Tag Archives: 1910

1910 Hotchkiss Roi-des-Belges

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1910 Hotchkiss Type X6 Series 1 20/30HP Roi-des-Belges Tourer

Offered by Bonhams | Oxford, U.K. | June 20, 2015

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

This is an ornate machine. Look at that long barrel of an engine compartment and the extra long wheelbase (there is virtually no overhang on either end). It’s a classy automobile, that’s for sure.

Hotchkiss was founded in the 1860s by an American in Paris (or thereabouts) and the company lasted for nearly 100 years. Automobile building ended in the 1950s after over 50 years of production. This Type X6 an early example and it is proof that Hotchkiss built big, expensive cars. The engine is a 4.8-liter straight-six making 20/30 horsepower.

This car was saved from a scrapyard in Australia int he 1950s and the restoration you see here wasn’t completed until 1995. It’s a big, powerful Edwardian touring car – and it’s rare too. Only 27 Type X6s were built in 1910 (with an additional 51 being completed before the end of the model in 1912). Only two are thought to survive. It should bring between $120,000-$150,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $144,286.

1910 Chalmers-Detroit

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1910 Chalmers-Detroit Model K ’30’ Touring

Offered by Bonhams | Greenwich, Connecticut | May 31, 2015

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Ready for a history lesson? Erwin Ross Thomas had his hand in the automobile industry almost from the beginning. In 1900 he founded two companies: Auto-Bi (which sold motorized bicycles) and the Buffalo Automobile Company, which built cars (they were pretty much the same company but made different products). Buffalo only built cars through 1902 before Thomas re-named the company after himself and got pretty famous with his Thomas Flyer.

That’s Part I. Part II involves two former Oldsmobile workers on a train in 1906 who had just failed to secure funding for a new venture. When they met Thomas in the dining car, he bankrolled a new company in Detroit, called Thomas-Detroit. It only took two years of the former-Olds employees to tire of Thomas’ manage-from-New York-even-though-the-company-is-in-Detroit style and they convinced Hugh Chalmers, vice president of the National Cash Register Company, to buy out Thomas. So the Thomas-Detroit became the Chalmers-Detroit in 1908. In 1911, the Detroit suffix was dropped and Chalmers soldiered on until they merged with Maxwell in 1922 and ceased production in 1923. Then Maxwell become Chrysler. And here we are today. Ta-da!

Anyway, this beautiful old touring car is powered by a 30 horsepower 3.7-liter straight-four. The Model K ’30’ was the first car designed under the new ownership and they were expensive. Chalmers-Detroit-branded cars were only sold for three model years, making this car rarer than later Chalmers cars. It has been fabulously restored and is gorgeous. It should sell for between $75,000-$90,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $69,300.

Parry Touring

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1910 Parry Model 40 Touring

Offered by Mecum | Houston, Texas | April 9-11, 2015

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

The Parry Auto Company was an Indianapolis-based manufacturer founded by David M. Parry in 1909. David Parry formerly owned Overland before selling it to Willys. Parry-branded automobiles were only available for the 1910 model year, and for 1911 and 1912 they were sold as “New Parry”s.

This is the larger of two models offered for 1910. It uses a 40 horsepower straight-four and features bodywork that is very nice if not somewhat standard for the era. Only 900 Parrys were sold in 1910, making this car very rare.

The company collapsed in 1912 as it was under-funded and operating at a loss (having spent most of their capital on advertising). David Parry died in 1915 but two of his brothers would go on to built the Comet cyclecar. You can see more about this car here and more from Mecum in Houston here.

Update: Sold $50,000.

1910 Kissel Kar

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1910 Kissel Kar Model D-10 50HP 5-Passenger Touring

Offered by Bonhams | Carmel, California | August 15, 2014

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Kissel is well known among automotive enthusiasts for their Roaring-20s Gold Bug Speedster sports car. But before that, they actually produced cars under the Kissel Kar marque (the “Kar” was dropped for 1919, the debut year for the Gold Bug).

Throughout its existence, Kissel was known for high-quality automobiles and this 1910 Model D-10 was no exception. Priced as the second-cheapest of four models offered that year, the D-10 features a 50 horsepower 8.7-liter straight-four.

This car uses the 5-Passenger Touring body and has been used regularly for years. So if you’re in the market for a rare, usable, and interesting old car, here you go. It is said that this car can cruise at highway speeds. Only a few hundred Kissels are known to exist, and this is likely one of the earlier models. It can be yours for between $60,000-$90,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Bonhams.

Update: Sold $140,800.

Karrier Flatbed

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1910 Karrier A60 Flatbed

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

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

The Karrier marque was around for a long time – from 1908 through the 1970s. Peugeot owns the trade name today, although it is dormant. This early delivery truck version of the model A60 was from 1910. The model was new for 1909, but only 15 were made that year.

The engine is a 5.7-liter straight-four driving the rear wheels with dual chain drive. This is one of the first commercial vehicles ever “collected” in the U.K. and has passed between collectors since 1954. It was a workhorse in its day, though. Only 46 examples were built in 1910, making this insanely rare. It should sell for between $30,000-$37,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $46,815.

