Ajax (Switzerland) - AllCarIndex

Ajax was a Swiss automobile manufacturer that operated from 1906 to 1910, initially established as Automobilfabrik Dr. G. Aigner in Zurich. The company produced its first passenger car, a 20/27 PS model, in 1906, featuring a four-cylinder monobloc engine with a capacity of approximately four liters. This vehicle utilized a large flywheel that functioned as a fan to support its thermosyphon water-cooling system. Power was transmitted through a wet multiple-disc clutch and a long shaft to a four-speed gearbox located at the rear of the chassis, with final drive achieved via chains.

In 1907, the struggling enterprise was taken over by a financial group, leading to the formation of Ajax AG in Zurich. Under the engineering direction of D. Siebenmann, the company developed two four-cylinder models and a six-cylinder variant. The 16 PS model featured shaft drive, while the 24 PS model, with square cylinder dimensions of 100 x 104 mm and a displacement of 3,266 cc, was available with either shaft or chain drive. All Ajax vehicles were equipped with a sophisticated mechanical starting device activated by stepping on the running board, and the engines were noted for their smooth operation, comparable to that of electric cars.

Ajax attempted to establish its reputation in motorsport by preparing two six-cylinder cars for the Targa Florio in 1907, but both vehicles faced mechanical issues and did not finish the race. Despite a modest sales record, including only four cars sold in 1908, Ajax participated in the taxi industry by supplying ten landaulets to a newly founded taxi company in Zurich. The company introduced new models in 1909, including a four-cylinder engine with a displacement of 3,084 cc that produced 24 bhp at 1,600 rpm. However, high development costs, expensive manufacturing, and financial difficulties faced by taxi companies using Ajax vehicles led to liquidity problems.

By February 1910, Ajax AG declared bankruptcy. The ambitious plans of Siebenmann for a gearless automobile featuring a rotary engine were left unrealized. Today, only one Ajax vehicle, an 8/16 PS landaulet, is known to have survived and is preserved in the Transport Museum of Lucerne, Switzerland.