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The Wisconsin T-head Mystery. (upd. 1910 Maxwell 30 HP)
Kit Foster can't sleep since he received these photos. He writes: "I don't recognize it at all! (editor: knowing Kit these are significant words) It's presumably American, because it was found in Wisconsin. It's obviously a T-head engine (with integral gearbox?). The piston cutouts suggest a bore of 4 to 4-1/4 inches. Based on the bore estimate of 4 inches, I'd say the crankcase is about 12 x ... |
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Uncle and his car What kind is it? (Upd. 1934 Auburn Custom Eight convertible sedan)
Does anyone know what kind of car this is? This is a still clip from a very old 8mm family movie.
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A Grand Day Out
This photograph shows a car that my grandfather owned around 1919 (he and grandmother are rear seat passengers) My father sits in front next to the Mill Mechanic/Boilerman who was tasked by my grandfather to act as family chauffeur. Grandfather bought his first car in 1912, a De Dion Bouton 12 hp Torpedo, but crashed it on its first journey, and never drove again.I would be glad if some... |
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A Benz car or Benz hubcap mystery? (Upd, Citroën or Mercedes body?)
Harry Hoving found this remains only last Saturday in an old factory (which will be demolished this week)."The only identification I could find was a Benz hubcap on the biggest rear axle. (see pic below) But there is also a chassis, another rear axle, a body and some small parts. Does the body belong to the chassis, or the Benz axle to chassis and body?Harry would love to know better wh... |
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The Dusty Gears Mystery (UPDATE: Wolseley Siddeley ?)
Old stuff is pouring in hoping for identification. No problem, keep them coming, we love it! This gearbox was sent to us by John Kent who bought it from another enthusiast a year or two ago. It’s a four-speed unit that so far has defied identification. And that’s about all we can tell you about as there are no stampings on it. Please have a look at at the top of the gearbox, a close-up of the ... |
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The Canadian Winter Mystery Game (Update VI: Crest on the Door)
No doubt you’ve all heard that the Olympic torch will be lit tomorrow in Vancouver, Canada. A perfect time to present you with a Canadian mystery Buick. These two pictures of a Canadian-built 1926 McLaughlin Buick were sent to us some time ago by Josef Kubišta from the Czech Republic. Josef feels that the Buick was photographed in front of Samuel McLaughlin’s home in Canada. However, there’... |
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The Queensland Tubular Chassis Mystery (UPDATE IV: Renault D-type, 1913 Wrigley or Jackson?)
After many months of delicate negotiations, Graeme Jarrett came into the possession of the chassis you see here. He writes: “The remains of this early tubular chassis car was found in North Queensland (Australia - Bowen/Townsville area) thirty years ago. Believed to be circa 1903, it’s relatively small (wheelbase approximately 5’-1” - 1550mm. Track 3’-9” - 1150m... |
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The Kast-Weinhaus Mystery (UPDATE II: Praga Grand!)
While sorting out the family archives, Bill Kast from Denver Colorado found this nice image of his relatives. The photo was taken in front of his grandfathers Wine House (Weinhaus Kast) in Burgenland, Austria. Surrounded by lovelies, his grandfather Johann Kast is on the right wearing the bowler hat and the large watch chain. Bill asks if we can identify the car and perhaps the year it was made, s... |
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The two pot Mystery. (Unic / George Richard 1905-1910)
Unidentified engines keep coming in. Here a small two cylinder, looks like a T-head. But we have no arguments to label it that way as there are not any marks, makersplates or numbers on it. After a more than average encouraging by Malcolm Jeal at Retro and earlier, we found sender Gilbert Warning prepared to send us the dimensions. So next time if you have no measuring device at hand for the photo... |
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The Delivery Boy Mystery (UPDATE II: Studebaker + details !)
