Tag Archives: lozier

Lozier Runabout

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1914 Lozier Model 84 Runabout

Offered by Worldwide Auctioneers | Auburn, Indiana | August 31-September 2, 2023

Photo – Worldwide Auctioneers

Lozier was one of America’s grand marques in the years leading up to the first world war. Many of their cars were very large tourers and even very large two seaters. This car, however, (and it may just be Worldwide’s photos where the car is a mere spec in an expansive background) looks to be about the smallest Lozier one can find.

The Model 84 was offered in 1914. It was powered by a 6.0-liter inline-four that was rated at just under 29 horsepower when new (but actually put out about 56 horsepower). Lozier built four-cylinder cars off and on, but this had the lowest rated output of any Lozier car.

Two body styles were offered: a seven-passenger tourer and a two-seat runabout. Both cost $2,100 when new. I love the bodywork on this car as there is so much extra chassis, as if they needed the spare tire to be mounted horizontally to look like a fifth-wheel hitch. Anyway, read more about this car here.

Update: Sold $81,200.

Lozier Type 72

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1913 Lozier Type 72 Meadowbrook Runabout

Offered by Gooding & Company | Pebble Beach, California | August 18-19, 2023

Photo – Gooding & Company

Henry Lozier founded his namesake automobile company in Plattsburgh, New York, and moved it to Detroit in 1910, five years after selling their first cars. Loziers were among the best cars you could buy in America – and some of the most expensive.

The Type 72 of 1913 was the most powerful the company offered during their 13-year existence. The Type 72 is powered by a 9.1-liter inline-six rated in period at 51.6 horsepower (but actually probably closer to 90). The Meadowbrook Runabout was the sports car among the body style offerings, and very limited quantities of the Type 72 were built in total.

This is the only surviving runabout example with its original (aluminum!) body. It was restored in 1953-’54 and was acquired by its late owner in 1959. It’s a top-rate classic car, and the estimate is $1,000,000-$1,500,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $1,765,000.

Lozier Type 82

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1915 Lozier Type 82 Seven-Passenger Touring

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Online | November 12-19, 2020

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Henry Abrahm Lozier made sewing machines and bicycles before turning to marine engines, and in 1900, automobiles. In its first year of production, 1905, the company made 25 cars. Why so few? Because they cost $4,500 each. That was a fortune in 1905. Most companies that charged huge sums for cars in the early days – or any period, really – never lasted long. Lozier did. Because their cars were fantastic.

Racing success followed, and their model line grew, with their first six-cylinder car appearing in 1909. The Type 82 was produced from 1915 through the end of Lozier production in 1918. This inline-six-powered car was factory rated at 36 horsepower and rode on a 132″ wheelbase. The seven-passenger touring was the only body style offered in 1915 and 1916, and the cost was still an exorbitant $3,250. A basic Cadillac could’ve been had for less than two grand in 1915.

Only about 200 of these were sold in 1915, and this is the only known survivor with its original body, chassis, and engine. You can read more about it here and see more from this sale here.

Update: Sold $110,000.

1914 Lozier Touring

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1914 Lozier Model 77 Five-Passenger Touring

Offered by Bonhams | Greenwich, Connecticut | June 3, 2018

Photo – Bonhams

Henry Lozier made his money in sewing machines and bicycles. In 1900 he moved to Plattsburgh, New York, and decided to get into the automobile business. Unfortunately he died in 1903, but his son, Harry, took over and the first Lozier cars were on the road in 1905. They built some of the most expensive cars in the U.S. at the time.

The Model 77 was built in 1913 and 1914. The 1914 model was Lozier’s “big” car and came equipped with a 6.4-liter straight-six rated at 36 horsepower. Five body styles were offered from the factory and the five-passenger Touring was the cheapest (along with the two-passenger Runabout) at a whopping $3,250. A  Model T Touring from the same year was $550.

This car was once owned by the grandson of Harry Lozier. Restored prior to going on display at the Champlain Valley Transportation Museum in Plattsburgh in 2006, this Lozier Touring is being offered from that museum. Lozier only lasted through 1918 and it’s thought that only 30 Lozier cars survive in total. This one should bring between $300,000-$400,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

1911 Lozier Touring Car

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1911 Lozier Model 51 Seven-Passenger Touring

Offered by RM Auctions | Amelia Island, Florida | March 9, 2013

1911 Lozier Model 51 Seven-Passenger Touring

Lozier built big, expensive cars first in Plattsburgh, New York, and then in Detroit. They didn’t build many but the ones that they did make are majestic. They were some of the most expensive cars available in their day. This one cost a whopping $5,995 in 1911 – about $150 more than the price of the average house.

