Tag Archives: 1905

Oldsmobile Light Tonneau

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1905 Oldsmobile Light Tonneau

Offered by Gooding & Company | Amelia Island, Florida | March 2025

Photo – Gooding & Company

The Curved Dash Olds was still around in 1905, but things had started progressing at the company, and more conventional-looking motorcars were appearing with what Olds dubbed the “French front” design.

Gooding calls this a “circa 1904” with a hint that you could fool someone on letting you into the London-to-Brighton Run, but it’s thought that most of these were delivered in 1905. In addition to the CDO, Oldsmobile offered a Touring Runabout, a Light Tonneau (which was the rear-entrance tonneau), and a Side-Entrance Touring, the latter of which was their first two-cylinder offering.

This car is powered by a 2.3-liter horizontal single rated at 10 horsepower. Total calendar year production for 1905 for Oldsmobile was 6,500 – or 36 cars a day. It was their final year as America’s top automobile manufacturer. This car cost $950 when new and now has an estimate of $90,000-$120,000. More info can be found here.

1905 Richard-Brasier

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1905 Richard-Brasier Type D Tourer

Offered by Gooding & Company | Amelia Island, Florida | February/March 2024

Photo – Gooding & Company

Richard-Brasier was not named after a guy named Richard Brasier. In fact, it was named for Charles-Henri Brasier, formerly of Panhard and Mors, and Georges Richard, he of his own eponymous company. The partnership was founded in 1902, but Richard left the company during 1905 and went on to found Unic. Brasier soldiered on alone.

This Model D is from the final bit of Richard-Brasier production and is powered by a 6.5-liter inline-four that was good for almost 60 horsepower. These were well-performing cars in their day, hence probably why it was sought out for the Mullin collection, from which it is being offered.

The car carries coachwork by Deshayes Freres & Courtois. Gooding & Company are testing the waters at Amelia with some of the less valuable/desirable Mullin cars before the “big auction” at the museum later this year. You can read more about this car here.

Update: Sold $168,000.

1905 Brillie

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1905 Brillie 20/24HP Coupe Chauffeur

Offered by Bonhams | Paris, France | February 2024

Photo – Bonhams

Gobron-Brillie was a French automobile marque that existed from 1898 to 1930. That company was founded by Eugene Brillie and Gustav Gobron, with Brillie being the engineer behind the company’s products.

Brillie left the company at the end of 1903 and went off to found his own company under his own name. The cars were actually constructed by Schneider & Cie (now known as Schneider Electric, the huge French company). Brillie went belly up in 1908, and Schneider continued on making buses under their own name. This car is powered by a 20/24-horspower inline-four. It is thought to be the only example of the marque in existence.

It is believed to have been used regularly up to 1928, at which point it must’ve seemed like a dinosaur. The car was later hidden away, being discovered in the 1950s. It underwent a lengthy restoration and now has an estimate of $100,000-$130,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold ~$96,609.

1905 Maxwell

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1905 Maxwell Model L Tourabout

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Hershey, Pennsylvania | October 4-5, 2023

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Jonathan Maxwell and Benjamin Briscoe set up the Maxwell Motor Company – initially the Maxwell-Briscoe Motor Company – in New York in 1904. Production of automobiles started in 1905, with the Models L and H being available that year. The Model L was only available as a two-passenger Tourabout and carried over into 1906.

Power is provided by a flat-twin that put out about eight horsepower. The cars retailed for $750 in their inaugural year before undergoing a $30 price hike the following year. Just 833 Model Ls were built over the two-year run.

This car was restored about 13 years ago and was purchased by its current owner in 2015. Maxwell was an important early car company, and this is about as early as an example as you are likely to find. It has an estimate of $35,000-$45,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $34,100.

Four-Wheel Leon Bollee

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1905 Leon Bollee 45/50HP Roi-des-Belges Tourer

Offered by Mecum | Kissimmee, Florida | January 4-15, 2022

Photo – Mecum

Leon Bollee was a pioneer in the automotive field, as was his father, Amedee. The most common vehicles associated with Leon Bollee are the three-wheeled voiturettes from the 19th century.

But, Leon Bollee Automobiles actually built cars through 1923 before being taken over by Morris, who soldiered on with a hyphenated marque until 1931. This car is the oldest four-wheeled Leon Bollee car known to the Veteran Car Club of Great Britain. That distinction leads one to believe that older four-wheeled cars could potentially exist elsewhere. Like in France. But who knows

It’s powered by an 8.3-liter inline-four rated at 50 horsepower. It’s got dual-chain drive and remained with the original owning family for 65 years. The restoration dates from the late 1980s/early 1990s. This is a big time early car, and you can read more about it here.

