Tag Archives: 1904

1904 Fouillaron

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1904 Fouillaron Type G 6HP Tonneau

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

Photo - Artcurial

Photo – Artcurial

If we close our eyes and are asked to picture certain types of cars, we all will likely picture similar things when told “coupe” or “pickup truck” or “convertible.” But there was a time in the early days of the automobile when there weren’t standard designs when it came to size and shape. As far as convertibles go, Gustave Fouillaron obviously had something different in mind when his Type G Tonneau was built in 1904.

Fouillaron was founded in 1899 and built cars through 1914. This Type G resembles more of a Conestoga wagon than it does any modern convertible. The way the top comes up is downright fascinating. At first glance, I thought it was a commercial vehicle. The Type G with the conventional rear axle was new for 1904. It uses a six horsepower De Dion single-cylinder engine.

This example was discovered in the 1960s. The catalog description does not mention a restoration in this car’s past and instead says it has been “kept in working order.” It has been in the family of the current owner since 1988 and is London-to-Brighton eligible. It will likely sell for between $83,000-$105,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Artcurial.

Update: Sold $120,645.

Cadillac Model B

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1904 Cadillac Model B Runabout

Offered by Coys |  Maastricht, Netherlands | January 10, 2015

Photo - Coys

Photo – Coys

This Lithuanian collection has a fairly impressive amount of old Cadillacs and Lincolns. And those two marques pretty much make up the entire collection. This is the earliest car in the sale and it’s a rare Cadillac Model B.

1904 was the second year of Cadillac production and two models were offered, the A and the B, both in a variety of body styles. The Model B was only available for 1904 and 1905 only. It uses a rear-mounted 1.6-liter single-cylinder making eight-ish horsepower. Prices were $900 – except for this Runabout, which came in at $800. The difference between the A and B was slight – this car’s slightly longer wheelbase is one giveaway.

Cadillac production for 1904 totaled 2,319 split between the A and B, making this very nice Model B quite rare. It should sell for between $75,000-$90,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of Coys’ lineup.

Update: Sold $54,440.

1904 Humber

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1904 Humber 8.5HP Twin-Cylinder Two Seater

Offered by Bonhams | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 15, 2015

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Humber was a British marque whose roots trace back to a bicycle shop in the 1860s. Cars came about in 1898 and the company was absorbed into the Rootes Group in 1932. Chrysler eventually became the majority owner and the marque was phased out in 1979. Peugeot currently owns the name.

This car is powered by a 1.3-liter straight-twin making 8.5 horsepower. The original owner registered this car on the Isle of Wight – the 39th motorcar registered there. It has had two owners since 1950 and was restored in 2000.

It’s a nice old car in working order. It is eligible for the London-to-Brighton run and only a few examples of early Humbers are known. This one should sell for between $150,000-$200,000 – a long way from its $1,260 original cost. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $148,500.

Update II: Not sold, Bonhams Carmel 2017.

Update III: Not sold, Bonhams Philadelphia 2017.

Update IV: Sold, Bonhams London-to-Brighton 2017, $81,250.

Riley Tricar

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1904 Riley Tricar

For Sale at Hyman Ltd. | St. Louis, Missouri

Photo - Hyman Ltd.

Photo – Hyman Ltd.

Riley was founded in 1890 in Coventry, England, to build bicycles. Their first car came in 1898, making them one of England’s oldest car manufacturers. Motorcycles came first, so the Tricar was a natural step between two and four-wheeled vehicles.

The first Tricar was sold in 1900 and four-wheelers didn’t come along until 1905. This Tricar uses a steering wheel instead of a tiller, which was common on early cars. The engine is a V-Twin. The restoration is described as “older” but it looks fantastic.

The final Riley cars were built in 1969. BMW currently owns the marque and hasn’t revived it. This interesting car is currently for sale in St. Louis for somewhere near $100,000. Click here for more info.

Phoenix Tricar

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1904 Phoenix 4.5HP Tricar

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

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Remember when cars were simple and passengers rode in wicker baskets in front of you, acting as both windscreen and front bumper? Well, yeah, it was a little before my time, too, but isn’t it interesting? Luckily it has three wheels, so you can register it as a motorcycle and you won’t have to worry about any of those pesky crash test standards.

The Phoenix Motor Company was founded by J. Van Hooydonk in London in 1903. They built bicycles, motorcycles and even a few more standardized motor cars through 1925. This tricar is powered by a 477cc twin making 4.5 horsepower.

Ownership history goes back a decade or two and it’s eligible for nearly all early car events and runs. It stands as an interesting insight into what once was thought as practical transport. It can be yours for between $24,000-$32,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $36,729.

Update: Sold, Bonhams London-to-Brighton $40,213.

CGV Side-Entrance Phaeton

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1904 CGV 6.25-Litre Type H1 Four-Cylinder Side-Entrance Phaeton

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

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

CGV started in 1901 in France. It was founded by three men: Fernand Charron, Leonce Girardot, and Emile Voigt. As you can see, they built some pretty impressive cars (compare this 1904 model to some of the other, much more basic pre-1905 cars from this sale). But in 1906, Girardot and Voigt left the company and, impressively, Charron continued to produce cars under his own name until 1930.

