Offered by Historics Auctioneers | Datchet, U.K. | July 22, 2023
Photo – Historics Auctioneers
Wolseley Motors was founded by Vickers – the armaments company – with engineer Herbert Austin on board to help design the cars. The first Wolseleys were sold to the public in 1901. Meanwhile, John Siddeley founded the Siddeley Automobile Company in 1902. Wolseley bought Siddeley in 1905, bringing the latter’s namesake into the fold.
Shortly after, Austin left to form his own company, and Siddeley was put in charge. He then promptly added his own name to the cars, thus forming Wolseley-Siddeley. In 1909, Siddeley left, and his name was then removed. So the car you see here is from a marque that only advertised from 1906 through 1909.
Power is from a 3.3-liter inline-four that was rated at about 15 horsepower. Not many of these survive, despite Wolseley being a dominant force in the U.K. car market around this time (interestingly enough, another auction house has another Wolseley-Siddeley in their catalog for not long after this car crosses the block). It’s been in the same family since 1956 and now has an estimate of $54,000-$68,000. More info can be found here.
Update: Sold, but the auction house won’t tell us for how much.
Offered by Mecum | Harrisburg, Pennsylvania | July 26-29, 2023
Photo – Mecum
Tourist is a rare example of a California-based car company and was a product of the generically named Auto Vehicle Company of Los Angeles. It existed from 1902 to 1910. When the funding ran out, the Auto Vehicle Company reverted to being a dealership for Firestone-Columbus, Warren-Detroit, and Columbus Electric cars, while their factory and tooling was sold off to make the Beardsley electric car.
A range of models were offered by Tourist, including trucks. In 1906, when the company was making about 500 cars a year, they offered the Model K and the four-cylinder Model M, both in five-passenger touring car form only. The Model K is powered by a 3.2-liter flat-twin making about 20 horsepower.
This restored example was part of a collection and is one of but a few of Tourist cars remaining. You can read more about it here.
Offered by Osenat | Fontainebleau, France | July 18, 2022
Photo – Osenat
Constructions d’Automobiles Dexter was founded by Auguste Faure as a spinoff of his Lyon-based bicycle company that dated back to the turn of the century. Dexter cars were produced from 1906 through 1909. And right up front, Faure wanted to prove his cars’ worth by taking them racing.
All of the cars he built – which was not many – had big powerful engines, and most of them were competition examples. This particular car is a reconstruction of a period racing car, one of two of its kind built. It’s powered by a 6.5-liter inline-four, with each cylinder in its own block, that was good for 120 horsepower. Most of the company’s other cars made at least 100 horsepower.
Dexters came with four-speed transmissions and dual carburetors in 1906. Uncommon stuff for the day. This chain-driven racing car means business and completely looks the part. It’s got an estimate of $125,000-$155,000. Click here for more info.
Offered by Bonhams | London, U.K. | November 5, 2021
Photo – Bonhams
Star was one of Britain’s largest automobile manufacturers prior to WWI. In 1905 they decided to produce a less expensive, entry-level car, and they called it the Starling. The Starling featured chain drive and a De Dion engine.
The shaft-driven version of the Starling, which was sold from 1906 through 1908, was called the Stuart. Both the Starling and Stuart were under the control of the Star Cycle Company, which became Briton in 1909. This Stuart is powered by a 1.4-liter inline-twin rated at seven horsepower.
Both two- and four-seater bodies were offered on the Stuart, while the Starling was two-seater only. This one has ownership history back to the late 1940s and is said to cruise at 28 mph. It should sell for between $21,000-$34,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.
Alvaro Krotz founded the Krotz Manufacturing Company in Springfield, Ohio, in 1903. The company built electric cars under the Krotz Electric brand until the following year. After that venture failed, Krotz relocated to Chicago, where he apparently built this prototype high-wheeler. The story is that he showed it to Sears, who eventually went on to build similar cars. Krotz was also credited with designing the Sears to some degree, but he was gone before production started.
Krotz returned to Ohio, where the Krotz Gas-Electric hybrid was produced in small numbers by the Krotz-Defiance Auto Buggy Company. It would appear that the car above is the only surviving Krotz automobile, and it wasn’t built by either of his to automotive concerns.