Update: Not sold.

Yale Model G

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1905 Yale Model G

Offered by H&H | Buxton, U.K. | December 8, 2021

Photo – H&H

There were two different Yale-branded automobiles that came out of the Midwest U.S. before 1920. The first was the company that produced this car. The Kirk Manufacturing Company of Toledo, Ohio, built bicycles before turning to cars, for which they used the Yale name.

This car is from the marque’s final year of manufacture, 1905, in which three models were offered. The G was the mid-range model and was only available as a side-entrance, five-passenger tonneau. The engine is a flat-twin that was rated at 14/16 horsepower when new.

This car would’ve cost $1,100 in 1905, and it’s obviously been restored. It’s got an electric starter now and carries a pre-sale estimate of $40,000-$53,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

1905 Buick Model C

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1905 Buick Model C Touring

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Hershey, Pennsylvania | October 8, 2021

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

David Dunbar Buick‘s first cars were sold in 1904. That year’s Model B gave way to 1905’s Model C, which was only offered as a five-passenger touring car. In total, 750 were built, which is more than the 37 churned out the year prior.

Power is from a 2.6-liter inline-twin that made 22 horsepower when new. The major differences between the B and C was the color. The C was delivered in royal blue with cream wheels – just as this one has been restored.

This particular car is the fifth-oldest Buick known to exist. No Model Bs survive, and there are 14 Model Cs still around. The expected price range is $40,000-$60,000. It cost $1,200 when new. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $88,000.

Lorraine-Dietrich Race Car

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1905 Lorraine-Dietrich CR2 Two-Seat Sports Racer

Offered by Bonhams | Beaulieu, U.K. | September 4, 2021

Photo – Bonhams

Lorraine-Dietrich built cars and airplane engines after branching out from railway locomotives in the late-19th Century. Bollée-designed cars were first, beginning in 1896 under the De Dietrich marque. The brand become Lorraine-Dietrich in 1905, and automobile production lasted through 1935.

Racing had always been a part of the company. In fact, they won Le Mans twice in the early years. The company was involved in racing as early as about 1903. This car was built to replicate the period factory racers. It’s a true 1905 chassis, but the body was added in the 2000s. Power is from a 8.6-liter inline-four rated at 60 horsepower.

It certainly looks the part of an Edwardian race car, and it is apparently quite usable too. There are similar cars from this brand around, although I’m unsure of their provenance or originality. This seems like a good way to get pretty close to the real thing. The pre-sale estimate is $110,000-$170,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $190,955.

Cadillac Model F

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1905 Cadillac Model F Four-Passenger Touring

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Auburn, Indiana | September 2-5, 2021

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The earliest Cadillacs were single-cylinder cars. The first multi-cylinder cars appeared in 1905, the same year in which the single-cylinder Model F was built. It was their most expensive of four single-powered models that year.

The F was identical to the Model E save for a two-inch-longer wheelbase. It was also available as a touring car with a non-detachable tonneau and two side doors – a first for a single-cylinder Cadillac. That single displaces 1.6 liters and made nine horsepower. The front hood is just for show – the engine is mounted under the seats.

Cadillac sold 4,029 cars of all types in 1905. The touring car variant oft he F (a delivery van was also available) retailed for $950 new. You can read more about this one here and see more from this sale here.

Update: Sold $51,700.

Queen Model E

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1905 Queen Model E Touring

Offered by Bonhams | Amelia Island, Florida | May 20, 2021

Photo – Bonhams

C.H. Blomstrom’s Queen was produced between 1904 and 1906 and was relatively successful. In all, about 1,500 cars were sold, but the company came under fire for being “defectively incorporated.” So Blomstrom merged his company with another, cashed out his stock, and opened another car company somewhere else in Detroit.

But the Queen’s legacy stood. Singles, twins, and four-cylinder cars were offered. The singles were among the most powerful of their kind, and the twins rivaled Packard with their output. The Model E was sold in 1905 and 1906 and features a 3.2-liter (presumably flat) twin that made approximately 16 horsepower. The E could only be had as a tourer like this.

This example was restored prior to being shown at Pebble Beach in 2005. It is the only Model E known to exist and is expected to sell for between $75,000-$100,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $80,640.