More Awesome Classic Commercial Vehicles

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The Michael Banfield Collection

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

 1922 AEC S-Type Open Top Double Deck Bus

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

AEC is known as the double-decker bus company. Their Routemaster double-decker is one of the most famous of the type. But their double-deckers go back to before WWI. The S-Type was built between 1920 and 1927, with 849 (double-deckers) built for the London General Omnibus Company – for which this example was built.

The engine is a 35 horsepower 5.1-liter straight-four and it is said that this was as good as public transport got in London back in the day. It can transport up to 54 people – 26 inside and 28 up top in the weather.

This is thought to be one of only two S-Type double-deckers in existence. And it had a really cool story, which you can read more of here. The price? $130,000-$150,000.

Update: Sold $477,481.

1914 Hallford WD

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

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Stoddard-Dayton Model 10K

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1910 Stoddard-Dayton Model 10K Baby Tonneau

Offered by Bonhams | Greenwich, Connecticut | June 1, 2014

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Stoddard-Dayton was a short-lived marque, but man did they build some awesome cars. John and Charles Stoddard (father and son) built their first cars in 1905 in Dayton, Ohio. Their cars were big, reliable and luxurious machines that made a lot of power for their day – 70 horsepower in 1912 was a lot.

But this was a Model 10K, which was built in 1910 only. The engine is a 5.8-liter straight-four making 50 horsepower (still a lot). It was offered in four different body styles on two different wheelbases. This Baby Tonneau resembles a larger, sporty Mercer (or some similar car) of the day, but with room for four or five. It was the largest car on the shorter of the two wheelbases.

The restoration here is decades old but has been in the same collection for many years. As far as old cars go, few could possibly be more fun to drive than a powerful Stoddard-Dayton. This one will cost you between $195,000-$235,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Bonhams.

Update: Sold $170,500.

Locomobile Model 40

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1910 Locomobile Model 40 Type I Demi Tonneau

Offered by Mecum | Houston, Texas | April 12, 2014

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

For 1909, Locomobile – who was one of the great, early American automobile manufacturers – switched their model naming convention away from letters and to power ratings. In 1909 they offered the Model 30 and the Model 40. The 1910 lineup was unchanged.

This was the most powerful Locomobile you could buy in 1910. The engine is a 40 horsepower straight-four. The body style is the four-passenger Demi (or Baby) Tonneau convertible. It would be easy for someone to mistake this for a Model T – but I assure you it is much, much nicer. And infinitely rarer and more expensive.

Mecum has offered this car previously with a pre-sale estimate of $500,00-$750,000. Obviously, as it is for sale again, it failed to reach that lofty number. 1910 was the final year for the two-year Model 40 before it was replaced by the more well-known Model 48. You can read more about this car here and see more from Mecum here.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $450,000.

Update: Not sold, Mecum Monterey 2014, high bid of $375,000.

Update: Not sold, Mecum Dallas 2014.

Update: Not sold, Mecum Indy 2016, high bid of $370,000.

Update: Not sold, Mecum Monterey 2016, high bid of $400,000.

Update: Not sold, Mecum Monterey 2018, high bid of $370,000.

Update: Not sold, Bonhams Amelia Island 2023.

1910 Simplex

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1910 Simplex 50HP Toy Tonneau by Holbrook

Offered by Bonhams | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 16, 2014

1910 Simplex 50HP Toy Tonneau

Simplex is a name that was used a lot in the early days of motoring. There were numerous companies with similar sounding names – and why not, the Simplex you see here was one of the standards of the world. Why not try to get someone confused and end up buying your off-brand Simplex instead?

Simplex began life as Smith & Mabley in New York – importing European cars for sale. Then they tried building their own car based on the Mercedes-Simplex – which didn’t work either. 1907 brought a change at the top of the company and a new model was designed. It was still similar to the Mercedes-Simplex, but had a bigger engine. This car uses a monstrous 9.8-liter T-head straight-four making 50 horsepower. It features dual-chain drive which is a sight to behold if you’ve never seen a car like this in action.

Simplex was one of the very top cars ever built. They had power, luxury, comfort, and speed all wrapped into one expensive package (about $6,000 in 1910). This car apparently has known ownership history from new and has been owned by some major collectors. Bonhams calls it “the definitive” Simplex. It’s certainly impressive. Only about 250 of these were built and this one should bring a big $1,000,000-$1,250,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Bonhams.

Update: Did not sell.

Briton Tourer

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1910 Briton 10hp Tourer

Offered by H&H Auctions | Duxford, U.K. | October 16, 2013

1910 Briton 10hp Tourer

First off, apologies for the grainy photograph that was apparently taken with a circa 2002 cellphone… in a rainstorm. I can’t do anything about it (and likely, neither could the auction house) – but it doesn’t change the fact that this is an interesting car.

The Briton Motor Co. Ltd. was actually founded in 1908 as the Star Cycle Co. Ltd. of Wolverhampton. Star built a car called the Starling but when that venture proved unsuccessful, Star moved to a new facility, hired a new manager, and rebranded.

The cars were affordable and of good quality. The first model (such as the car featured) featured a twin-cylinder engine making 10 horsepower. There was a four-cylinder variant as well, but this 10hp model was much more popular. Briton survived until going out of business near the end of 1928.

This car is described as “very usable,” having just underwent a fair amount of reconditioning. It is expected to sell for between $40,500-$48,500. Click here for more info and here for more from H&H’s sale.

Update: Failed to sell.