Flanders Touring

1912 Flanders Model 20 Touring

Offered by Auctions America | Auburn, Indiana | May 7, 2016

Photo - Auctions America

Photo – Auctions America

Walter Flanders was one third of the automobile company E-M-F (along with Bernard Everitt and William Metzger). Studebaker acquired E-M-F in 1910 (and phased it out in 1913). So Flanders set up shop producing a car under his name. This too was part of Studebaker and it was gone after 1912.

Interestingly enough, Flanders started another company after this one. It lasted only a brief time because Flanders himself went to help Benjamin Briscoe and his United States Motor Company. Walter Flanders started killing off weak brands (including Flanders). Only Maxwell survived that fiasco.

This is a 1912 Model 20 (the final year for the model and marque). It is powered by a 20 horsepower straight-four. The Touring model cost $800 when new and 31,512 Model 20 cars were built over three years. This one presents nicely and should bring between $20,000-$30,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: $6,600.

1909 Staver

1909 Staver Model ER Roadster

Offered by RM Auctions | Hershey, Pennsylvania | October 9, 2014

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

The Staver Carriage Company was founded in Chicago in 1907. They started by building highwheelers – and theirs were one of the largest and priciest around. In 1909, they started building more traditional four-cylinder cars. And the one you see here is the oldest known in existence.

The engine is a 3.3-liter straight-four making 25 horsepower. Staver only built one model for 1909, and this is the best example there is. Staver only lasted until 1914 before they went under. This car was purchased around 1930 by the Waukesha Motor Company in Wisconsin (they were the company that built the engine for it, and it has one of the earliest Waukesha engines known).

The company kindly gifted it to their President in 1935 and it bounced between a few company employees until the current owner acquired it in 1975. It is one of only five Stavers that are known to survive with a four-cylinder engine and it is the oldest of those. Only one highwheeler is known to be older. This car can be yours for between $50,000-$75,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $132,000.

A Tiny Hupmobile

1909 Hupmobile Model 20 Two-Passenger Runabout

Offered by Worldwide Auctioneers | Houston, Texas | May 3, 2014

Photo - Worldwide Auctioneers

Photo – Worldwide Auctioneers

Hupmobile was an American automobile marque produced by the Hupp Motor Company in Detroit from 1909 through 1940. That means the car you see here is from their first year of manufacture.

As you can see, this car is very light and very small. It covered the essentials of motoring in 1909 but today it’s cute and would make a great little car to putt around town in. The engine is a 16.9 horsepower 2.0-liter straight-four. I’m guessing the “20” in Model 20 comes from the displacement. This thing cost $750 when new and about 1,600 were built in 1909 alone. More body styles would be added the following year and the Model 20 would last until 1915.

This car has been restored to a condition that is about as fantastic as you will find a launch-year Hupmobile. It is well-equipped and is described as running and driving very well. It should sell for between $60,000-$80,000. And boy do I love the white tires with the white body! Read more here and see more from Worldwide’s Houston Classic here.

Update: Sold $66,000.