Quiz Archive

What is it ? # 41 (UPDATE II : Houpt-Rockwell)

Update II: Andy Evans reports:"I have more accurate info on the photo. This information was published in a book by Perc Weldon titled The New Departure Classics. Perc worked for the company during its automotive heyday including the Rockwell Service Cab, the Allen-Kingston, and Houpt-Rockwell automobiles. The book is a priceless documentary of these marques. ISBN 0-914659-18-9 The photo shows a Houpt-Rockwell alright, and from page 65, in Perc's own words: "Bent Landry, New Departure test driver, at the wheel of a Close-Coupled Runabout at speed between Farmington and Hartford, CT."
UPDATE I: Congratulations, Bob McAnlis! No 1910 Hudson. No Columbia (named twice)(BruceDuffie.com). No Corbin. No Mercer. No Thomas Flyer. No EMF. No McCue. No Kissel. No Knox... This was a tough one! Kit Foster explains:"The back of the photo identifies the car as a 1910 Houpt-Rockwell. From illustrations in the "Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942" I would say it is the toy tonneau model. Harry Houpt was the New York agent for Thomas and Herreshoff cars. Albert Rockwell's New Departure Manufacturing Company at Bristol, Connecticut, made bearings and coaster brakes for bicycles. There was a confusing flurry of related companies in Bristol at this time: H.S. Houpt Manufacturing Company, Bristol Engineering Company and New Departure, the latter of which absorbed the other two. The cars seem to have been called Houpts in 1909 and Houpt-Rockwells in 1910, but did not survive into 1911. In 1919, New Departure Manufacturing Company became part of General Motors. In a series of acquisitions and mergers, New Departure seems to have become New Departure Hyatt, then Delco-Moraine NDH, and now part of AC Delco. Bristol Engineering also built the Allen-Kingston, but this car is not an Allen Kingston." (photo collection Kit Foster) EARLIER TEXT: This is a true challenge for anyone who wants to win the infamous PreWarCar T-shirt this weekend at last. Also because the sender of this photo is Kit Foster who is afraid this is a competition that might be too hard for you. And we have to admit, American cars of the 1910's are like newly born piglets: they are all alike ;-). OK, enough of this, let's go for it. The year is 1910. The car is being tested close to its place of manufacture: on the road from Framington to Hartford, Connecticut. The team is Eddie Ives and Ben Landry. The car is not a Pope-Hartford or any other of the several cars built by Colonel Pope's bicycle-auto empire. So after examining the enlarged photo it's up to you to tell what it is. Please do so before Sunday 1 December 2002. Our address: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . And please add # 41 in the subject line of your e-mail. click here for more info

Friday, 29 November 2002