Wilcox 1.5-Ton Truck

1925 Wilcox 1.5-Ton Delivery

Offered by The Vault | Online | October 1-14, 2020

Photo – The Vault

The HE Wilcox Motor Car Company was founded in Minneapolis in 1906, and they started producing passenger cars the next year under the Wolfe brand. They changed the brand name to Wilcox in 1909, and in the following year came commercial vehicles.

It must’ve been a successful endeavor because they stopped producing passenger vehicles in 1910 as well. In 1921, the company name was changed to Wilcox Trux, which strikes me as very forward-thinking looking through the lens of today’s world of slang-influenced company names. Production continued until 1928.

Not much is known about this truck, but the auction catalog states that it may be the only such example extant (though there are other Wilcox trucks in existence). And there are Wolfe automobiles around too. This truck is selling at no reserve, and you can find out more about it here. Click here for more from this sale.

Grant Touring

1918 Grant Model G Touring

Offered by The Vault | Online | October 1-14, 2020

Photo – The Vault

Grant was founded by brothers George and Charles Grant in Detroit in 1913. The company then moved to Findlay, Ohio, for three years until 1916, when they relocated again to Cleveland. When they launched, they were a cyclecar producer, but as that fad subsided, Grant introduced six-cylinder cars and sales took off. Unfortunately, they began stockpiling for this newfound success, right when the post-WWI economy tanked.

Grant was stuck with a huge inventory and no one to buy anything. They closed in 1922, although a few commercial vehicles puttered out for a brief time thereafter. This Model G is from 1918 and is powered by a 22-horsepower inline-six. Four body styles were offered by the factory for the G, which was again available in 1919.

This particular example was owned by the same family from 1946 until 2011, when it was purchased by the current collection. Grants aren’t too common today, and this one will sell at no reserve. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Meteor Yellowstone Tourer

1927 Meteor Yellowstone Tourer

Offered by The Vault | Online | October 1-14, 2020

Photo – The Vault

Maurice Wolfe had already been floating around the automotive world for some time by 1912, when he purchased the Clark Motor Car Company of Shelbyville, Indiana, and moved it to Piqua, Ohio, where he would change the name to the Meteor Motor Car Company in 1915. Two six-cylinder models were offered in 1915, and a V-12 touring car was advertised in 1916.

From 1917 through 1930, Meteor offered “Custom Pleasure Cars” on demand. The only “production” vehicles they made at that time were ambulances and funeral cars. And, for a hot second in 1927, they built 27 examples of this Yellowstone National Park touring… bus? Car? They were built at the request of the U.S. government.

It’s powered by an inline-four and features an oak rear bumper and replacement wood seats. Meteor eventually segued entirely into the coachbuilding business in the early 1930s. They were purchased by the Wayne bus company in 1954 and were then rebranded as Miller-Meteor. The brand was shuttered in 1979. On a brighter note, this car will sell at no reserve. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Little Four

1912 Little Four Roadster

Offered by The Vault | Online | October 1-14, 2020

Photo – The Vault

The Little Motor Car Company was founded by William Little and Billy Durant after Durant was forced out of GM. He went out and bought the Flint Wagon Works and set up Little and another marque, Mason. The company launched in 1911, and in 1912 Durant set up Republic Motors as Little’s corporate parent.

Republic also controlled the newly-formed Chevrolet, and some early Chevys were just re-badged Littles. Eventually, the Little plant starting building Chevrolets, which were more or less identical. Because the Chevrolet name was more marketable, Little was shut down by the end of 1913.

This four-cylinder roadster was built in 1912 and made 30 horsepower. It wears an older restoration, and it’s one of about 3,500 Littles produced. It is selling at no reserve. More info is available here, and more from this sale can be viewed here.

Marble-Swift

1903 Marble-Swift Model C

Offered by The Vault | Online | October 1-14, 2020

Photo – The Vault

The Marble-Swift Automobile Company of Chicago, Illinois, was around for a short time: from 1903 through 1905. It was founded by George W. Marble and George P. Swift. They offered a two-cylinder runabout for the first two years and sold a four-cylinder touring car in 1905.

This car is powered by an inline-three, which is weird because they never advertised such a car. The online lot description notes that it was probably a prototype, but really anything is possible. It could’ve been assembled from random parts in the 1950s. Who knows. Marble-Swift’s big innovation was a gearless twin-disc friction transmission.

Little is known about this particular car, but it’s selling at no reserve out of this collection. The “Model C” portion also seems to have been made up (as if the twin and four-cylinder cars were models A and B respectively). At any rate, it’s a very interesting, 117-year-old car. Click here for more info.