Tag Archives: tourer

Th. Schneider Tourer

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1921 Th. Schneider 4.5-Litre Tourer by Domain

Offered by RM Auctions | Paris, France | February 5, 2013

1921 Th. Schneider 4.5-Litre Tourer by Domain

Rochet-Schneider was one of the earlier French automobile manufacturers, setting up shop in 1894. One of the co-founders, Theophile Schneider, left the company in 1910 and started building cars under his own, abbreviated, name.

The 4.5-litre model used a – you guessed it – 4.5-liter straight-six. It was the biggest car the company made and they were powerful and fast cars. This one is all-original and was one of three six-cylinder Th. Schneiders imported new into Australia. The engine was rebuilt in 2012, but this is believed to be the only running six-cylinder Th. Schneider with its original body – which was constructed on this chassis by a coachbuilder in Melbourne in 1921.

Th. Schneider stopped production in 1929, with cars selling on through 1931. In 1932, Rochet-Schneider also closed its doors. These cars are quite rare and to find one in this good of original condition is practically impossible. It should sell for between $135,000-$205,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of RM’s Paris lineup.

Update: Sold $82,464.

Sunbeam Tourer

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1919 Sunbeam 16/40 Tourer

Offered by Bonhams | Oxford, U.K. | December 9, 2013

1919 Sunbeam 16HP Tourer

Sunbeam is one of the oldest names in automobiles. Of course, they aren’t around anymore, but the company did date back to 1888, when it was founded as a bicycle manufacturer by John Marston. In 1902, the first cars appeared, under the Sunbeam-Mabley marque, and 1905 brought Sunbeam as a standalone make.

In 1919, the company merged with Talbot and Darracq. That didn’t go so well, and in 1935 the trio became part of the Rootes Group. The final Sunbeam-branded cars rolled off the assembly lines in 1978 and the name continued on as a Talbot model into the 1980s.

The Sunbeam 16/40 was re-introduced in 1919 after WWI ended. It was a slightly updated version of the pre-war 16/20 that dated to 1912. It uses a 3.0-liter straight-four making 40 horsepower.

This Sunbeam is the oldest-known example of the marque backdated to the end of the Great War (in other words, one of the earliest cars made after the armistice). It was parked sometime around 1928 and entered the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu in 1957. It spent 11 years on display before re-entering private ownership and being restored.

This is a good-driving old touring car that can be bought for somewhere in the neighborhood of $73,000-$89,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of Bonhams’ auction lineup.

Update: Sold $60,369.

Argyll Torpedo Tourer

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1913 Argyll 12hp Torpedo Tourer

Offered by H&H Auctions | Duxford, U.K. | October 16, 2013

1913 Argyll 12hp Torpedo Tourer

I’ve literally been waiting months to feature this car. I saw it pop up in H&H’s catalog early on and have been excited about it since. Argyll was a Scottish marque that was founded in Glasgow in 1899 by Alex Govan.

Right around 1913 was when Argyll really hit their stride. Business was expanding – in fact, this car was sold new in Sydney, Australia. It didn’t re-arrive back into the U.K. until 2001. I’m not sure about the John Deere paint scheme, but I kind of like it. I also like the upright windshield and pillarless sides when the top is stowed back.

The engine is a 12 horsepower (presumably taxable) four-cylinder. The “artillery” look of the wheels is one of my favorite early wheel styles (yes, I have multiple categories for favorite wheel styles). This just looks like a fun, usable car from what was once Scotland’s largest automobile manufacturer. It is expected to sell for between $48,500-$56,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of H&H’s auction lineup.

Update: Sold $56,250.

Briton Tourer

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1910 Briton 10hp Tourer

Offered by H&H Auctions | Duxford, U.K. | October 16, 2013

1910 Briton 10hp Tourer

First off, apologies for the grainy photograph that was apparently taken with a circa 2002 cellphone… in a rainstorm. I can’t do anything about it (and likely, neither could the auction house) – but it doesn’t change the fact that this is an interesting car.

The Briton Motor Co. Ltd. was actually founded in 1908 as the Star Cycle Co. Ltd. of Wolverhampton. Star built a car called the Starling but when that venture proved unsuccessful, Star moved to a new facility, hired a new manager, and rebranded.

The cars were affordable and of good quality. The first model (such as the car featured) featured a twin-cylinder engine making 10 horsepower. There was a four-cylinder variant as well, but this 10hp model was much more popular. Briton survived until going out of business near the end of 1928.