In 1847 the company of J. S. Fry & Sons, Ltd. became famous for making the first ever chocolate bar suitable for widespread consumption. They were based in Bristol, England and before World War I had become one of the largest employers in that town. By 1919 the company merged with Cadbury’s chocolate and the joint company was named the British Cocoa and Chocolate Company. The grandfather of Robe... |
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The Road Map Mystery (UPDATE: generic term)
While visiting a local flea market ‘fuel can’ Bas de Voogd found this very interesting road map of France. The more than 100 year old road map caught his attention because of the ‘Oriflamme’ can, but after buying it, the road map presented both a surprise and a mystery. The surprise was the picture of the 1895 Panhard-Levassor that is described as a ‘voiture a pétrole’. The mystery is... |
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The Three Bells Mystery (UPDATE: More about the clock)
The pictures of this wonderful wooden dashboard were sent to us by Rastislav Noga from Bratislava in Slovakia. He writes that he doesn’t have a clue as to what car it comes from and therefore asks our help. By looking at the photos we can only make out two means of identification. One is of course the logo of the three bells in the center of the dashboard. And the other is the 8-day Elgin clock... |
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The British Gearbox Mystery (UPDATE: Alvis !)
A few years ago Barry Stalker and his friend John Brotchie found a shed that was filled with a load of vintage Dodge parts. Naturally these were all put to good use. However, amongst the Dodge parts they found this gearbox that obviously isn’t Dodge. Barry and John don’t have a clue as to what it is and to be honest, neither do we! It does look British to us, but that’s about all we can tell... |
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The Runabout Mystery ( UPDATE III: 1909 or 1910 european (?) bodied Packard )
A coloured b&w photo will make a nice postcard. But whatever was written on the back, nothing is giving away what fine car is being shown. The snappy runabout makes one think of a 1911 Packard, but we don’t think it is one. See the subtle treatment of the sidelights in the flow of the cowl. This must have been a very expensive custom built roadster. But by whom? And based on what? As always, a ... |
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The American Tourer Mystery (UPDATE II: 1919 Briscoe)
Many people say that today’s automobiles aren’t interesting because they all look the same. Whether true or not, the same can be said for pre-war cars. But we know better, don’t we? Each and every car is different and has it’s own peculiarities that will make it easy to identify. Take for instance this tourer, which we think is American in origin. It has several details that could tell us ... |
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A coachbuilt hybrid with history blanks: Adler 1909 Mystery
Siegfried Otto Hepp wrote us about this sublime motorcar: a 1909 Adler with exchange coachwork by H. Stemmler from Neuss, Germany. A sublime formal limousine and playful summer phaeton. A unique combination about which you would expect more is known. However until well into the fifties all that is known is that the car came from South Africa (back) to Germany. The owner since then was ASC(Algemein... |
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The Louis Chevrolet Paris Mystery. (UPDATE III: 1910 Marquette Buick 100 / Henry Winterhoff)
A young Louis Chevrolet at the wheel of a vintage sports car specially prepared for a race in or near Paris (Boll d'Or perhaps?). Click the photo to check the detailing. Also see the back of the photo; in the handwriting of - seemingly - an older man, as if writing down a memory (click): "This is the racing car we built to race in Paris, but the race was postponed and afterwards abandoned. (unread... |
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The Long Tail 66 Mystery (UPDATE: for gazogène / woodfire fumes )
Mark Michel sends us this bizar carburetor. He has owned it for many years, but has no clue what it is. It does look very early and it appears to have the intake valve as part of the carburetor assembly. It's about 10 inches long and heavy as one can expect from a large brass casting. It has a flange mount with the bolt holes 2 1/2 inches apart. The intake diameter is 1 1/8 inch. There are no mark... |
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The Diamond Mystery (UPDATE IX: 1917 McLaughlin-Buick D-45 !)
No quiz today, as you can still send in your answers to our Christmas Quiz until Monday. Therefore a real good way to start the New Year is to have a long, hard look at this photo. No, not at the nice young lady, but at the car, of course. It’s American, for sure, but the make has puzzled us for some time. We first thought of Dixi and Essex. Then we tried to enlarge the diamond-shaped emblem on ... |
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The Épalle Mystery (UPDATE III: no Mercer engine)
Some weeks ago Manfred Heyne from Germany bought the Épalle Type B 16 hp you see here. This automobile was made in St. Etienne, France by Épalle et Compagnie from 1910 to 1914. The Beaulieu Encyclopedia only has a very small entry about the Épalle: Nick Georgano tells us that a range of four cars was listed, an 8/10hp 2/cylinder, and three fours of 10/12, 12/16 and 14/20hp. They were all of con... |
