De Tamble-Miller

1905 De Tamble-Miller High-Wheel Runabout Prototype

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Hershey, Pennsylvania | October 10-11, 2019

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Edward De Tamble‘s earliest cars were highwheelers. Series production didn’t start until 1908 in Indianapolis (and later, Anderson, Indiana), and this car predates that time. It carries a stamp calling it a De Tamble & Miller, but not much is really known about it.

Mostly original, it is thought that this was the prototype De Tamble, and it uses parts from the era, including the gearbox from a Ford Model F. It’s a one-off piece of early automotive history, and you can read more about it here.

Update: Sold $26,400.

Five Cars from Indiana

1905 De Tamble-Miller High-Wheel Runabout Prototype

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Hershey, Pennsylvania | October 10-11, 2019

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Edward De Tamble‘s earliest cars were highwheelers. Series production didn’t start until 1908 in Indianapolis (and later, Anderson, Indiana), and this car predates that time. It carries a stamp calling it a De Tamble & Miller, but not much is really known about it.

Mostly original, it is thought that this was the prototype De Tamble, and it uses parts from the era, including the gearbox from a Ford Model F. It’s a one-off piece of early automotive history, and you can read more about it here.

Update: Sold $26,400.


1907 Kiblinger Model D High-Wheel Runabout

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Hershey, Pennsylvania | October 10-11, 2019

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

If you’re noticing a trend, yes, Indiana liked their highwheelers before 1910. The Kiblinger was a product of Auburn, Indiana, where they were built between 1907 and 1909. There are a few of them on display at the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg museum. And this car was once on display there too.

The Model D was one of six models produced by the company, and it’s powered by a 10 horsepower, two-cylinder engine that is shared with similar cars from Sears. Speaking of similar cars, company president W.H. McIntyre shut down and re-branded the company as the McIntyre after they were sued for patent infringement by Success. You can read more about this car here.

Update: Sold $28,600.


1908 Mier Model A Runabout

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Hershey, Pennsylvania | October 10-11, 2019

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The short-lived Mier was built by the Mier Carriage and Buggy Company of Ligonier, Indiana in 1908 and 1909. Solomon Mier, and his son A.B., built about 100 cars during that time before returning to the horse-drawn buggy industry, where they managed to stay in business into the 1920s.

This Model A Runabout was one of two models offered in 1908. Power is from a 10 horsepower inline-twin. Of the 100 built, only two remain, making this a great chance to get your hands on a truly rare car. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $55,000.


1917 Elcar Model E Cloverleaf Roadster

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Hershey, Pennsylvania | October 10-11, 2019

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Elcar actually traces its roots back to Pratt-Elkhart, which was one of Indiana’s highest-quality early cars. That company later became Pratt, which was quickly reformed as the Elkhart Carriage and Motor Car Company in 1915. They built the Elcar through 1931.

This was the only model available in 1917, and it is one of four body styles offered. The Cloverleaf Roadster retailed for $845 and is powered by a 34 horsepower, Lycoming inline-four. Prediction: this car sells for what would appear to be a great deal. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $37,400.


1931 Auburn Model 8-98A Sedan

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Hershey, Pennsylvania | October 10-11, 2019

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Somehow we’ve only featured one Auburn car prior to this. Indiana was a force in the early days of the automobile industry, and Auburn was one of its star products, which were offered between 1900 and 1937. They built some pretty fantastic cars in the mid-1930s, but everyone seems to forget that they built “normal”-looking cars like this alongside those wild boattail speedsters.

The 8-98 and the 8-98A were the only models offered in 1931. They were powered by a 98 horsepower straight-eight. Various body styles were available, and this sedan would’ve cost its new owner $1,195. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $19,800.

1905 Northern Runabout

1905 Northern Runabout

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Hershey, Pennsylvania | October 12, 2018

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Charles King and Johnathan Maxwell founded the Northern Manufacturing Company in 1902 in Detroit. The company’s 1902 offerings strongly resembled the Curved-Dash Oldsmobile – and that’s because Maxwell and King both worked for Oldsmobile before setting out on their own.

We’ve featured a 1902 Northern before (as linked to above) and this car looks relatively similar. It’s still powered by a single-cylinder engine. But unlike in 1902 where that engine made only five horsepower, it was upgraded to a downright sporty seven horsepower for 1905. Northern offered two twin-cylinder cars in 1905 as well, which made this the budget offering at $650.

Both Maxwell and King would leave Northern to found their own marques and the company closed in 1908. This car is said to retain its original chassis, body panels, and even its rubber flooring. Not many of these are left and this one is about as accurate and original as they come. It should bring between $45,000-$65,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $52,250.

