Egg & Egli (Switzerland) - AllCarIndex

Egg & Egli was a Swiss automobile manufacturer founded in Zurich in 1896 by engineer Rudolf Egg and his partner, Egli. Egg, who had built his first motorcar in 1893 for personal use, sought to commercialize his designs with the establishment of this company. The initial product was a three-wheeled vehicle characterized by its simple and robust design, featuring side-by-side seating and a belt drive system. It was powered by a water-cooled De Dion single-cylinder engine, producing 3 horsepower and mounted at the rear. This vehicle was capable of climbing gradients of up to 20 percent and had a top speed of approximately 25 mph. The base model was priced at 2,000 Swiss francs, with optional features such as a folding hood and a two-seater trailer available for an additional cost.

In 1898, Egg & Egli licensed its design to Bachtold & Co. in Steckborn, which produced six units, and to Weber of Uster, which manufactured around 50 cars. The following year, the design and manufacturing rights were sold to Zürcher Patent-Motorwagenfabrik Rapid, managed by Jacques Syz, which produced over 100 vehicles under the Rapid name. Egg continued to innovate, developing a four-wheeled voiturette inspired by the Benz Velo, which featured a horizontal single-cylinder engine and chain drive, although only a few units were produced.

During the early 20th century, Egg's interests expanded beyond automobiles to include aviation. He contributed to the development of Switzerland's first aeroplane engine, which was built by Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon. After World War I, Egg designed a new car utilizing a proprietary four-cylinder side-valve engine, which was shaft-driven with the gearbox integrated into the rear axle. A small number of these vehicles were produced by Moser in St. Aubin. Egg later collaborated with Maschinenfabrik in Seebach to create a similar car equipped with an electric starter, marketed under the name Semag, although production was limited.

Rudolf Egg also served as the Renault agent in Zurich until 1934. He passed away in 1939, leaving behind a legacy as a pioneer in the Swiss automotive industry.