About Quiz 241 ..... 1920 Argonne / Rochester-Duesenberg !
About as many good answers came in as the total production of this marque..! Yes indeed, it is Argonne named after the the French battlefield. However, we were hoping that you would be slightly more precise with regard to the car depicted. Most of you were very correct in offering overall information including the two engine types available. The 4 cylinder Buda and the optional - also 4C - 4,9 litre Rochester Duesenberg also in use in Roamer and Revere. Yet very few had the courage to decide (or gamble) which one was under this bonnet (now that you are here, give it a proper check). The engine type was reconfirmed after a last minute consultation with specialist David Greenlees as being Rochester -Duesenberg. This fact threw overboard most of you... Competitors John Rehberg, Rex Wyath and jury members Peter Ransom and Carleton Hughes all agreed on 1920 Argonne with RD engine. In the end we decided these two had equally good answers and both will recive the PreWarCar T-shirt. Congratulations John and Rex !! (photo above by Don Risen; quiz photos and radiator close up by Bob Apalsch. The Argonne is part of the Fountainhead Collection, Fairbanks, Alaska that will open Spring 2009..! Be sure to check the website and their need for "Quaint, rusted pre-1930 vehicles for use as flower planters." ( that's a great opening line to buy cheeply barnfound Duesenberg stuff..! )
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answer of Rex Wyeth: "The quiz car was manufactured by the Argone Motor Car Co.
Both tourer & roadster models were available from 1919 powered by Buda engines on 118inch - 128inch wheelbase.
In 1920 an alternative Rochester - Duesenberg engine was also offered. This engine was 302ci 8 valve head and aproximately 71 hp, model G1.
This I suspect to be the quiz car.
The company went into receivership in July 1920. Remaining parts sold off and subsequently assembled into closed bodied vehicles."
Answer John rehberg;"This is a 1920 Argonne Four Customer Roadster. It would have a Rochester-Duesenberg engine (just recently available). It would have a 4 speed gearbox. If it were a 1919 it would be Buda powered. The first designer in 1919 was Otto Bieler, from Biddle. I had a 1920 Biddle roadster (Buda powered, 4 speed). A very similar car. But the Duesenberg engined cars were much more exciting. A '20 Argonne Rochester-Duesenberg powered roadster was an exciting car."
Nathan Lenz, Gigio Isola, Jonathan Baker, Poisson Jean Claude, Rick A Jorgenson, Donald Risen, Joćo Pedro Gazineu (18 years old !), Marc Fellman, John Rehberg, Jean Claude, Bryan Norfolk, Rex Wyeth, Terry Brown, Joćo Pedro Gazineu, Patrick Kondrat, G.C.M. Stol, Young Neal, Ivan Saxton, Heinzgerd Schott, Bob McAnlis, Thomas Edfors, Tony Prebensen, Hugh Nutting and Ian Hayhurst agreed with jurymembers Carleton Hughes, Peter Ransom, Kit Foster, Dick Trenk and Frans Vrijaldenhoven.
Bob Apalsch who provided the idea and photos for this quiz likes to add: "Formerly of the Harrah Collection and thought to be a Biddle until research of the serial numbers confirmed that it was an Argonne. It then moved to the Wickham Collection. It did not have the lovely radiator emblem that it sports today. Mr. Wickham had heard of a collector of emblems and inquired to see if the gentleman had one. Which he did, but it was not available for sale at that time. Ultimately a purchase of the emblem was made. Currently the car is in the stewardship of the Fountainhead Hotels Collection, Fairbanks, Alaska."
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