Paige Fairfield Touring

1915 Paige Six Fairfield Touring

Offered by Bonhams | Paris, France | February 1, 2024

Photo – Bonhams

Paige Fairfield Touring could be somebody’s name. That’s one thing to love about Paige automobiles – they actually gave their models names, and as early as 1912. Not something that was very common. Paige-Detroit came into being when Henry Jewett bought into Fred Paige’s car company, only to realize that the Paige-Detroit was garbage. He forced Fred out and changed the name to just Paige before beginning production on a better car of 1911.

Paige soldiered on until 1927 when Jewett sold the company to Graham Brothers. Paige sold 7,749 cars in 1915, their first year for six-cylinder cars (which is all they would produce thereafter). The 1915 Six is powered by a 29.4-horspeower inline-six, and three body styles were offered on that chassis.

This car moved to its current Belgian collection in 1981 and was restored there about five years later. Paige marketed their vehicles as “the most beautiful cars in America” – and while a stretch, this certainly is a handsome machine. $1,395 when new, it now has an estimate of $32,000-$43,000. More can be found here.

Two Cars in Hershey

1914 Jeffrey Six Model 96 Five-Passenger Touring

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Hershey, Pennsylvania | October 10-11, 2019

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The Jeffrey was kind of an important marque. It was founded by Thomas B. Jeffrey and his son Charles. They started by building the Rambler, but after Thomas died, Charles changed the name to Jeffrey. In 1917, the company was sold to Charles Nash (after Charles survived the Lusitania sinking), and the name changed again. Nash eventually merged into AMC, which is now part of Chrysler… which is now part of Fiat. So this is just like an old Fiat.

Jeffrey cars were only sold between 1914 and 1917. Three models were offered in 1914 and the Six was the largest. It is powered by a 48 horsepower inline-six. Over 10,000 Jeffreys were sold in 1914, and this one should bring between $30,000-$50,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $52,250.


1909 Enger Model B High-Wheel Runabout

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Hershey, Pennsylvania | October 10-11, 2019

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Frank J. Enger set up shop in Cincinnati in 1909 to build high-wheelers. More traditional touring cars followed in 1910, but the company folded in 1917 after Frank’s suicide in his office. This high-wheeler is from the first year of production.

The Enger high-wheeler was actually a normal car but with big wheels. It’s pretty much the original donk. Three models were offered that year, and the Model B was the least expensive at $1,600. It’s powered by a 14 horsepower flat-twin. This one should bring between $15,000-$25,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale. Also, I really want this car.

Update: Sold $45,100.

Roamer Roadster

1916 Roamer Six Roadster

Offered by Osenat | Obenheim, France | May 1, 2017

Photo – Osenat

Roamer has an interesting backstory. The New York distributor of the Rauch & Lang electric car (Cloyd Kenworthy) wanted a gasoline car to sell because electrics weren’t as popular as they had once been. He teamed up with a designer (Karl Martin) and Albert Barley, the owner of the Halladay marque. They called their new car “Roamer,” named after a popular race horse. On a related note, “Seabiscuit” is not a great name for a car.

Roamers went on sale in 1916 – making this a launch-year model (though I can’t find a record of a two-door Roadster being available that year). It’s powered by a 23 horsepower, 5.0-liter Continental straight-six. It’s looks are sportier than its actual performance. Some people referred to them as the “Poor Man’s Rolls-Royce.” They certainly looked the part, but were just a lot cheaper. I like Roamers – they are very Gatsby-esque.

This car has done a lot of travelling, as it was delivered new to Australia, later imported to Uruguay, and then to Italy. Not to mention it was built in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The final Roamers were sold in 1930 and they aren’t particularly well-remembered today, though their designs have held up well. This one should bring between $58,000-$80,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold.

Elgin Six

1916 Elgin Six Touring

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

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

A few executives of the Elgin National Watch Company of Argo, Illinois, decided that they were going into the automobile business in 1916. The leap was a rational one: watches required precision and engineering. So did cars.

This car is from the first year of manufacture. The only model Elgin produced in 1916 was the Six. It was available as a Tourer and Roadster. The engine, a 2.0-liter straight-six, makes 21 horsepower.

Elgin would only produce six-cylinder cars until the business went under in 1924. This is one of only eight 1916 Elgins known to exist. These were reliable, durable cars – obviously, as this is an unrestored survivor. It should bring between $20,000-$30,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $17,600.

Liberty Touring

1922 Liberty Six Model 10-D Special Touring

Offered by RM Auctions | Hershey, Pennsylvania | October 10-11, 2013

1922 Liberty Six Model 10-D Special Touring

The Liberty Motor Car Company was founded in 1916 by Percy Owens – who had been a sales manager at two other automobile companies. The company built a lone six-cylinder model throughout its entire existence – which lasted until it went under and was bought out by Columbia in 1923.

The Model 10-D was the final version of the Liberty Six. Introduced in 1921, it used a 56 horsepower version of the 3.4-liter straight-six. This Special Touring model is one of 10 Libertys known to exist. It was once owned by Bill Harrah and was sold off from his collection in 1986. It is currently being offered from the estate of John O’Quinn.

Pre-sale estimates have not been published as of this writing, but this car should bring between $30,000-$50,000. Edit: RM just posted them and I just missed it – the actual estimate is $40,000-$60,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $19,250.

1913 Alco Touring Car

1913 Alco Six Model H Five-Passenger Touring

Offered by RM Auctions, Boca Raton, Florida, February 24-25, 2012

The American Locomotive Company was formed in 1901 as the result of a merger between eight smaller locomotive manufacturers. This made Alco the second-largest steam locomotive producer in the United States.

In 1906 the company began producing Berliet automobiles under license (as American Berliet). This license agreement was trashed in 1908 in favor building their own cars. Alco cars won the Vanderbilt Cup in 1909 and 1910 and competed in the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911. Alco was also the first automobile company at which man named Walter P. Chrysler worked before he left in 1911 to join Buick.

In 1913 Alco shifted their focus back to locomotives (they had lost an average of over $450 on every car sold since 1906), producing their last steam locomotive in 1948 and final diesel locomotive in 1969.

The car seen here is a six-cylinder Model H from the final year of production. It is believed that this car was featured on the Alco stand at the 1913 New York Auto Show. It has 60 horsepower and after the completion of restoration in the mid-1990s, the car was “mechanically updated” in order to take place in brass-era tours. So it’s a driver.

Only six of these cars are known to exist and this one is a glorious example. There is something undeniably stately and imposing about large brass-era touring cars. The estimate on this car is $400,000-$600,000 and is offered from the Milhous Collection. For the complete catalog description, click here and to see all of the other interesting things available at this sale, click here.

Update: Sold $506,000.