Tag Archives: touring

1907 Wayne Touring

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1907 Wayne Model N Five-Passenger Touring

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

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The Wayne Automobile Company was founded in Detroit in 1904 by Charles Palms, E.A. Skae, Roger Sullivan, J.B. Brock, and car designer William Kelly. They started with two-cylinder cars and eventually expanded into four-cylinder offerings before they merged with Northern in 1908.

Almost immediately after the merger, the company was acquired by Walter Flanders and Barney Everitt who turned it into E-M-F. In 1910, Studebaker acquired E-M-F and merged it into their line of cars.

This 1907 Model N is the only surviving “big Wayne,” and it’s powered by a 35 horsepower inline-four. It was acquired by the current owner in 1999, after which it was first restored. You can read more about it here and see more from this sale here.

Update: Sold $184,250.

Gray-Dort Touring

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1920 Gray-Dort Model 15 Touring

Offered by Worldwide Auctioneers | Auburn, Indiana | August 31, 2019

Photo – Worldwide Auctioneers

William Gray founded a carriage-building company in Chatham, Ontario in 1856. In 1915, his company began selling American-made Dort cars under license in Canada. By 1916, they were building the cars themselves and fitting them with luxurious and innovative features. The first reverse light was installed on a Gray-Dort.

This Model 15 touring car is powered by a 21 horsepower, 3.2-liter Lycoming inline-four. The cars were popular in Canada, outselling Chevrolet there for a period of time. And Canadians took notice – the Canadian Parliament named Gray-Dort a national treasure. The Bricklin didn’t get that honor.

About 26,000 cars were built through 1925, which is when Dort closed down. Gray-Dort searched for another manufacturer to hook up with, attempting deals with Nash and Hudson before trying the American company Gray. But Gray closed down in 1926 and Gray-Dort was gone. Only 30 examples of their work remain, and this one will sell at no reserve. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $6,600.

Harroun Touring

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1918 Harroun Model A-1 Touring

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Auburn, Indiana | August 29-September 1, 2019

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

To win the very first Indianapolis 500 is kind of a big deal. Ray Harroun will be remembered for as long as that race continues… and then for another century or so. But after that 1911 victory, he retired from racing. And most people who know who he is have no idea what became of him after that.

Well, let’s backtrack. In 1905, Mr. Harroun built his own racing car before he got a job as a riding mechanic. So he knew his way around the mechanical parts of a car. In 1917, he set up shop in Wayne, Michigan, to build automobiles. And unlike some people who just slapped their name on the front of cars for the promotional benefit, Harroun actually designed the cars that carried his name.

The Model A-1 was built in 1917 and 1918. It’s powered by a 43 horsepower inline-four. This example is a little rough, but it’s believed to be one of two such examples in existence (and one of only 326 built in 1918). All-original, it’ll need a little TLC (and tires, at least) to get going again. But once it’s up and running it will be a roaming part of history. Harroun Motors closed in 1922. This car is estimated to sell for between $15,000-$20,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: SOld $33,000.

1912 Simplex

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1912 Simplex Model 38 Touring

Offered by Worldwide Auctioneers | Pacific Grove, California | August 15, 2019

Photo – Worldwide Auctioneers

The “Three Ps” of Packard, Peerless, and Pierce-Arrow get all of the glory as America’s best early cars. But there were some pretty good “S”s too. And Simplex was foremost among them. Between 1907 and 1914, Simplex turned out some of the greatest cars you could buy at the time. For 1915, they became Crane-Simplex (or Simplex Crane).

The Model 38 sat at the lower end of the 1912 and 1913 Simplex lineup. Powered by a 38 horsepower, 7.8-liter inline-four, the cars could be had in two wheelbases. The car you see here is the short wheelbase at 127″. It’s a four-passenger touring car, which would’ve cost $4,850 when new. That was a lot in 1912.

The body appears to be a replacement, as it is described as being “in the style of Holbrook.” It also has kind of a funky inward lean to it, but I think it may just be an odd photo angle. Completely restored, this is a useable brass era car, with enough power to comfortably use on tours. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Stevens-Duryea Model X

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1908 Stevens-Duryea Model X Touring

Offered by Worldwide Auctioneers | Pacific Grove, California | August 15, 2019

Photo – Worldwide Auctioneers

Stevens-Duryea was founded in 1901 when J. Frank Duryea got pissed off at his brother and left their joint company to work elsewhere. He designed a car and convinced The J. Stevens Arms and Tool Company to build it. They continued to offer very expensive cars through 1927.

This Model X, which is listed as a 1908 but was first purchased in 1911, was from the heydey of Stevens-Duryea. The Model X was produced from 1909 through 1912. Power is from a 36 horsepower, L-head four-cylinder engine. The car is wonderful, especially if you start looking at the details. And it’s all-original apart from a 1950s repaint.

But the big story here is the car’s history. It was retained by its first owner for many years before being willed to Henry Austin Clark Jr. in the 1950s. Clark kept it in his museum and used it on tours (of which video exists on YouTube). It’s currently on only its fourth owner. No pre-sale estimate is provided, but it failed to sell on BringaTrailer for $125,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $115,500.