This car is described as “very usable,” having just underwent a fair amount of reconditioning. It is expected to sell for between $40,500-$48,500. Click here for more info and here for more from H&H’s sale.

Update: Failed to sell.

Rolls-Royce Hunting Car

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1925 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Torpedo Sports Tourer by Barker & Co.

Offered by Barrett-Jackson | Las Vegas, Nevada | September 28, 2013

1925 Rolls-Royce Phantom I by Barker

The Rolls-Royce Phantom I was the successor to the Silver Ghost. The first Phantom was introduced in 1925 – making this a launch-year model. It was available from either Rolls-Royce or Rolls-Royce of America. This is from the British arm of the company.

This is actually a really interesting car and I’ve been monitoring it as it sat at the Auto Collections in Las Vegas, where it’s been for sale for a little while. This car was ordered new by Umed Singh II – the Maharaja of Kotah in India. Rolls-Royces were popular among Maharajas (India was under British rule at the time) and a Maharaja Rolls is a thing that pops up every now and then.

The Maharaja had this Torpedo Sports Tourer body put on the car by Barker & Co. of London – the supplier for many of the bodies on early Silver Ghosts. Barker & Co. would be acquired by Hooper (another popular Bentley/Rolls coachbuilder) in 1938. The engine in this car is a 50 horsepower (or “sufficient,” in Rolls-speak) 7.7-liter straight-six.

India is a land of exotic game and many kings of the day liked to go hunting. This car was well-equipped with enough firepower (including a tow-behind machine gun!) to go hunting on his family’s private estate. This has been referred to as the “Tiger Car” as it packs enough punch to take down a Bengal Tiger.

1925 Rolls with Gun

It’s a really awesome car that has the potential to bring a lot of money. You just don’t see outrageous Rolls-Royces like this – especially one armed like a tank. Only 2,269 British-built Phantom Is were built – and there’s only one like this. Click here for more info and here for the rest of Barrett-Jackson’s Vegas lineup.

S/N: 23RC

Update: Not sold, high bid of $450,000.

Mercedes-Benz 630K Tourer

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1928 Mercedes-Benz 630K Tourer by Erdmann & Rossi

Offered by Bonhams | Goodwood, U.K. | July 12, 2013

1928 Mercedes-Benz 630K Tourer by Erdmann & Rossi

Mercedes became Mercedes-Benz in 1926 when Daimler and Benz merged. What is interesting about the 630K (okay, so there are many things) is that it was originally introduced in 1924 when Mercedes was just Mercedes. The model line was known as the 24/100/140 PS. When the companies merged, the name was changed to Type 630 (although 24/110/160 PS was still used on occasion). 1929 was the final year regardless of whatever you called it.

The model was more or less designed by Dr. Ferdinand Porsche when he arrived at Mercedes to replace the departing Paul Daimler. This model was a follow-up to the 6/25/40 PS model that Mercedes introduced in 1921 as the world’s first supercharged production car. Also: the slashes in the name denote the following: rated (or taxable) horsepower/horsepower without the supercharger/horsepower with the supercharger engaged. You can see that power in the new model was greatly improved. The engine in the 630K is a supercharged 6.3-liter straight-six making 138 horsepower with the supercharger active (and it was activated by flooring the gas pedal).

The “K” variant of the Type 630 was new for 1926 and it stands for “Kurz” and not “Kompressor” as one might think. “Kurz” translates to “short” – as in wheelbase. The K variant was available on other Mercedes-Benz models from 1926 through 1932. They had a 90 mph top speed and only 267 were built. Some had factory Sindelfingen coachwork while this one sports a Tourer body from Erdmann & Rossi. Other coachbuilders were involved as well.

This car was delivered new to Los Angeles with this body on it. It is presented in all-original condition and the color is apparently maroon (I guess). I personally find this car incredible and would love to own it, if I had the means. And means I would need: the pre-sale estimate is $280,000-$390,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Bonhams at Goodwood.

Update: Sold $1,220,606.

AC Royal

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1926 AC Royal Tourer

Offered by Bonhams | Hendon, U.K. | April 29, 2013

1926 AC Royal Tourer

I hope you would agree that the car above looks pretty good – considering it was built in 1926 and has not been restored! That’s right, this is an all-original car. I suppose it’s possible that it has not been repainted, but it certainly looks so. The seller describes the body and interior as having a nice “patina” – which is seller code for “imperfections.”