The engine is a flat-twin, apparently a Panhard design of unknown displacement or origin. The car has a friction-disc transmission and was restored by its late owner. A note in the photo gallery says that the car can do 50 mph. 50! In this thing. If you’re a big Sears collector (the one or two of you out there) this is sort of a must-have. At any rate, the auction ends tomorrow. Click here for more info.
Offered by Bring a Trailer Auctions | Online | March 2021
Photo – Bring a Trailer Auctions
Elwood Haynes and the Apperson brothers (Elmer and Edgar) were American automotive pioneers. In 1894, they built one of the country’s first gasoline-powered automobiles. Four years later, they were selling cars to the public under the Haynes-Apperson brand. But it wouldn’t last long, as it appears Haynes wasn’t all that easy to get along with (he would later take credit for building America’s first car… by himself).
The Appersons started their own company, and Haynes soldiered on with the hyphenated marque for about two years until he dropped the Apperson name in 1904. Cars built thereafter were just known as Haynes, making this 1906 Model O a very early example of the marque, which lasted through 1925.
The Model O was only sold in 1906 and was offered as a touring car or a runabout. It’s powered by a 4.6-liter inline-four rated at 30 horsepower. This particular car has been in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum collection since 1968, having been restored about a decade earlier. It comes with its “winter body” – a closed coupe sort of thing to keep the weather out when it was cold. The bidding is off to a strong start, and the auction is slated to end tomorrow. Click here for more info.
Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Hershey, Pennsylvania | October 10-11, 2019
1906 White Model F Touring
Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
Thomas White‘s sewing machine business gave way to steam cars in 1900. The company was a pioneer in their field, but they ultimately saw the light and phased out steam cars in favor of gas-powered vehicles in 1912.
This 1906 Model F Touring was the second-cheapest car White offered in 1906 after the Model F Runabout. At $2,800, it wasn’t cheap. But the White was one of the more popular – and more well-built – steam cars of their day. This one looks great but would look better with a convertible top. It should bring between $40,000-$60,000. Click here for more info.
Update: Sold $96,250.
1917 Chandler Type 17 Seven-Passenger Touring
Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
Frederic Chandler worked for Lozier before he jumped ship in 1913 with a few of his fellow employees to form his own company. The Chandler was a hit and lasted through 1929, when it was acquired by Hupmobile and quickly phased out.
There were a lot of cars “in the middle” of the American market in the 1910s and 20s. Chandler was one of the better ones in that class. This 1917 model is powered by a 27 horsepower 4.4-liter inline-six. Five body styles were offered, and the seven-passenger touring sold new for $1,395. This time around it should bring between $20,000-$30,000. Click here for more info.
Update: Sold $18,700.
1923 Gardner Model 5 Five-Passenger Sedan
Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
The most interesting thing about this Gardner sedan, to me, is thinking about who purchased it in 1923. No one in 1923 knew that GM, Chrysler, and Ford would still be around 100 years later. But surely someone assumed Gardner would’ve been. After all, it was a well-regarded company from St. Louis that built a fair number of cars. It’s just hard to imagine someone wandering down to their local Gardner dealer and plunking down the cash.
Gardners were built from 1920 through 1931, and the company sort of inched upmarket each year, with their final offerings bordering on luxury cars. Kind of like Chrysler. But back in ’23, they were just another middle-class marque. The Model 5 could be had in a few styles, the sedan selling for $1,365. It kind of looks like a taxi and is powered by a 43 horsepower inline-four. It is expected to bring between $20,000-$30,000. But I bet it goes cheaper than that. Click here for more info.
Update: Sold $13,200.
1930 Marquette Model 35 Five-Passenger Phaeton
Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
GM’s “companion make” philosophy in the 1920s and 1930s gave us Pontiac and LaSalle. Both of which were relatively successful. In fact, Pontiac was so successful that GM killed off the brand that spawned it, Oakland. So they figured they’d give Buick a companion. And they did: Marquette.
