Tag Archives: 1901

A Rare Delin

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1901 Delin 4HP Voiturette

Offered by Coys | London, U.K. | December 1, 2015

Photo - Coys

Photo – Coys

Joesph Delin began producing bicycles under the name of Derby in 1890 in Belgium. Eight years later, he re-organized the company to include the manufacture of automobiles and his first car appeared the following year.

This car, although called a “4HP”, is actually rated somewhere between 6.5 and eight horsepower. This was the mid-range model for their 1901 lineup that consisted of four models. Sadly, Mr. Delin died that year and the company was liquidated shortly thereafter. Delin was a short-lived marque.

Only three Delin automobiles survive today. This example wears chassis #4, making it one of their first cars. It’s in excellent condition and has known ownership back to the 1960s and it’s said that this car can achieve 34 mph – which, we’re sure, is terrifying. It is expected to bring between $88,000-$106,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Update II: Sold, Coys Spring Classics, March 2016 $93,610.

Albion Dogcart

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1901 Albion 8HP A1 Dogcart

Offered by Bonhams | London, U.K. | October 30, 2015

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Albion is a Glasgow, Scotland-based manufacturer that was founded by Thomas Blackwood Murray and Norman Osborne Fulton in 1899. That’s right, is – this company is still active, although they haven’t built a road-going vehicle since it’s last bus left the line in 1972 (passenger cars ceased in 1915). Today they make just axles for other car companies.

The rear-mounted engine in this A1 Dogcart is a 2.1-liter twin-cylinder making eight horsepower. We’ve always found “Dogcart” to be an interesting name for a car’s body style. Traditionally, it refers to a one-horse carriage with four-seats: two facing forward, and two facing backward. If you didn’t know this, perhaps you might think Albion was slamming the physical appearance of their customers. It’s a term we almost exclusively relate to the London-to-Brighton run.

This car has been in the same family since the 1960s and has competed in the London-to-Brighton run many times. These super-early cars are always fascinating. This one should bring between $170,000-$220,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $225,647.

Phébus Quadricycle

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1901 Phébus Quadricycle

Offered by Osenat | Fontainebleau, France | June 14, 2015

Photo - Osenat
Photo – Osenat

Noé Boyer was the director of a branch of Clément-Gladiator – Noé Boyer et Cie – and it would appear that his company built eerily similar quadricycles as those that Clément was putting out. It’s got a bicycle seat in the rear for the driver and the passenger sits in the compartment out front… to act as both windshield and front bumper.

This is powered by a single-cylinder De Dion engine. Phébus built quadricycles up to 1903, when they stopped producing vehicles altogether. But at the same time these primitive cars were on sale, the company was also selling the more traditional Phébus-Aster. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $59,280.

Three Turn-of-the-Century Cars

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Three Veteran Automobiles

Offered by Osenat | Fontainebleau, France | June 14, 2015

1899 Bruneau Quadricycle

Photo - Osenat

Photo – Osenat

Bruneau is a very rare manufacturer of early motorcycles, tricycles, and but a handful of quadricycles. Based in Tours, France, very little is known about this marque other than where they were located and what they built. The company existed as early as 1899 and lasted at least up until the outbreak of WWI.

This car is powered by the ubiquitous De Dion single-cylinder engine and features a vis-à-vis seating arrangement. The family of the original owner of this vehicle sold it to the current owner in the 1960s. This is a two-owner car from 1899. It is thought only three of these were built and this is the only one left. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $45,600.

1901 Phébus Quadricycle

Photo - Osenat

Photo – Osenat

Noé Boyer was the director of a branch of Clément-Gladiator – Noé Boyer et Cie – and it would appear that his company built eerily similar quadricycles as those that Clément was putting out. It’s got a bicycle seat in the rear for the driver and the passenger sits in the compartment out front… to act as both windshield and front bumper.

This is powered by a single-cylinder De Dion engine. Phébus built quadricycles up to 1903, when they stopped producing vehicles altogether. But at the same time these primitive cars were on sale, the company was also selling the more traditional Phébus-Aster. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $59,280.

1902 Clément Tricycle

Photo - Osenat

Photo – Osenat

Clément is a fairly well-known brand among early automobiles. We’ve documented the tangled history of some of Adolphe Clément-Bayard’s companies before and this is kind of a different branch. He founded Clément cycles in 1878 to build bicycles. Motorized bicycles and tricycles came in 1902 after he merged with Gladiator.

This tricycle is powered by a single-cylinder De Dion engine and it is a runner. Use it in the next London-to-Brighton run, if you wish. Clément Cycles morphed into part of Clément-Bayard in 1903 and vehicles like this pretty much disappeared from the automotive landscape shortly thereafter. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $39,900.

1901 Croizemarie

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1901 Croizemarie Type AC Voiturette

Offered by Artcurial | Paris, France | February 6, 2015

Photo - Artcurial

Photo – Artcurial

Well this is an interesting one. It’s fairly rare – but not unheard of – that a car shows up in an auction and no one knows a thing about it. Croizemarie is one such company and their minuscule Type AC Voiturette is one such example.

It’s powered by a single-cylinder De Dion engine – the most popular engine in the automotive world in 1901. Many manufacturers used them and built some of their own parts. The catalog states that the body might be a few years newer than the engine/chassis combination.

This car entered the automotive world more recently in 1999 as an unrestored example that had been in the same family since 1921. A restoration was carried out in the last few years and the car runs, but hasn’t really been used. It’s unlikely another one of these exists and it should sell for between $71,000-$95,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Update II: Sold, Bonhams, Goodwood Festival of Speed 2015, $35,237.