Alfa 256 Touring Coupe

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1939 Alfa Romeo Tipo 256 Coupe by Touring

Offered by Gooding & Company | Pebble Beach, California | August 16-17, 2019

Photo – Gooding & Company

The Tipo 256 is a very rare pre-war Alfa based on the 6C 2500. It was a racing car that was introduced in 1939. A few things differentiate the 256 from other racing variants of the 6C, one of them being that the Tipo 256 was actually prepared by Scuderia Ferrari in Modena, and not by Alfa themselves.

Power is from a 125 horsepower, 2.5-liter inline-six. Other features include a shortened frame, larger fuel tank, lowered radiator, three Weber carburetors, and a stiffer suspension. This car was originally built as a Spider Siluro and it’s competition history includes:

  • 1940 Mille Miglia – 36th, 7th in class (with Giovanni Maria Cornaggia Medici and B. Gavazzoni)

It competed in a number of other Italian road races in 1939 and 1940, when production of the 256 ceased. In all, it is believed that 20 examples were built. This one, like at least a few others, was re-bodied after its racing career ended. This Touring body you see above was fitted in 1941.

It remained in Italian hands until coming to Washington state in 2012. This marks the first time this chassis has ever been offered for public sale, and it is expected to fetch between $2,750,000-$3,500,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $2,755,000.

1924 Haynes Touring

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1924 Haynes Model 60 Touring

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Auburn, Indiana | May 29-June 1, 2019

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Haynes, which got its start as Haynes-Apperson, was actually around for quite a long time, considering their rarity today. Haynes-Apperson sold their first car in 1898 but parted ways in 1904. Haynes soldiered on alone for another 21 years until they went bankrupt in 1924 and were liquidated in 1925 – the same year company founder Elwood Haynes died.

The Model 60 five-passenger touring car was actually the most inexpensive car the company ever built. And look at it – it’s a big, imposing thing. Power is from a 50 horsepower straight-six. Five body styles were offered, and this one cost $1,295 when new. A 1925 Model T would’ve run you $290, for comparison.

This car is an AACA award-winner (1993) and exists as a rare example of one of America’s pioneering automobile marques. It should sell for between $25,000-$35,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $10,560.

Mason Touring

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1906 Mason Touring

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | St. Louis, Missouri | May 4-5, 2019

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The Mason, as it so classily says on the radiator surround, was founded by financier Edward Mason and engineer Fred Duesenberg. Yes, that Duesenberg. Based in Des Moines from 1906 through 1910, the company was purchased by Maytag and relocated to Waterloo, Iowa. Yes, that Maytag. The Duesenberg brothers left for Indiana in 1913, and Mason closed in 1914.

From 1906 through 1908, Mason only offered two cars – a touring and a runabout. Both were powered by the same Fred Duesenberg-designed 3.2-liter twin-cylinder engine that made 24 horsepower. Mason cars had a reputation for excellent engineering. This one has white tires. Score!

This is one of about 25 cars built by Mason in 1906, their first year of manufacture. Previously of the Harrah collection, the car was restored long ago. It has five owners since new, and you can be the sixth. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $112,000.

1923 H.C.S.

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1923 H.C.S. Series IV Touring

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | St. Louis, Missouri | May 4-5, 2019

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Harry C. Stutz resigned from Stutz in 1919 after losing control of the company. He then very quickly shuffled across town, in this case, Indianapolis, and launched the H.C.S. Motor Car Company. His first cars were delivered in 1920, and they were somewhat similar to the cars from his earlier venture.

An emphasis on the sporting nature of H.C.S. automobiles was important to the company, and an H.C.S. won the 1923 Indy 500. Production lasted through 1925. About 2,175 cars were produced in that time.

Between 1923 and 1925, the company offered the Series IV and Series VI. The IV, as seen here, was available in four body styles, with the 5-passenger “Model 4” touring car costing $2,200. Power was from a 52 horsepower straight-four. This one is expected to bring between $50,000-$75,000 at auction today. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $49,840.

Owen Magnetic Touring

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1916 Owen Magnetic Model O-36 Touring

Offered by Bonhams | Tupelo, Mississippi | April 27, 2019

Photo – Bonhams

The Owen Magnetic was a technical marvel of its day. Designed by engineer Justus B. Entz and produced by Raymond and Ralph Owen beginning in 1915, the car was famous for using an early series electric hybrid drivetrain.

Basically, the 34 horsepower straight-six powered a generator that turned the driveshaft, and in turn, the rear wheels. Speed was controlled by a selector on the steering wheel. It’s a pretty complicated set up, which made the cars super expensive when new. This one, for instance, would’ve cost $3,750. And it was the cheapest one you could get.

Between 1916 and 1919, the Owen Magnetic was actually built by the people behind the Rauch & Lang as well as the Baker Electric cars. It outlasted them, but ultimately folded in 1921, and the last two years’ worth of production were all headed overseas. This rare example should bring between $80,000-$110,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $128,800.