The engine is a 51 horsepower (hence the model name) 9.1-liter T-head six-cylinder. But it’s no ordinary 1911 car. This car was once in the Henry Ford Museum before being sold to a private collector in 1968. That collector, Ken Pearson, restored the car for the first time – but he upgraded it along the way. He wanted to be able to drive this thing across the country without worrying about reliability – so he rebuilt it “to modern tolerances.”

With only a few thousand Loziers built, they’re certainly rare. Finding one that has been restored to a state like this one is even harder to do. The restoration is older and has had “tens of thousands of miles” put on it since, but shows near-new. A luxury car through and through, this car should sell for between $400,000-$600,000. Click here for more info and here for more from RM at Amelia Island.

Update: Sold $1,100,000.

Update II: Sold, RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2016, $990,000.

2012 Ault Park Concours d’Elegance

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The 2012 Ault Park Concours d’Elegance, held in one of Cincinnati’s most beautiful parks in one of Cincinnati’s most uppity neighborhoods, was held two weekends ago. The show was full of some of the finest cars from around the mid-west. This year’s featured marque was “A Century of American Power.” Classic Car Weekly was in attendance and here are some of our favorites.

Our pick for best in show was this 1929 Stutz Model M Lancefield Supercharged Coupe.  It came out of the Mitchell Collection in Texas and is the only surviving example of the five originally built. The low roof-line and gives this car a truly sporting presence.

One of the other awesome rides was this 1910 Oldsmobile Autocrat Prototype Race Car built for the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup. Old race cars like this are fascinating – they’re as big as trucks and the driver and riding mechanic were just hanging on, completely exposed to the elements in tiny little seats with absolutely no protection whatsoever. Also, don’t forget about the 7.7-liter four-cylinder hanging out front.

Oh, and check out these exhaust, which look like something of a battle tank:

I really enjoyed this 1911 Lozier Briafcliff, as it was gigantic. A gentlemen hanging around it all day tried to convince me that it was worth $40 million. I nodded and smiled but politely declined to tell him he was insane.

This 1968 Bizzarrini 5300 Spyder is one of three 5300 Spyders built. It has a 327 Corvette engine making 350 horsepower and a stunning interior.

One of the most mind-blowing aspects of this show, was that, on either side of the Stutz mentioned above, there was an SJ Duesenberg. Not a bad day when there are multiple SJ Duesenbergs vying for your attention. This one is a 1929 Bohman & Schwartz Disappearing Top Roadster. 320 horsepower and 140 mph in 1929 must have been incredible.

Another exotic was this 1969 Lamborghini Miura S, one of 338 built. Only when standing next to one of these do you realize how impossibly low they sit to the ground. What a wonderful machine.

MG was a featured marque this year. Two cars that really stood out included this brilliant blue 1934 NA Evans-Wilkinson Special, one of three built.

There other super-cool MG was this crazy 1985 Metro 6R4 Group B Rally Car from the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. It was built by Williams F1 for the rally circuit and, yes, crazy is the correct word.

Some other interesting, newer cars include this 1991 BMW Z1, a car you don’t see often, especially in America.

This track-day special (although it was listed as “street-legal”) 2009 Ariel Atom 3 drew a crowd, as you could look around it and see just about every part on/in/within it.

American classics (and muscle cars) were prevalent, with muscle cars being part of the featured “American Power” motif. Easily the most interesting among them was this 1964 Studebaker Commander Super Lark – the only production steel-bodied R-3 package car with the 5.0-liter supercharged V8, which was built for Studebaker by the Granatelli Brothers. It was the fastest compact car in the U.S. when it was built, turning sub-13 second 1/4 miles in excess of 110 mph.

Other fantastic American (or semi-American) classics include this 1957 Dual-Ghia D-500 Convertible. Dual-Ghias are simply beautiful cars and this one in red was no exception.

And finally, this 1964 Buick Riviera looked amazing in Coral Mist, my new favorite automotive color. It has the 425 cubic inch Super Wildcat V8, making 360 horsepower.

And what would any good car show rundown be without a trip through the parking lot, a car show in itself. Some of the more impressive cars I saw included a 2013 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Convertible. It looked mean, and made me wonder why GM hadn’t built these before.

This Mercedes-Benz 190SL Roadster was pretty classic and it looked fun, as it drove past me with four people packed in and on it, having a good time.

This Lamborghini Diablo SV got the attention of the high-school student within me – and plenty of others.

And finally, from the environmentally responsible crowd, this Fisker Karma gathered a lot of interest from onlookers saying things like “What is that?” and “I’ve never seen one of these.” While this car might look like some kind of extended coupe, it is actually a very long car in person – much bigger than you’d think.