Alaska Mystery Car

Here's another old photo I came across and can't identify. It was taken in Fairbanks, Alaska in 1913. Any idea what kind of car or truck this is? The radiator emblem appears to be some sort of triangle.

Detail

I think the "triangle" is actually the letter "A" inside a circle. It looks a lot like a Mercedes three-pointed star, but it's not one.

(While I was typing that Peter posted the larger picture. Now I'm almost certain it's a letter "A".)

It looks like a truck or open bus to me. Going by the heavy duty wheels and solid tyres. People at the back may be standing on the seats.

Manuel in Oz

Hi Guys, It is a SAURER Truck made in Switzerland about 1910..........NOEL

Good one ! This type of rad seems only to have been on cars between 1909 and 1910. Possibly longer on lorries.

Vintman (UK)

www.svvs.org

Could have been a charabanc, and yes, standing on seats.

Vintman (UK)

www.svvs.org

I'd given up on getting an ID on this truck months ago, but I'm glad I just checked this old post! Many thanks to Noel and Vintman for your comments. Noel, I'd say you're right, as an old Fairbanks newspaper says there were two Saurer trucks in Alaska prior to 1922.

There's a fun story behind the photo. All the people in it were headed to the Fairbanks ballpark to see the first airplane flight in Alaska. Some promoters had paid to have an airplane in Seattle taken apart, shipped by boat to Fairbanks, reassembled and flown. The promoters lost their shirts on the venture, however. Turns out the spectators didn't have to actually pay admission to go in the ballpark to see an airplane fly over the town (duh).