1901 Panhard Tonneau

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1901 Panhard et Levassor Twin-Cylinder 7HP Rear-Entrance Tonneau by Labourdette

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

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

We featured a 1902 Panhard et Levassor about a week and a half ago. It’s similar to this car, but also quite different – especially when it comes to the body. This has a body by famed French coachbuilder Henri Labourdette. It’s a rear-entrance tonneau with a big, tall hardtop (yet zero weather protection).

This body is actually original to this car, which is very rare for a car that is almost 115 years old. The engine is a 1.7-liter twin making seven horsepower. The original owner of this car is known and it was the 11th car registered in Toulouse. At some point, probably around WWI, it was stashed away in the basement of a castle.

It wasn’t until the 1990s that the car was rescued and restored. I like that the front and rear tires are of differing diameter. This is a great example of an early motorcar – and the top retains its original leather. It should sell for between $320,000-$400,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of this auction’s lineup.

Update: Sold $413,767.

Laperrelle Tonneau

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1901 Laperrelle Rear-Entrance Tonneau

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

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Voitures Légères, F de Laperelle, Mottereau-Brou (E&L) was the name of an otherwise unknown company that existed around the turn of the century in France. No record of it exists anywhere in the known realm of automotive literature. Or even the internet, for that matter. In fact, the lot description spells the name of the car two different ways.

This car is powered by a single-cylinder engine and is all original except for the paint (which was redone in 1960). Literally nothing else is known. The chassis number is 96, which suggests they built a hundred cars, yet no one recorded it anywhere. It’s kind of strange that a brand new, unheard of marque from 115 years ago just pops up out of the blue. Automotive archaeology at its finest.

This car has been owned by the same family since new, which is astounding. It also runs and drives. This is a remarkable car and perfect for someone who wants a challenge and something interesting, historical, and unique. The estimate is $96,000-$130,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

International Charette

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1901 International Charette Double Phaeton

Offered by RM Auctions | Hershey, Pennsylvania | October 9, 2014

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

Here’s a strange one. Most car people, when they see the brand name “International,” think of the famous International Harvester Company, which did indeed build cars prior to WWI. But this International is actually from London. The company (the International Motor Car Company) was founded in 1898 and lasted through 1904.

They didn’t actually build their own cars – instead, farmed out the construction of them to other companies, only to sell them under their own brand name. Anyone remember when Saturn was going out of business and Roger Penske wanted to buy it and run the company in a similar fashion? That is, until GM said “Uhhh, don’t think so.”

Anyway, this car was built by Allard & Co. (no, not that Allard) in Coventry and uses a six horsepower 823cc single-cylinder engine. It was restored by the original purchasing family in the 1960s and needs a slight freshening to be road-worthy. You can get started here soon, for the cost of $70,000-$100,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this awesome sale.

Update: Sold $77,000.

An Incredible, 1901 Benz

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1901 Benz Ideal 7HP Twin-Cylinder “Contra-Motor” Vis-a-Vis

Offered by Bonhams | Stuttgart, Germany | July 12, 2014

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

What’s so incredibly cool about this horseless carriage cannot be summed up in just one point. First, it’s from Benz – the originator of the automobile (you could argue otherwise, but we’ll ignore you). And it’s about as early a Benz as you can get your hands on that isn’t a replica or on permanent display.

The Benz Ideal was an evolution (and final iteration) of the Benz Patent Motorwagen, the earliest of automobiles, that featured a horizontally-mounted single-cylinder engine between the rear wheels. By 1901, competitors were many and they had advanced in design. So for the Ideal, Benz kept the engine between the rear wheels but added coachwork up front to make it look like many of the other vehicles on the market.

The Ideal, towards the end of its run (read: 1901), was offered with a two-cylinder engine. It’s a 2.1-liter flat-twin making seven horsepower. Ownership history here is known from new and this car completed (and won its class) in the London-to-Brighton run in 1937. The restoration was completed in 1972. You can purchase this fascinating piece of automobile history – and use it – for between $150,000-$200,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Bonhams’ inaugural Mercedes-Benz sale.

Update: Sold $641,004.

An American De Dion

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1901 American De Dion New York Type Motorette

Offered by RM Auctions | Amelia Island, Florida | March 8, 2014

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

Jackpot. There are automobile manufacturers of the past that I know existed and I always assumed that any examples that still existed – if there were any at all – are locked away in permanent museums. And then along comes one at auction proving that the past does indeed survive.

De Dion-Bouton was one of the first automotive giants. Their empire was vast and they built many times more engines for other manufacturers (many of these were license deals) than they built cars. And they built a fair number of cars. In 1900, some businessmen in New York decided to build the De Dion-Bouton under license in Brooklyn. The American De Dion was built for 1900 and 1901 only before it was shut down for violating their license contract (they were of shoddy quality).

And the car you see here is one of what has to have been not too terribly many built and one of very few that likely survive. There were three American De Dion models offered and this is the New York Type (there was also a Brooklyn Type and a stodgy Doctor’s Brougham). The car uses De Dion’s famous 402cc single-cylinder engine making 3.5 horsepower.

This car was found in a barn in the 1960s – parasol top and all. In 1992 the engine was cleaned out and this all-original 101-year-old car completed the London-to-Brighton Run. The engine was rebuilt afterward but otherwise this car is as it left the factory – 113 years ago. It is incredible. You can buy it for between $140,000-$180,000. You can read more here and see more from RM here.

Update: Sold $115,500.