Tag Archives: 1912

Lancia Epsilon

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1912 Lancia Epsilon Victoria by Quinby

Offered by Gooding & Company | London, U.K. | September 3, 2022

Photo – Gooding & Company

Lancia followed a pretty straightforward naming convention in its early years. They started with the “Alfa” and followed the Greek alphabet straight down to Epsilon for their fifth model (not counting the Dialfa).

The Epsilon was offered in 1911 and 1912, and just 357 were made. They were likely not cheap, either. This one was imported to the U.S. when new and bodied locally by J.M. Quinby. Power is from a 4.1-liter inline-four that was rated at 60 horsepower. Three wheelbases were offered, with different body styles for each. A lot of options for such low production.

This car has been on static museum duty for some time and is not currently running. Despite this, the Epsilon was such a solid, well-built car for its day that it remains sought after today. The estimate is $150,000-$215,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold.

1912 Case Touring

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1912 Case Model M Fore-Door Touring

Offered by Mecum | Frankfort, Illinois | October 1, 2022

Photo – Mecum

Case is mostly known as a producer of agricultural equipment, which is what the J.I. Case Threshing Machine Company was founded to do in 1871. It’s also what the company was focusing on in 1999 when Case ceased being an independent entity. The brand lives on as a manufacturer of construction equipment (Case CE) and tractors (Case IH, as part of International Harvester).

Automobile production came in 1911 and lasted through 1927. Two models were offered in their second year: the Model L and Model M, with the latter being what is shown here. It is powered by an inline-four rated at 40 horsepower. Three factory body styles were offered, including this “Fore-Door” five-passenger touring car.

It’s thought that Case made about 24,000 cars, with about 100 left. This one is coming out of a museum. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $110,000.

Packard Model 30 Toy Tonneau

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1912 Packard Model 30 Toy Tonneau

Offered by Bonhams | Amelia Island, Florida | March 3, 2022

Photo – Bonhams

The Model 30 was one of the great early Packards, and it was produced from 1907 through 1912. We’ve feature two of them previously, including a touring car. This is a “toy tonneau,” which looks pretty much like a touring car but with a narrower rear passenger compartment. You can see it in the photo above how the body sits inward of the fenders.

The 30 is powered by a 7.1-liter inline-four that was rated at 30 horsepower when new. The body on this one isn’t original, as it was recreated in a Holbrook style approximately 20 years ago. The car, which is believed to have been the final Model 30 chassis completed, initially spent time with the Detroit Fire Department.

Packard sold 1,250 Model 30s in 1912, and this, the last of them now has an estimate of $250,000-$300,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $257,600.

Detroit Motor Wagon

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1912 Detroit Motor Wagon

Offered by Mecum | East Moline, Illinois | March 25, 2022

Photo – Mecum

I am ashamed of this photo, and I didn’t even take it. But there will never be another chance to feature one of these, so here we are. The Motor Wagon Company of Detroit was founded in 1912, and they initially sold light vans and trucks under the Motor Wagon marque before tacking “Detroit” on to the beginning shortly after getting launched.

Production only lasted through 1913. This one is powered by a 1.7-liter flat-twin rated at 16 horsepower. Four-cylinder trucklets were also offered. This one is bodied as the pre-WWI version of a light pickup truck.

It’s got chain drive and wood pretty much everything else. There can’t be many of these left, if any others. You can read more about it here and see more from Mecum here.

Update: Sold $13,200.

Hispano-Suiza Tourer

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1912 Hispano-Suiza 15/20HP Tourer

Offered by Bonhams | Paris, France | February 3, 2022

Photo – Bonhams

We’ve featured our fair share of Hispano-Suiza cars over the years, most of which are of the 1920s-1930s coachbuilt variety. And nearly all of those were Hispano’s high-end luxury offerings with big six- and 12-cylinder engines. But this is slightly different.

Prior to the H6B of 1919, many of the company’s cars were simply given model names to reflect their output (especially pre-1910). The 15/20HP came out in 1910 was produced through 1914. The 2.6-liter inline-four made 20 horsepower.

Pre-1920 Hispano-Suizas are rarely seen, and this Spanish-built example is said to have remained in Spain for most of its life. It has a pre-sale estimate of $68,000-$91,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $73,119.

