Tag Archives: 1912

Crane Model 3

Posted on by
Reply

1912 Crane Model 3 Four-Passenger Sport Landau

Offered by Bonhams | Amelia Island, Florida | March 2, 2023

Photo – Bonhams

The Crane & Whitman Company, founded by engineers Henry Crane and Allen Whitman, sprang up in 1906 and was known for their engines. Speedboat work came in 1907, when Crane developed a 200-horsepower V8 that would help set a motorboat speed record.

The Crane Motor Car Company was set up in 1909, and their first model, the Model 3, was ready for 1912. They were powered by a 110-horsepower, 9.2-liter inline-six. They were “premium” cars at a premium price: $9,000 for a bare chassis that you had to have bodied elsewhere. This one was bodied by a small coachbuilder called F.R. Wood in New York.

Less than 60 cars were produced by Crane through 1914, when they were acquired by Simplex. This is one of two survivors of what was one of America’s finest pre-WWI automobiles. The estimate is $180,000-$220,000. Click here for more info.

1912 Hispano-Suiza

Posted on by
Reply

1912 Hispano-Suiza 15/20HP Coupe de Ville

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Paris, France | February, 1 2023

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Cars today are pretty uniform. Barely anything aside from grille shape and badging differentiates one blob pod from another. But back in the early days of the automobile, things were much less standardized and much more freeform. Some cars from that era are rolling identity crises.

Take this relatively grand Hispano-Suiza. It looks like it’s riding on a truck chassis (though to be fair many large cars of the era essentially were), with a truck-like engine compartment housing the 2.6-liter inline-four that made approximately 30 horsepower when new. The 15/20 model designation was based on taxable horsepower.

Moving rearward, there is an open driver’s compartment with a folding windscreen in front of an enclosed passenger compartment. It’s like three different people designed three different parts of the car and pasted it together. But that’s how you spelled luxury in 1912. The 15/20 model went on sale in 1909, and about 500 were built through 1914.

These cars were launched when Hispano-Suiza only had a Spanish factory, and before they opened their more famous French arm. The catalog here states that the car was restored over a six-year span, but doesn’t say when that was. It is selling at no reserve. Click here for more info.

Simplex 50HP

Posted on by
Reply

1912 Simplex Model 50 Five-Passenger Torpedo Tourer

Offered by Bonhams | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 27, 2023

Photo – Bonhams

The Simplex 50 was one of, if not the, finest pre-WWI American car built. It was the launch model for Simplex, a company that was formed when Herman Broesel purchased the company that made the S&M Simplex. Engineer Edward Francquist had just finished designing the engine for the Model 50, so it was the first car launched under the new Simplex marque.

The Model 50 remained on sale from 1910 through 1916. It was their most popular – although not their most powerful – model, powered by a 50-horsepower, 9.8-liter inline-four. It was a massive thing connected to a four-speed manual transaxle and dual chain drive. In 1912, this was a sports car, even though it seats five in a big Quimby-built touring car body.

About 250 Simplex 50HPs were built, and this one was purchased new by a Vanderbilt for his fiancée, tennis player Eleonora Sears. They never got married, but she kept the car for about a quarter century. It was most recently restored in the 2000s. This is one of the best pre-WWI cars you can buy, regardless of where it was built. The estimate is a hearty $2,500,000-$3,500,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $4,485,000.

S.G.V. Roadster

Posted on by
Reply

1912 S.G.V. Two Plus Two Roadster

Offered by Bonhams | Newport, Rhode Island | September 30, 2022

Photo – Bonhams

S.G.V. stood for the last names of company founders Herbert Sternberg, Robert Graham, and Fred Van Tine. The company was based in Reading, Pennsylvania, from 1911 through 1915. Van Tine designed the car, which was based around the ideas of the period Lancia. They were expensive cars in their day and were owned by people with names like Astor and Vanderbilt, not to mention far-flung royalty.

At their peak they were making about 40 cars per month. But not many are left. This one is powered by a 25-horsepower, 3.1-liter inline-four. It’s likely a Model B with some custom coachwork. It has known ownership history since new.

This is the first time, in 110 years, that this car has come up for public sale. It’s got an estimate of $75,000-$125,000. Click here for more info.

Mors NX Roadster

Posted on by
Reply

1912 Mors Model NX Roadster

Offered by Bonhams | Beaulieu, U.K. | September 10, 2022

Photo – Bonhams

Mors was one of the earlier French automobile manufacturers, having been founded by Emile Mors in 1897. They built quality, if not expensive cars, pretty much right from the outset. Even some of their veteran cars were pretty massive.

