Monday, April 13, 2020

Monday Mystery, Switch by Peerboom & Schürmann





 This is another find from a box of random bits. Presumably an ignition or maybe a combination switch of some kind, Google translate isn't much help for Park, Aus, Matt, Hell-  and on the back next to the connectors are; among others, Zund, (Ignition), Horn and possibly Schill?  
 Manufacturer is P&S- Peerboom & Schürmann of Dusseldorf. The key doesn't look very secure but I do like the P&S logo. 
Googling the name, shows the company active in the early part of the last century as a manufacturer of tachometers and instruments.  This switch must be from a German automobile of the time, but which one? 





Looking online again, it might worth something as a collectors item. 
This great poster below is available for a mere $9700.00 US...



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13 comments:

  1. DaveApril 14, 2020 at 8:04 AM

    I believe it's a combination ignition and light control switch. "PARK" would be parking lights, which would illuminate lights only on the street side of the vehicle so it would be visible when parked (kind of in the roadway on narrow streets). Parking lights were popular in Germany even into the 80's and some US Mercedes and Porches made it here with the option. "AUS" translates to "off;" "MATT" translates to "dim;" and "HELL" translates to "bright" so those would be the headlamp selections.

    I did find a 1913 P & S catalog online but it has only their mechanical tachometers. This switch looks a lot like the vintage Lucas switches so maybe it was something they made under license for the German market.

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  2. JPApril 14, 2020 at 11:58 AM

    Not quite in the league of that poster price-wise, but still outrageous...

    https://www.emwfeller.de/schrottplatz-dies-das/schalter-peerboom-schurmann-dusseldorf.html

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  3. Mister GApril 14, 2020 at 1:33 PM

    Thanks for your input and the translations. The switch is a rotary switch like the Lucas, but i've only seen bakelite handles on the Lucas version? It reminds me of much more recent Japanese (and others?) motorcycle switches in that the light and parking light functions were incorporated in the ignition switch.

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  4. DaveApril 14, 2020 at 2:49 PM

    As far as I know, motorbikes didn't have left-side-only parking lights so I wouldn't expect to see a "PARK" function on a motorcycle switch. When I say "parking lights" I'm talking about the German left-side-only lamps that were turned on when the vehicle was left empty and parked along the narrow streets, not the running lights that we call parking lights here in the states. That's why the "PARK" function is by itself; the ignition and everything else is off when they are on.

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  5. Mister GApril 14, 2020 at 3:25 PM

    I just learned something. Thanks! I woder how far back that requirement goes back?

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  6. DaveApril 14, 2020 at 6:42 PM

    I don't know the year but it goes back to when street lights were gas lights and weren't very bright. The roads were (are) narrow and you needed a way to indicate a parked car on the side of the road at night, and with fog. I spent a lot of time in Stuttgart in the early 90's and still saw parking lights in use, but not a lot (maybe 20% of streetside-parked cars). That was before LEDs so they were pretty dim, so as to not wear down the battery I suppose.

    Mercedes still includes them in some of their models but it's a hidden function. With the ignition off, you turn the lighting control switch to "P" then flip the signal light lever right or left. The parking lights on only the selected side of the vehicle will then illuminate.



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  7. Mister GApril 14, 2020 at 7:48 PM

    Thank you!

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  8. AnonymousJanuary 20, 2021 at 3:52 PM

    Mahlzeit -
    es ist ein "Zündlichtschalter" der vor dem Krieg überaus beliebten DKW-Reichsklasse F5, F7 und F8.

    It's a ingnition-light-switch for the popular DKW-'Reichsklasse' F5/F7 and F8 up to 1940 (pre WWII)

    The switch-Positions means:

    Park - parking lights / Parklicht
    Aus - off
    matt - dimmed headlight / Abblendlicht
    hell - high beam / Fernlicht

    Die etwas bessere Ausstattungsvariante "Meisterklasse" (sowie alle DDR IFA-F8) hatten andere Schalter - das Fernlicht wurde dort über einen Fußschalter bedient.

    The higher-comfort-version of this cars, called "meisterklasse" had other switches for ingnitition and lights.

    MfG / best regards
    Oli K.

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  9. AnonymousJanuary 20, 2021 at 4:19 PM

    ...und SCHLL bedeutet Schlußlicht, Horn ist Plus zur Hupe.

    SCHLL means rear-light, Horn goes to the horn.
    Old car, with only a little electric.

    English:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DKW_F5
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DKW_F7

    Deutsch:
    https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/DKW_F_5
    https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/DKW_F_7





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  10. Bjoern ScheweApril 22, 2022 at 6:33 AM

    P & S Switches were used on different, german cars. The DKW F5 and F7, two very polular people cars used them for example. Is the swith maybe for sale? I am interested in because of its good condtition for the project car of my buddy.

    Best regards

    Björn Schewe

    bb@bugnet.de

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  11. KleinwagenJanuary 11, 2023 at 3:30 PM

    Hallo,
    Mag ik de schakelaarvan u kopen? Heb er wel een bestemming voor.
    Groet Ron

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  12. AnonymousJune 2, 2023 at 12:40 AM

    Hallo Ron, neem contact op met Gerald@vanwyngaarden.ca en hij zal ons met elkaar in contact brengen.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Mister GJuly 4, 2023 at 10:14 AM

    Switch has been sold. thanks for all the information and input!

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