Alco Tourer

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1912 Alco 40HP Tourer

Offered by Bonhams | Newport, Rhode Island | October 1, 2021

Photo – Bonhams

The American Locomotive Company (ALCO) was founded in 1901 when seven smaller companies merged together. Based in Schenectady, New York, the company branched out into automobiles in 1909 and remained in the space through 1913. In that time they built some very high-quality automobiles out of their Providence, Rhode Island, factory. Walter Chrysler was the plant manager. Early cars were French Berliets produced under license.

Early on, Alco boasted that 19 months were required to churn out a car. The 40HP was produced between 1909 and 1912, and it’s powered by a 454! Well, it is 454 cubic inches – or 7.4 liters – but it’s an inline-four, not a V8. So the engine is, in a word, gigantic. It produced about 60 horsepower.

This example has had two owners since 1966. Alco built about 5,000 cars and lost money on each of them, thus the company’s short existence. This one is expected to bring between $350,000-$450,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $373,500.

Hudson Mile-A-Minute Roadster

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1912 Hudson Model 33 Mile-A-Minute Roadster

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

Photo – Bonhams

The Speedster body style is a popular one that people slapped on old car chassis during restorations that have occurred pretty much since the 1940s. Everyone wanted a Mercer Raceabout, a Stutz Bearcat, or a Marion Bobcat. It’s rare to see such a car that is as it was from the factory.

Hudson’s Model 33 was produced in 1911 and 1912, Hudson’s second and third year of existence. The Mile-A-Minute Roadster was a factory model offered in 1912. The name denotes the car’s ability to reach 60 mph, which was no small feat in 1912. The 3.7-liter inline-four made 33 horsepower.

Only 5,708 Model 33s were built this year, very few of which were in this style. Even fewer survive. This one should sell for between $80,000-$120,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $89,600.

Stutz Bearcat

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1912 Stutz Bearcat

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

Photo – Bonhams

Harry C. Stutz’s Indianapolis-based company produced their first cars in 1911. The following year they cemented their legacy with this, the Bearcat. Stutz continued to use the name on sporty models into the 1930s. But it was this, the original “Bear Cat”, that Stutz is most well-known for.

The 1912 Series A was offered in five body styles, and the Bearcat cost $2,000 when new. Not cheap. It’s got a low-slung frame, minimal bodywork, two seats, and a 60-horsepower, 6.4-liter Wisconsin inline-four. It was the first sports car.

This particular Bearcat is the oldest known Stutz car in existence. It was restored most recently in 2007-2008 and is expected to bring between $650,000-$850,000, which seems like a steal as this is one of America’s all-time great cars. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $643,000.

Lambert Touring

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1912 Lambert Model 66 5-Passenger Touring

Offered by Bring a Trailer Auctions | Online | December 2020

Photo – Bring a Trailer

So the story goes that John Lambert built his first gasoline-powered car in 1891, beating both the Duryea brothers and Elwood Haynes to the punch as having built America’s first gas-powered car. Lambert advertised that car for $500, but never actually sold any. A few years later, he got a visit from Haynes, who informed him that the Haynes would be advertised as “America’s first car.” Not quite true, Mr. Haynes.

Lambert never challenged it, and he didn’t start building cars for commercial sale until 1906. The Lambert Automobile Company was a subsidiary of the Buckeye Manufacturing Company that also owned several automotive suppliers. The company stopped producing cars in 1917.

The Model 66 was only built in 1912 and was available as a four- or five-passenger touring car. This five-passenger variant retailed for $1,500 when new and is powered by a 35-horsepower inline-four. This example was restored within the past 10 years and is now up for auction on BaT. The auction ends Monday. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $23,500.

Update: Sold, Worldwide Auctioneers, 2022 $44,800.

Kissel Semi-Racer

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1912 Kissel Kar Thirty Model C Semi-Racer

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Online | November 11-20, 2020

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Kissel, who still badged their automobiles “Kissel Kars” in 1912 (and would do so through 1918), is most famous for their 1920s sports car, the Gold Bug Speedster. But for a decent amount of time before and after the Gold Bug, they produced a wide variety of other cars.

Kissel Kar’s “Thirty” was sold in 1912 and 1913. Power was from a 30-horsepower inline-four, though the engine’s rating would dip a bit for 1913. The Semi-Racer body style appears to be mostly marketing talk, as this looks like many other convertibles offered around the same time. It was one of four styles offered in 1912, and one of two that would make the jump to ’13.

The example presents fairly well, and the white tires are always a selling point. No pre-sale estimate is available, but you can read more about this car here. The rest of RM’s lineup is available here.

Update: Sold $48,400.