Five Old Cars from Bonhams

Five Old Cars from Bonhams

Offered by Bonhams | Beaulieu, U.K. | September 1, 2018


1909 Alldays & Onions 10/12HP Tourer

Photo – Bonhams

Alldays & Onions is one of my favorite automotive marque names. It just sounds funny. It was actually two people’s last names from their respective companies that merged in 1889. Cars were available from 1898 through 1918.

This, the 10/12HP was their most successful model, built from 1905 through 1913. Power came from a 1.6-liter two-cylinder engine and this example has been in the same ownership since 1971. A longtime museum car, it does get driven annually, but you might want to check it out a little more thoroughly before planning any road trips. It should bring between $28,000-$33,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $33,513.


1905 Corre Type F Rear-Entrance Tonneau

Photo – Bonhams

Corre was founded in 1901 by Jean-Marie Corre in Levallois-Perret, France. The company actually lasted until 1949, but the name had changed to La Licorne. Corre-branded cars were only produced through 1907 when the company became known as Corre-La Licorne.

This Type F was Corre’s single-cylinder model in 1905. It’s a De Dion engine and the body is by Delalande. Not much about this car is known prior to 1957 and the current owner acquired the car in 2005. It should bring between $28,000-$33,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $40,215


1910 Paige-Detroit 25HP Challenger Open Tourer

Photo – Bonhams

Paige-Detroit has an amusing early history. Harry Jewett bankrolled a car built by Andrew Bachle and promoted by Fred O. Paige in 1909 in Detroit. The Page-Detroit went on sale in 1909 and after 1910 production was halted because Jewett thought the cars were terrible. He forced Paige (company president) out and dropped the “Detroit” suffix and re-launched Paige, which lasted until he sold it to the Graham Brothers in 1927.

This “Model No. 1” is one of those early “terrible” cars. This was the first – and only – model sold by Paige-Detroit and it’s powered by a kind of weird two-stroke, 2.2-liter three-cylinder engine that was somehow capable of 25 horsepower. Only two of these are thought to still exist and this one was reportedly part of the Henry Ford from 1930 until 1985. It’s been in Belgium since 1993 and probably hasn’t been run since it went to the Ford Museum way back when. Completely original, it should bring between $57,000-$83,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold.

Update: Sold, Bonhams Retromobile 2019, $37,838.


1908 Phoenix 10HP Sports

Photo – Bonhams

The Phoenix Motor Company, originally of London, was founded in 1903 by one of the great names in automobiledom: Joseph van Hooydonk. Their original products were tricars, then quadcars that looked like tricars. “Real” cars were introduced in 1908.

The company soldiered on until 1926 and the first traditional car they built was a 10hp model introduced in 1908. It lasted until 1915 and the car you see here is an example of this model. It’s powered by a two-cylinder engine and features a wooden skiff boattail body. It was made roadworthy again in 1997 and it can be yours for $15,000-$19,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $32,768.


1905 Reo 16HP Five-Passenger Touring

Photo – Bonhams

Ransom Olds is one of only a few people to have independently founded more than one successful automobile company. August Horch and Henry Leland come to mind, but I’m not sure who else. This 1905 Touring is from the second year of Reo production.

The 16HP was Reo’s two-cylinder model and it was offered in four body styles, with this being the largest. Four-cylinder and single-cylinder models were also offered. This largely original car comes from a Belgian collection where it has remained since 1994. 113-years-old, it should bring between $26,000-$38,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $23,831.

1905 Corre

1905 Corre Type F Rear-Entrance Tonneau

Offered by Bonhams | Beaulieu, U.K. | September 1, 2018

Photo – Bonhams

Corre was founded in 1901 by Jean-Marie Corre in Levallois-Perret, France. The company actually lasted until 1949, but the name had changed to La Licorne. Corre-branded cars were only produced through 1907 when the company became known as Corre-La Licorne.

This Type F was Corre’s single-cylinder model in 1905. It’s a De Dion engine and the body is by Delalande. Not much about this car is known prior to 1957 and the current owner acquired the car in 2005. It should bring between $28,000-$33,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $40,215

1905 Reo Touring

1905 Reo 16HP Five-Passenger Touring

Offered by Bonhams | Beaulieu, U.K. | September 1, 2018

Photo – Bonhams

Ransom Olds is one of only a few people to have independently founded more than one successful automobile company. August Horch and Henry Leland come to mind, but I’m not sure who else. This 1905 Touring is from the second year of Reo production.

