Tag Archives: 1900

1900 Bardon

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1900 Bardon Type A Tonneau

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Paris, France | February 3, 2016

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

Louis Bardon founded his automobile company in 1899 in Puteaux, France. The company produced cars up through 1903 when Georges Richard took over the plant and used it to manufacture Unic cars.

Bardon built a number of different cars over the short lifespan of the company. This car is powered a 4/5 horsepower 1.2-liter opposed-piston single-cylinder engine. That means that there are two pistons that share the same cylinder. It’s a really strange and interesting powerplant.

Only three Bardon cars are known to exist and the other two are in long-term collections, unlikely to come up for sale in the near future, if ever. The restoration on this car was completed a while back but is still a good runner, driver, and shower. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $106,200.

1900 Créanche Voiturette

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1900 Créanche Type A Voiturette

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Paris, France | February 3, 2016

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

Créanche was a French automobile manufacturer that existed in the very early days of automobiles. There were so many manufacturers of that period, many of which built just a handful of cars. Some lasted for a few years, like this one, which operated from 1899 through 1906.

Most of their cars were De Dion-powered and by 1904 the company offered five different models. This one is powered by a four horsepower, 477cc single-cylinder engine. This example was restored from an original car and the body was reconstructed to match the original in 1972.

This is one of two known survivors of the Créanche brand. It comes from a private Swiss collection (as do three other very interesting cars from this sale). Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $56,240.

Sperry Electric

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1900 Cleveland Sperry System Electric Stanhope

Offered by Bonhams | London, U.K. | October 31, 2014

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Elmer A. Sperry invented some electric arc lamps and electric mining equipment before he moved to Cleveland in the 1890s. He was there to help establish an electric railway company, but started fooling around with automobiles and produced his first electric car in 1898. The Sperry Electric went on sale in 1899 under the name Cleveland Sperry System. In the car’s final year, 1901, they were just called “Sperry.”

They are powered by a 3.5 horsepower electric motor and could be had in one of eight body styles. This is a three-seat stanhope. Sperry sold their patents to the Cleveland Machine Screw Company in 1901 and they produced the car under the Cleveland marque from 1902 through 1904. Part of Sperry’s electric engineering company still exists today as part of Honeywell.

This car is one of two Sperrys known to exist. It has known history for the last 25 years and has been run in many rallies and shown at many shows around the U.K. It should sell for between $77,000-$83,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $88,151.

Alfa Romeo Matta

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1954 Alfa Romeo 1900M AR51

Offered by Coys | Athens, Greece | June 14, 2014

Photo - Coys

Photo – Coys

The Alfa Romeo 1900M was known widely as the Alfa Romeo Matta. It was produced for the Italian Army for a short period in the 1950s. They also produced a limited run of “AR52” models that were intended for civilian use – but those are much rarer.

It was essentially an Italian Willys Jeep – but a little more complex (which is why Alfa switched to the easier-to-repair Campagnola after only a few years). The engine here is a 1.9-liter straight-four making 64 horsepower. All four wheels are driven and it could do 65 mph.

The Matta was produced between 1952 and 1954 only. Only 2,007 AR51 variants were built. This is a very rare automobile and a well-restored, matching-numbers example at that. It should sell for between $19,000-$21,500. Click here for more info and here for more from Coys in Greece.

Update: Sold $31,500.

Marlboro Steam Car

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1900 Marlboro Steam Runabout

Offered by Bonhams | Paris, France | February 6, 2014

1900 Marlboro Steam Runabout

Photo – Bonhams

The Marlboro Motor & Carriage Company began producing steam cars in Marlboro, Massachusetts in 1899. The company was founded by Orrin P. Walker and existed only through 1902.

The engine is a Mason steam engine and this car cost $700 when new. About 30 were sold in 1900 and production ramped up. But then sales quickly dropped off and the company had all of its capital invested in product that was sitting in showrooms. And that was it for the short-lived company – out of business it went.

It’s amazing that any of their cars survived for 114 years. This one was restored and the current owner acquired it in 2011. It was for sale in St. Louis for $79,500 but is expected to sell at this auction for between $68,000-$96,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Update II: Sold, RM Sotheby’s London 2017, $12,146.

Milwaukee Steam Runabout

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1900 Milwaukee Steam Runabout

Offered by RM Auctions | Hersey, Pennsylvania | October 11-12, 2012

The Milwaukee Automobile Company began producing steam vehicles in 1900. There were a bunch of steam car manufacturers in the United States at the turn of the century, and a number of them were producing light runabouts that looked just like this.

Unfortunately, this marque only lasted through 1902 – and not even through the entire year. Quite a few other early makes would shut down just as quickly. It was like a big game of Economic Darwinism Whac-A-Mole. Companies were popping up and shutting down all over the place.

This is a rare example of an already rare marque. It’s two-cylinder steam engine makes six horsepower. It’s only a four-owner car, with all owners and history known – which is a pretty incredible feat considering it’s 112 years old. The car should bring between $20,000-$40,000. For more information, click here. And for more from RM at Hershey, click here.

Update: Sold $44,000.

Parisienne Victoria Combination

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c.1900 Parisienne Victoria Combination

Offered by Bonhams | Greenwich, Connecticut | June 3, 2012

The Victoria Combination was the most popular model produced by Société Parisienne E. Couturier et Cie of Paris. What began as a bicycle manufacturing company turned to motorized vehicles in 1899 and produced them through 1903. Engines from De Dion-Bouton and Aster were available. The car you see here sports a 2.75 horsepower De Dion.

These were relatively popular in the early days of motoring with about 400 being made. At the time, it would have cost about $600 to purchase one (3,000 francs). And this car is 112 years old – there are only about ten people left on Earth who were alive when this was built! The fact that any car has survived that long should make it near-priceless. It’s an antique – but one you can use as this one appears to be in great shape. Plus, how many other front-wheel drive cars can you think of made prior to, say, a Cord L-29? Not many, I’m guessing.

The pre-sale estimate for this rare and interesting early car is $50,000-$70,000. You don’t exactly see these everyday. To read the complete lot description, click here. And for more from Bonhams in Connecticut, click here.

Update: Sold $56,160.