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A French family on holiday in Switzerland

We hope you all had a good weekend. The beginning of the week means – time for another Monday Mystery!

The attached pictures are from a photo album dating from 1905. We see a French family on holiday in Switzerland. Can anyone tell Carlo, who sent in the photos, what PreWarCar we see here? And maybe tell us about this specific model.

 

Published:
Monday December 14th, 2020
Hugo Modderman
16 December 2020, 16:17
The first two pictures are clearly taken in the Valais, either in the Val d'Anniviers or the Val d'Herens would be my guess. The first picture looks like the road going up from Sierre to Vissoie. The second picture could possibly be in St.Luc, val d'Anniviers. The costumes are clearly from that region.
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Ariejan Bos
14 December 2020, 23:45
I guess this mystery is a more complex issue to solve than just by voting for Mors or Léon Bollée. For me Léon Bollée is an unrealistic solution, as there are too many differences. The 1904 Léon Bollée had a distinct rad filler tube, a radiator with the characteristic double shoulder and a round lower side, as well as a vertical, louvre free bonnet side. All different from the mystery car. More differences can be seen in the springing system including shape and presence of front and rear dumb irons. Indeed the Léon Bollée had a similar chain drive, but that seems to be about the only similarity.

If somebody would have mentioned Henriod or Hurtu, then I would have agreed that these could be possibilities, but I don't have enough material to confirm one or the other. And also here, voting doesn't work for me. I need preferably pictural proof to get convinced.

Again, although better scans do not guarantee success, they could probably help a lot, because many important details are now virtually invisible.
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Graham Rankin
14 December 2020, 16:58
Another vote for Léon Bollée.
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Andy Watt
14 December 2020, 14:25
I had 2 thoughts. Mors or Leon Bollee. Looking at the scallops in the bonnet they don't look deep enough for Mors. Comparing it to the Leon Bollee Limousine I have seen in the Musee Automobile de Vendee it has many similarities. I can't remember whether that was chain drive though.
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John Baldwin
14 December 2020, 13:22
Looks like a Léon Bollée to me
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Ariejan Bos
14 December 2020, 10:06
Interesting car, which I cannot identify at the moment unfortunately. This is partly due to the poor scan quality. Better scans would be greatly appreciated! The car has some early Mors resemblance, but I doubt if that is the make. The registration 32-K dates from somewhere in the second half of 1904. The body is interesting: it's a three-quarter coupé (called clarence in England) with inside drive, an absolute rarity in these years. In Europe I couldn't find any example of this body type in my archive. In America this body type became popular in the early 1910's as colonial coupe and as brougham, the latter especially in the electric car scene.
Is it a complete lady crew or is the driver also the photographer? Who could of course be female too!
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Houdayer Fabien
14 December 2020, 08:05
Bonjour,
La route a due être longue pour eux!
En effet, l'immatriculation 32-K correspond à l'arrondissement de Poitiers (il comportait 12 départements à cette époque), délivrée en fin d'année 1904.
Je ne saurais identifier la marque de l'auto en revanche....
Bonne recherche!
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