They were one of the first to use engines in a V configuration, however, this car is powered by a 2.1-liter inline-four. This car would’ve been made during the time when Mors was led by Andre Citroen, who stepped in as chairman after a 1908 near-bankruptcy.

But Citroen’s leadership wasn’t that benevolent, as he bought the company outright in 1925 and shuttered it so he could have the plant for his own cars. The pre-sale estimate here is $19,500-$25,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $21,818.

Lancia Epsilon

Posted on by
Reply

1912 Lancia Epsilon Victoria by Quinby

Offered by Gooding & Company | London, U.K. | September 3, 2022

Photo – Gooding & Company

Lancia followed a pretty straightforward naming convention in its early years. They started with the “Alfa” and followed the Greek alphabet straight down to Epsilon for their fifth model (not counting the Dialfa).

The Epsilon was offered in 1911 and 1912, and just 357 were made. They were likely not cheap, either. This one was imported to the U.S. when new and bodied locally by J.M. Quinby. Power is from a 4.1-liter inline-four that was rated at 60 horsepower. Three wheelbases were offered, with different body styles for each. A lot of options for such low production.

This car has been on static museum duty for some time and is not currently running. Despite this, the Epsilon was such a solid, well-built car for its day that it remains sought after today. The estimate is $150,000-$215,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold.

1912 Case Touring

Posted on by
Reply

1912 Case Model M Fore-Door Touring

Offered by Mecum | Frankfort, Illinois | October 1, 2022

Photo – Mecum

Case is mostly known as a producer of agricultural equipment, which is what the J.I. Case Threshing Machine Company was founded to do in 1871. It’s also what the company was focusing on in 1999 when Case ceased being an independent entity. The brand lives on as a manufacturer of construction equipment (Case CE) and tractors (Case IH, as part of International Harvester).

Automobile production came in 1911 and lasted through 1927. Two models were offered in their second year: the Model L and Model M, with the latter being what is shown here. It is powered by an inline-four rated at 40 horsepower. Three factory body styles were offered, including this “Fore-Door” five-passenger touring car.

It’s thought that Case made about 24,000 cars, with about 100 left. This one is coming out of a museum. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $110,000.

Packard Model 30 Toy Tonneau

Posted on by
Reply

1912 Packard Model 30 Toy Tonneau

Offered by Bonhams | Amelia Island, Florida | March 3, 2022

Photo – Bonhams

The Model 30 was one of the great early Packards, and it was produced from 1907 through 1912. We’ve feature two of them previously, including a touring car. This is a “toy tonneau,” which looks pretty much like a touring car but with a narrower rear passenger compartment. You can see it in the photo above how the body sits inward of the fenders.

The 30 is powered by a 7.1-liter inline-four that was rated at 30 horsepower when new. The body on this one isn’t original, as it was recreated in a Holbrook style approximately 20 years ago. The car, which is believed to have been the final Model 30 chassis completed, initially spent time with the Detroit Fire Department.

Packard sold 1,250 Model 30s in 1912, and this, the last of them now has an estimate of $250,000-$300,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $257,600.

Detroit Motor Wagon

Posted on by
Reply

1912 Detroit Motor Wagon

Offered by Mecum | East Moline, Illinois | March 25, 2022

Photo – Mecum

I am ashamed of this photo, and I didn’t even take it. But there will never be another chance to feature one of these, so here we are. The Motor Wagon Company of Detroit was founded in 1912, and they initially sold light vans and trucks under the Motor Wagon marque before tacking “Detroit” on to the beginning shortly after getting launched.

Production only lasted through 1913. This one is powered by a 1.7-liter flat-twin rated at 16 horsepower. Four-cylinder trucklets were also offered. This one is bodied as the pre-WWI version of a light pickup truck.

It’s got chain drive and wood pretty much everything else. There can’t be many of these left, if any others. You can read more about it here and see more from Mecum here.

Update: Sold $13,200.

Hispano-Suiza Tourer

Posted on by
Reply

1912 Hispano-Suiza 15/20HP Tourer

Offered by Bonhams | Paris, France | February 3, 2022

Photo – Bonhams

We’ve featured our fair share of Hispano-Suiza cars over the years, most of which are of the 1920s-1930s coachbuilt variety. And nearly all of those were Hispano’s high-end luxury offerings with big six- and 12-cylinder engines. But this is slightly different.

Prior to the H6B of 1919, many of the company’s cars were simply given model names to reflect their output (especially pre-1910). The 15/20HP came out in 1910 was produced through 1914. The 2.6-liter inline-four made 20 horsepower.

Pre-1920 Hispano-Suizas are rarely seen, and this Spanish-built example is said to have remained in Spain for most of its life. It has a pre-sale estimate of $68,000-$91,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $73,119.