It only lasted for a single model year. Six models were offered, all priced right at about $1,000. All Marquettes are powered by a 3.5-liter inline-six good for 67 horsepower. The Model 35 Phaeton sold for $1,020, and this is one of 889 such cars built.
In all, Marquette production totaled 35,007 before GM killed it off. This rare survivor should bring between $15,000-$25,000, which seems like a steal. Click here for more info.
Update: Sold $15,950.
1933 Terraplane Deluxe Six Model KU Sedan
Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
I was excited to feature an Essex. But I forgot that Hudson killed off the Essex marque in favor of Terraplane beginning in 1933. So instead of featuring a final-year example from Essex, we’re featuring a launch-year example of the Terraplane.
Terraplane offered six and eight-cylinder cars in 1933 that were essentially down-market Hudsons. A slew of body styles were offered, and the sedan cost $655 when new. A 3.2-liter inline-six good for 70 horsepower provided the oomph. This is a handsome car in good colors. It’s well-trimmed, with chrome bumpers and four suicide doors. The best part is it is usable and is expected to fetch only $15,000-$25,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.
Offered by RM Sotheby’s | St. Louis, Missouri | May 4-5, 2019
Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
The Mason, as it so classily says on the radiator surround, was founded by financier Edward Mason and engineer Fred Duesenberg. Yes, that Duesenberg. Based in Des Moines from 1906 through 1910, the company was purchased by Maytag and relocated to Waterloo, Iowa. Yes, that Maytag. The Duesenberg brothers left for Indiana in 1913, and Mason closed in 1914.
From 1906 through 1908, Mason only offered two cars – a touring and a runabout. Both were powered by the same Fred Duesenberg-designed 3.2-liter twin-cylinder engine that made 24 horsepower. Mason cars had a reputation for excellent engineering. This one has white tires. Score!
This is one of about 25 cars built by Mason in 1906, their first year of manufacture. Previously of the Harrah collection, the car was restored long ago. It has five owners since new, and you can be the sixth. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.
Offered by Bonhams | Amelia Island, Florida | March 7, 2019
Photo – Bonhams
Once upon a time, there was a car called the Toledo, and it produced between 1901 and 1903, in… well, Toledo, Ohio. They sold both steam and gasoline-powered cars. In 1904, Albert Pope bought the factory, and the cars became known as the Pope-Toledo, though they were gasoline-only. Of all of his different brands, these were the best cars that Pope built. His flagship marque, if you will.
1904 was the first year for Pope-Toledo production and two models were offered: a twin and a four-cylinder. This is a nice example of the latter and would’ve cost $3,500 when new. It is powered by a 24 horsepower, 3.4-liter inline-four.
It looks to be a great example – and it’s wearing white tires! It should sell for between $150,000-$220,000. Click here for more info.
Update: Sold $134,400.
Update: Sold, Bonhams Philadelphia 2019, $100,800.
1906 Pope-Toledo Model XII Roi-des-Belges Touring
Offered by Bonhams | Amelia Island, Florida | March 7, 2019
Photo – Bonhams
Here’s another great, large Pope-Toledo. The company’s 1906 model range consisted of three models, with the Type XII being the most expensive, largest, and most powerful. A few body styles were offered and this car carries a five-passenger Roi-des-Belges touring car body. The whole package would’ve come out to about $5,000 when new.
Power is from a 5.8-liter inline-four good for 35/40 horsepower. Pope-Toledo only lasted through 1909, and they aren’t too common today. This one has known history back to the 1950s and should bring between $280,000-$350,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Bonhams.
Offered by Bonhams | Amelia Island, Florida | March 7, 2019
Photo – Bonhams
Here’s another great, large Pope-Toledo. The company’s 1906 model range consisted of three models, with the Type XII being the most expensive, largest, and most powerful. A few body styles were offered and this car carries a five-passenger Roi-des-Belges touring car body. The whole package would’ve come out to about $5,000 when new.
Power is from a 5.8-liter inline-four good for 35/40 horsepower. Pope-Toledo only lasted through 1909, and they aren’t too common today. This one has known history back to the 1950s and should bring between $280,000-$350,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Bonhams.