The 16HP was Reo’s two-cylinder model and it was offered in four body styles, with this being the largest. Four-cylinder and single-cylinder models were also offered. This largely original car comes from a Belgian collection where it has remained since 1994. 113-years-old, it should bring between $26,000-$38,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $23,831.

1905 Rambler Touring

1905 Rambler Type One Touring

Offered by Bonhams | Greenwich, Connecticut | June 4, 2017

Photo – Bonhams

Rambler is an American marque with an interesting, if not confusing, history. Founded in 1900 by Thomas B. Jeffrey (who also founded the Jeffrey marque, which would later become Nash), Ramblers were built through 1913. In 1914 the Rambler was rolled back into the Jeffrey line. Nash would later produce a model called the Rambler, which debuted in 1950. More confusingly, it was spun off as its own marque again in 1958 and then sold as an AMC model sometime thereafter.

The original 1900-1913 Rambler was a very well-built automobile and the marque became one of the most respected in the U.S. The 1905 model line consisted of four confusingly named models: the Model G, Model H, Type One, and Type Two. Models G and H were single-cylinder cars, while the Types One and Two were both two-cylinder cars. The Type One is powered by a 3.9-liter flat-twin making 18 horsepower. The Type Two offered an additional two ponies. The Type One was only available as a five-passenger Touring car.

Ramblers would get much bigger shortly after this, even though this car is already pretty large. This particular example was restored in the early 2000s but it still looks great. Ramblers are accessible from a usability perspective, even if the estimated $45,000-$65,000 it will take to buy this one might not be. Click here for more info and here for the rest of Bonhams’ lineup.

Update: Sold $73,700.

One of the First Riley Cars

1905 Riley 9HP V-Twin

Offered by Brightwells | Bicester, U.K. | April 5, 2017

Photo – Brightwells

In 1896, William Riley Jr. bought and renamed the Bonnick Cycle Company and began building bicycles under his own name. In 1898, his 16-year-old son Percy built his first automobile, which is pretty incredible. William wanted no part of this, so Percy and two of this brothers started their own company in 1902. Four-wheeled vehicles first appeared in 1905, making this one of the first Riley cars ever built. The last Riley car was sold in 1969 and BMW owns the dormant marque today.

Powered by a nine horsepower, 1.0-liter V-twin, this early Riley is thought to have been sold new in New Zealand. It wasn’t until 2009 that it returned home to England. Its restoration was completed over a 30 year period (!) that ended in 2004.

Only three 1905, 9HP Rileys are known to exist and with the lack of records kept, this could be the earliest known survivor. It could even be the first Riley built. It does run and drive and is being sold with its own covered trailer included. It should bring between $57,000-$63,500. Click here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $47,196.

1905 Daimler Tourer

1905 Daimler 30/40HP Tourer

Offered by Bonhams | London, U.K. | December 7, 2016

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

This Daimler is one of the British Daimlers – you can tell that because the original Daimler Company (the German one) stopped building passenger cars under the Daimler marque by 1905 as the Mercedes had already been introduced. This car was delivered new to an British Countess in 1905.

Luckily for the Countess, just introduced by Daimler was this 30/40HP model that sported a 7.2-liter straight-four. These were powerful, fast cars that were popular among early hill climbers and time trialers. Originally bodied by Rothschild et Fils of Paris as a landaulette, the body you see here was fitted in the 1970s.

Unfortunately the original body was lost after the car was left to sit unprotected in the elements for about five years during WWII. Luckily, the lamps and wooden wheels were preserved. Ownership of this car has bounced all over the world, from the U.K. to Hawaii to Japan and back. It’s a good driver with good power and would make a usable Edwardian tourer. It should bring between $68,000-$80,000 at auction. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $72,618.

1904 Pope-Hartford

1905 Pope-Hartford 20HP Model D Two-Cylinder Side-Entrance Tonneau

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

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

We’ve featured a number of Pope-related automobiles lately. The Hartford was one of five Pope-branded automobiles, the others being the Tribune, Waverley, Toledo and the very short-lived Robinson. The Columbia from last week was also originally a Pope-owned company.

This Model D was built at the end of 1904. The Model D was only built for the 1905 model year and uses a two-cylinder engine making 20 horsepower. This was the only body style offered.

The current owner acquired the car in 2005 and restored it that year as well. The paint and interior were refreshed in 2014 when the car took part in the London-to-Brighton run. This car looks great and is a fine example of pre-1905 American motoring. It should bring between $120,000-$130,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Bonhams.

Update: Sold $126,000.