Yale Model G

1905 Yale Model G

Offered by H&H | Buxton, U.K. | December 8, 2021

Photo – H&H

There were two different Yale-branded automobiles that came out of the Midwest U.S. before 1920. The first was the company that produced this car. The Kirk Manufacturing Company of Toledo, Ohio, built bicycles before turning to cars, for which they used the Yale name.

This car is from the marque’s final year of manufacture, 1905, in which three models were offered. The G was the mid-range model and was only available as a side-entrance, five-passenger tonneau. The engine is a flat-twin that was rated at 14/16 horsepower when new.

This car would’ve cost $1,100 in 1905, and it’s obviously been restored. It’s got an electric starter now and carries a pre-sale estimate of $40,000-$53,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

1902 Yale

1902 Yale Model A Detachable Rear-Entrance Tonneau

Offered by Gooding & Company | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 18, 2019

Photo – Gooding & Company

The Yale was a product of the Kirk Manufacturing Company, a bicycle manufacturer from Toledo, Ohio. It went on sale in the summer of 1902. The company produced two-cylinder cars through 1905, when a four-cylinder arrive just in time for the company to close. The reason they gave? They were “too busy” to make cars. Bankruptcy followed in 1906.

This Model A is from the first year of manufacture and is powered by a 3.2-liter flat-twin making 10 horsepower. Annual developments saw the power rating grow to 16 by 1905. The detachable rear-entrance tonneau was the only body style offered for the first two years.

Fun story, the original owner of this car lost it in a poker game to famed lawman Pat Garrett, who was killed a few years later. This car was used in his funeral procession and ultimately restored a few owners later in the 1950s (and again later on). It’s a rare early American automobile that should bring between $90,000-$120,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $105,280.