The Type H1 seen here uses a 6.25-litre straight-four making almost 33 horsepower. This car was purchased new by a wealthy champagne baron who died later that year. The history of the car is unknown after that until 1968 when it was brought to the U.K. and sold the following year to a collector who had it until 2000.

The original body was gone by the end of the 1960s and the replacement body was sold in 1972. So this body was commissioned in the style of a period phaeton. Everything was overhauled in 2000 and it has been used extensively since.

Charron automobiles are seen relatively regularly, but CGVs, not so much. Only 79 examples of the Type H were built between the end of 1903 and all of 1904. This one should sell for between $630,000-$710,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this awesome sale.

Update: Not sold.

Gardner-Serpollet

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1904 Gardner-Serpollet 18hp Type L Phaeton Steamer by Kellner

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

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Leon Serpollet is sort of the father of steam automobiles. He invented the flash boiler that made steam vehicles practical and he began building cars under his own name in Paris in 1897. Similarly, American Frank Gardner was also building cars in Paris, although gasoline-powered. Gardner’s company lasted from 1898 to 1900, when he joined Serpollet.

Gardner-Serpollet built cars from 1900 through 1907. They were fancy things and among the best-engineered steam cars ever built. They were reliable and won many races and competitions in their day. The Type L seen here was introduced in 1904 and uses a rear-mounted boiler and a front-mounted straight-four engine making it look like a normal gasoline-engined car.

The history of this car is known back to WWII, when it was used to get around gasoline rationing. This is the only shaft-driven Serpollet in existence and one of only two Type Ls in the world. It’s a good runner and an amazing piece of history. It should sell for between $510,000-$560,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $592,624.

Orient Buckboard

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1904 Orient Buckboard

Offered by RM Auctions | Hershey, Pennsylvania | October 9-10, 2014

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

Buckboards were a style of automobiles that had a very limited market and a limited run of practicality (if ever), as well as success, and safety. This example was built by the Waltham Manufacturing Company in Waltham, Massachusetts. They also sold cars under the Waltham and Waltham-Orient brands.

The buckboard style was essentially a piece of wood with a seat on top of it and rudimentary controls and engine. At least in the case of this car, the engine powers the rear wheels (four horsepower, 578cc single-cylinder). The engine here is a single-cylinder making four horsepower. There is no suspension (other than your spine). See any brakes? Me neither (they’re there: just in the back only). They cost $425 when new – the cheapest car you could buy – and it could do 30 mph. There are four-year-olds with go karts that can outperform this car. And they’re probably safer.

It’s a super-interesting car and a number of companies sort of copied the design years later with mixed success. But this is the original. It would be fun in limited use. Go ahead and buy it! It’ll run you between $40,000-$60,000. You can find out more here and see more from this sale here.

Update: Sold $30,250.

1904 Talbot Brougham

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1904 Talbot CT4V-B 12/16HP Brougham

Offered by Bonhams | Staplehurst, U.K. | June 14, 2014

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Talbot began life in 1903 as Clement-Talbot – it was a British company financed by Charles Chetwynd-Talbot and Frenchman (and already successful automobile producer) Adolphe Clement-Bayard. Clement-Talbot was to produce Clement-Bayards under license in the U.K. Though after only a single model year, Clement-Talbot would become just Talbot for 1904, making this car from the first year of Talbot manufacture.

The CT4V-B was one of two four-cylinder Talbots offered for 1904. It made an additional two horsepower (16) over the base CT4V model from the 2.7-liter straight-four. The body is a big one – a Brougham with open chauffeur seat and closed passenger compartment. It’s well-equipped and the passenger section looks very much like the horseless carriage that it was in 1904.

This car entered the Michael Banfield collection in the 1970s and had been well restored. It’s a fine example of veteran motoring and can be yours for between $590,000-$760,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

1904 Cyklonette

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1904 Cyklon Cyklonette

For sale at Hyman Ltd | St. Louis, Missouri

Photo - Hyman Ltd.

Photo – Hyman Ltd.

Cyklon Maschinenfabrik GmbH of Berlin introduced their first vehicle in 1902. It was this strange but wonderful little “Cyklonette.” Cyklon would later built more conventional cars before going out of business in 1929, but the Cyklonette is what they are known for.

If you’re thinking “gee, that looks awfully complex there at the front” – you’re right. It’s an unusual bicycle-themed design where the engine is attached above the front wheel – which is the driven wheel. The vertical 1.3-liter two-cylinder engine makes 6 horsepower. Some of these cars actually had four-cylinders! It has tiller steering and a wicker body. It’s like the spiritual ancestor of the tuk-tuk.

If you want more information on the bewildering drivetrain setup, I encourage you to go to Hyman Ltd’s site and read more here. Cyklon built the Cyklonette through 1923 and this early example is said to be largely original, however it has had some cosmetic upkeep over the years. It looks incredible. A fair number of these were built, but you rarely see them. It’s priced between $80,000-$85,000.