A Brief History of the Marque
Manufactured by Société anonyme des Atéliers Spring of Liège, 1910-1940
Named thus because the 1910 machines had suspension front and rear, something very rare in the motorcycle world of the time, the luxury machines were fitted with powerful V-twins and fours. Their first machines were designed by Henri Gonthier and employed his four-cylinder engines.
The transverse V-twins appeared after 1920 and were of 496 746, and 996cc capacity, with chain drive to the rear wheel.
At one stage Atéliers Spring built their own sidecars, and many of the motorcycles were designed specifically for sidecar use. One model had footboards so wide that as a solo it could not negotiate corners at speeds faster than a brisk walk. The same model had innovative suspension which turned the saddle into a high speed rocking chair. Most of the machines were, however, well thought out, with interchangeable QD wheels and chain drive from very early on. Some even had a reverse gear.
The factory survived WWI and the depression years, and only ceased production with the onset of the second war and occupaton by the Nazis.
Moniteur Belge of 1921 gives their address as Streupas-Angleur (where Gonthier's firm was located), other sources locating them at Tilff, some 7 kilometres away.
Sources: Wikipedia NL, Tragatsch p276
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