Basse und Selve

Basse und Selve (BuS) were German manufacturers of engines for automobiles, motorcycles, boats, aircraft and railcars, supplying engines for Selve cars built at the Selve Automobilwerke AG, but also various other manufacturers of automobiles and commercial vehicles, such as Beckmann, Mannesmann, and Heim. The Altena factory was founded in 1908 by Gustav Selve, employing 2,000 workers, with Dr. Walther von Selve taking over the firm on the death of Gustav Selve, his father.

Basse und Selve aero-engines did not make a big impact on the aviation industry in Germany, but did find limited use, particularly in several large aircraft. The largest and most powerful fighter fitted with a Basse & Selve engine was the Hansa-Brandenburg W.34, a single prototype of which was completed before hostilities ceased in 1918. Several large Riesenflugzeuge were also fitted with Basse & Selve engines, but they were generally replaced with Mercedes or Maybach alternatives as soon as possible.

The former Basse & Selve factory in Altena

Basse & Selve continued to build engines until closing its doors in 1932, two years before the closure of its sister company, Selve Automobilwerke AG, which closed in 1934.