Identify brass era car

Letter to the editor

Attatched a photo of a fine brass era car. It looks to be big, powerful and expensive. This was taken about 1910 in Burnaby, a suburb of Vancouver. We are not sure what it is. Can anyone help out?

Steve Diggins

Published:

Monday July 19th, 2021

Steve Diggins

21 July 2021, 17:41

Thanks Ariejan for your research and confirming it is an Inter State. Although we have never heard of one of these before or seen a picture of one, this is what we thought it was. We went by the licence plate number. At this time there were no front plates, just one on the back. However, they also had a card with the plate number which was to be placed in the driver's side oil lamp. If you look closely you can see it. It is hard to make out, but after a couple of guesses we arrived at 2285. We then looked it up on the province licence plate archive and it was listed as being on an Inter State.

Ariejan Bos

22 July 2021, 10:16

Dear Steve, I'm glad I could help you out. The number on the oil lamp is not unique: I know of a few Dutch registrations in the earliest years having been painted on the oil lamps, but it was not a requirement by law. In Paris the taxis had their registrations painted on their side lights too for a number of years, probably until the oil lamps were changed for electrical ones. There was even one taxi, which had the name of its make painted on the side light as well! I've often wished, that more taxis (as well as other cars) had done that: it would have prevented numerous hours of research ...

Ariejan Bos

19 July 2021, 23:41

And the DPL-photo.

Ariejan Bos

19 July 2021, 23:40

To prove the Inter-State id I've uploaded two images. The side image shows the 1910 model as shown in the December issue of the magazine MoToR. Clearly visible are the similarities of many parts and accessories: side lights, horn, acetylene reservoir, steering wheel spokes and half circle satellite wheel, side levers, even the connection for the odometer can be seen, which apparently was a standard accessory. The body however is slightly different. The other image is a Spooner & Wells photo which I found in the Detroit Public Library (DPL) archive and which shows a 1910 Inter-State, here with the correct rear door. Also this photo gives a good look at the radiator with the rectangular id plate and high rad filler tube. Besides the characteristic rear wheel hubs are clearly visible. If you'll check the DPL archive, another photo of a similar Inter-State can be found as presented on an unknown 1909 show location. So no doubts now anymore, I suppose.

Harry Hickling

19 July 2021, 11:28

It looks like a pre 1909 Itala to me. I have a brass hubcap in my collection if needed!!

Ariejan Bos

19 July 2021, 10:49

The car seems to be a 1909 or 1910 Inter-State. I cannot find a 100% match, because the undivided rear door (no horizontal bar present) is no feature of the standard touring model, as present in my files. However apart from this the car is completely identical to the 40hp model 30 touring car for 1910. It could be that the undivided door was a feature for a short while during 1909, the first year of this firm.

Identify brass era car

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