But on an almost-90-year-old car, imperfections are character. Auto Carriers Ltd. began work on a new six-cylinder engine immediately following the First World War, but it wasn’t quite ready for production and AC still had to pay the bills. Enter the entry-level four-cylinder Royal you see here. It uses a 1.5-liter straight-four rated at 12 horsepower.

This car has had six owners from new and has been in the same family since 1954. The four-cylinder AC went out of production in 1928 once the six-cylinder really took off. This car is expected to bring between $20,000-$26,000. Click here for more and here for the rest of this sale.

Update: Sold $26,900.

Pre-DFP Doriot-Flandrin Tourer

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1908 Doriot-Flandrin Type E

Offered by Osenat | Fontainebleau, France | December 9, 2012

D.F.P. – which stood for Doriot, Flandrin & Parant – was a French automobile manufacturer in Courbevoie that was originally founded in 1906 by August Doriot and Ludovic Flandrin (former workers of Peugeot and Clement-Bayard, respectively). They produced cars using both their last names until Jules-René Parant joined the firm in 1908 and the company changed it’s name to D.F.P.

So this is obviously a rare car, having been made somewhere between 1906 and 1908 – the only years Doriot-Flandrin existed. This is an eight horsepower car, the larger of the two initial models offered by the company. It has a single cylinder of 1.1-liters.

D.F.P. lasted through 1926 but Doriot-Flandrin-badged cars are never seen. In fact, this might be the only one left in existence. The restoration is listed as “recent” and it looks good. The price should be between $19,500-$26,000. For more information click here. And for the rest of Osenat’s lineup, click here.

Update: Not sold.

Purple Pierce-Arrow

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1919 Pierce-Arrow Model 66 A-4 Tourer

Offered by Barrett-Jackson | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 19, 2013

If I had to describe this car in one word it would be “opulent.” Pierce-Arrows were known as high-quality, high-cost automobiles for most of their existence and it’s cars like this that gave them that well-deserved reputation. It was one of the best cars you could buy in 1919.

And so, legendary film comedian Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle purchased this car as a bare chassis in 1919 and had it shipped to Don Lea Coach & Bodyworks in Los Angeles to have this custom body fitted. At the time, the designer working for the Don Lea coachbuilding company was a young Harley Earl. The color is described as “purple-blue” and whatever you want to call it, it is certainly striking. Especially when accented with those impossible-to-keep-clean all-white tires.

The Model 66 was introduced in 1910 and by 1918 it was a pretty old design. This 1919 model was one of the last built. In total, 1,250 were built and only about 14 survive today (only seven are the A-4 type). The engine is a monstrous 13.5-liter straight six making around 60 horsepower.

Tom Barrett (of Barrett-Jackson) acquired the car in 1976 and a light cosmetic restoration was performed before it was acquired by the Blackhawk Collection in 1982 where it remained until 2006. It was restored completely by its current owner, winning first-in-class at Pebble Beach in 2007. This is an exceptional automobile with a storied history and a one-of-a-kind look. For more information, click here.

Update: Not sold.

Metz Model 25

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1915 Metz Model 25 Tourer

Offered by Bonhams | Harrogate, U.K. | November 14, 2012

This is the third Metz I can recall coming up for auction in the past two months. I really wanted to feature one of the other two but it never fit on the schedule. So when I saw this one third from the end of Bonhams’ lot list for their Harrogate sale (here), I had to feature it.

Charles Herman Metz founded the car company that bore his name in 1909 in Waltham, Massachusetts. He bought out the Waltham Manufacturing Company – a company he co-founded and was subsequently booted from. They were producing Waltham and Orient Buckboard cars when he bought them out. Metz produced cars in their factory but they also offered them on the “Metz Plan” where consumers would pay a weekly fee and have parts shipped to their homes, where they would assemble it themselves. It was a mail-order car – in parts. Which is interesting, but not great if you needed a car, say… anytime in the next 4-to-6 months. Metz folded in 1922.

No word on if this four-cylinder Metz was a home-build or a factory car, but it was involved in an accident in 1915 before it had even covered 600 miles. It was then promptly garaged for the next (gets his calculator out)… the next 55 years! That’s right, this thing sat in storage somewhere until 1970 when it was dragged out and had its engine rebuilt with only 564 miles on the odometer. It has since been completely restored and can be yours for $19,000-$24,000. Fore more information, click here.

Update: Sold $13,600.