE TITLE I`M NOT SURE THAT IF THIS IS THE CASE AND AT SOME POINT IN TIME THEY WERE BEING MANUFACTURED AT THE SAME TIME AS THE FRONT OPENING LAMPS. THESE LAMPS WERE CLOSED BY A CONTOURED BAND AROUND THE RIM, THAT WHEN TIGHTENED, GRIPPED THE GLASS RETAINING RING AND THE RIM OF THE SHELL TOGETHER.
OBVIOUSLY, EVEN THOUGH THESE LAMPS SHARED PARTS WITH THE FRONT OPENING LAMPS, THEY WERE A CHEAPER AND LESS CONVENIENT OPTION DUE TO THE DIFFICULTIES IN CHANGING THE BULBS WHICH MEANT THAT THE RIM CLAMP HAD TO BE RELEASED AND THE GLASS LENS ASSEMBLY REMOVED BEFORE THIS COULD BE DONE.
OBVIOUSLY, EVEN THOUGH THESE LAMPS SHARED PARTS WITH THE FRONT OPENING LAMPS, THEY WERE A CHEAPER AND LESS CONVENIENT OPTION DUE TO THE DIFFICULTIES IN CHANGING THE BULBS WHICH MEANT THAT THE RIM CLAMP HAD TO BE RELEASED AND THE GLASS LENS ASSEMBLY REMOVED BEFORE THIS COULD BE DONE.
ABOVE, A REAR VIEW OF THE NON HINGED ZEISS HEADLAMP SHELL. THESE LAMPS HAD SEVERAL VARIATIONS OF MOUNTING BRACKETS, IN THIS CASE THE BRACKET IS SUITABLE FOR THE VINTAGE BENTLEY LAMP BRACKETS.
ABOVE, ANOTHER LAMP FROM MY COLLECTION SHOWING A DIFFERENT TYPE OF MOUNTING, THIS SHELL SHOWS EVIDENCE OF A DIFFERENT TYPE OF LAMP FOCUSSING SCREW ASSEMBLY AS WELL.
ABOVE LEFT, THE FRONT VIEW OF THE SHELL. CENTRE THE REFLECTOR, THIS HAD A DIFFERENT BRASS MOUNTING FLANGE TO THE RIM OPENING TYPE BUT WAS FITTED WITH THE SAME GLASS REFLECTORS. THE RIGHT HAND PHOTO SHOWS THE MOUNTING BRASS RING FOR THE GLASS LENSES. THESE WERE HELD IN PLACE BY LARGE CIRCULAR CIRCLIP THAT WAS HELD IN A GROOVE IN THE MOUNTING RING.
ABOVE, THE CLAMPING RING THAT CLAMPS THE GLASS LENS RING TO THE RIM OF THE HEADLAMP SHELL
ABOVE, AN ORIGINAL PRESSED GLASS LENSE FOR THE CHEAPER 12 INCH LAMPS IRONICALLY, AS THE TOOLING TO MAKE THESE PRESSED LENSES WOULD BE VERY EXPENSIVE, THEY HAVE NOT BEEN REPLICATED WHICH MEANS THAT THEY ARE AS RARE AS HENS TEETH AND COST MORE TO BUY THAN THE REPLICA GROUND GLASS ONES. IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY YOU CAN SEE THE ZEISS LOGO IN THE CENTRE.
IN PROGRESS