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Private company

Turicum

Logo: Buch-t, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons3

Former automaker founded in 19041

The Turicum was a Swiss automobile manufactured from 1904 to 1906 in Zürich and from 1907 to 1912 in Uster. The car's name Turicum is the Latin name of Zürich. The first car made by Martin Fischer was a small single-seater go-kart like vehicle.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1904Founded1

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The Turicum was a Swiss automobile manufactured from 1904 to 1906 in Zürich and from 1907 to 1912 in Uster. The car's name Turicum is the Latin name of Zürich. The first car made by Martin Fischer was a small single-seater go-kart like vehicle. The car was 140 cm (55 in) long, with pedal-operated steering and powered by a motorcycle engine. The car had a chain drive, while a second prototype had a friction drive. The friction drive consisted of a flat steel disc coupled to the engine that drove a small, leather-covered wheel running at right angles to its surface. The small wheel could be moved across the surface of the large disc, giving a variable gear ratio. The cars attracted little public interest. Swiss industrialist Jakob Heusser was involved in the venture.2

Products and brands

Conventional production cars were manufactured in Uster, with a steering wheel and two-seater body were shown at the Paris Salon in 1906. The cars had a single-cylinder air-cooled engine of 785 cc (47.9 cu in) capacity. A false radiator was fitted that acted as a fuel tank. The friction drive was retained and would be used on future cars.

In 1907, a 10/12 hp model with four-cylinder engine of 1,385 cc (84.5 cu in) was introduced, and the single-cylinder model had its engine enlarged to 1,045 cc (63.8 cu in). Two and four-seat, open and closed bodies were offered. Fisher left the company in September of 1907. At the automobile, bicycle, and motorboat exhibition in Zurich in 1907, Turicum presented light two-seater cars with an engine power of seven to eight hp. On the same basis, light delivery vans with a payload of 300 kg were also available. In 1912, a 16/26 model with 2,613 cc (159.5 cu in) engine was announced and could be ordered with a conventional gearbox. In 1918 a total of 90 Turicum were produced.

From Wikipedia’s article on Turicum (automobile), shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Timeline

  1. 1904Founded Founded1

Sources

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