Novice requires car idenitification pls?

Hi,

I'm currently researching some family history... my family are in the UK but members emigrated to the US in the early 1900's.

I've got a photographic postcard image with an old US automobile.

It is likely to be in or close to Gibson City Illinois.

Please Please Please can anyone help provide any information ?

Anything from Make, model, age, period, would it likely be prestige, ordinary, second hand ? Any thoughts or comments about social history would be hugely appreciated.

Also, please remember I know nothing about cars so "simple talk" only !!

Thanks

Hi, it looks like a good quality car of about 1914. Probably 4 cyl from the length of the hood. Could be one of many low production makes of the period. It looks to be fairly new, cars aged fast especialy in rural areas.

Looks like at least a large series Buick equivelant, but I don't think it is a Buick. The hood latch is shown well in the photo and is somewhat out of the ordinary. It may be a clue for a more exact Id.

Hope this helps

Greg in Canada

Thanks for the reply..... that's really interesting.

1914 sounds a bit early, I was thinking it might be late 1920's ?

Can anyone help ?

This car can only be 1913 or 1914. The 1912 models generally had a large flat dash/firewall where there often was no cowl. Generally from the 1915 models most American cars had 'torpedo' bodies where the hood flowed into the cowl. The cowl lights on this car are electric when many cars of this era still had gas cowls lights but electric headlights.

Even though cars of this era 'all look the same', there are details differences between them, for example, the number of bolts holding the hubs together, the placing of the cowl lights, the windshield brackets, the curve of the front fenders, the shape of the door cutouts and numerous other small details. The better quality the photo the easier it is to pick details. I have a book of pictures of 1914 cars and one possibilty for this car is Moline Model M40, due to the position of the cowl lights. There is a pic here - http://www.ebay.com/itm/1914-Moline-Touring-M40-Factory-Photo-/350284419792 -

Having spent some time looking at this I am almost convinced it is a 1914 Moline 40, built in Moline Illinois, on a 124" wheelbase. the engine is 4 1/8" x 6" ( approximately 5.3 litre) four cylinder with magneto ignition. The price of $1950 included the top, the top hood, electric lighting and starting, windshield, speedometer and demountable rims.

If my ancestors arrived "post war" would they be able to acquire a car like this ?

The clothing style looks to be WW1 era, not later than very early 1920s.

The car has right hand drive. US automakers had pretty well standardized lhd by 1915. The cowl design also indicates pre 1915. The style of the woman's clothing would indicate probably 1916-18.

Terry

This is all such good information. Thank you.

Can you clarify what is meant by "low production make of the period"? Is that low volumes or low quality ?

Also $2000 seems like an awful lot of money. I'd have expected the price to be lower to make it more widely available ?

Finally, this car (to my novice eye) doesn't appear particularly versatile. It could only be for carrying people rather than goods making it a family car ?

I'm loving all the comments, thank you. I appreciate everyones thoughts on the social history.

Thanks again

Practical/versatile cars are really only something of the modern era. A simple google image search of cars of any era will show the general style petaining at any time. The cars of 1914 were at least more practical. and would carry more, than a horse drawn buggy. It was only in the later 1920s that closed cars became more common than open cars, and built-in luggage space only became common in the later 1930s. Before that luggage was usually strapped to running boards and front fenders. Most cars had their spare tyres at the back which left little room for a luggage rack.

Cars of pre WW1 were mostly hand built. Even with the lower priced models, mass production meant more people operating more machines. It was only in the 1920s that some forms of automation began, with things like multiple drills which could make all of the holes in a component in one operation. The relative price of items has changed markedly over time. Even today's high fuel prices are lower in relation to average incomes than they were back at that time. It was not until production of the Ford T was ramped up enough that the price could be made lower than anything else that the ordinary man could afford a car and that didn't happen until the early 1920s.

In those days there were not as many things to buy as there are nowadays. Those items that often cost weeks wages in those days are nowaday only a few hours wages, due to advances in technology.

Hi again. $2000.00 was a popular price point for the better middle class automobiles of this era. the upper class cars such as Pierce Arrow could be close to $6000.00 with an elaborate limo. body. Body building was still largely a hand made operation at this time. There were certainly cheaper cars available, and most of the truly popular makes Ford , Reo, Overland, Small Buick etc were priced at about $1000.00 or less. There was none the less a signifigant market for larger ; more powerfull cars , priced from $2000.00 - $3000.00. And there were MANY makes offering cars of this class. Moline looks like a likely I.D. to me as well. Low production could be as few as 50 or 75 cars a year to as many as a couple of thousand. Some of the very high quality cars were built more or less to order and production could be as low as 1 or 2 a week.

All the best Greg in Canada

I was doubting "Moline" until I found this ad for a 1913 Moline "Dreadnaught". It looks like our mystery car.

Note similarities: location of electric side lights, windshield design, and support machanism etc., cowl design.

This is all such good information. Thanks everyone !

Curious... They spelled Dreadnaught wrong in the above add....

Frank

Curious... They spelled Dreadnaught wrong in the above add....

Frank

dread·nought

noun \ˈdred-ˌnȯt, -ˌnät\

Definition of DREADNOUGHT

1

: a warm garment of thick cloth; also : the cloth

2

[Dreadnought, British battleship] a : battleship b : one that is among the largest or most powerful of its kind

See dreadnought defined for kids »

I think we in the US spell it with an "A", the Brits use an "O":

Spelling's okay except for the omitted "N." Very cool about the Moline ID.

TG

I was looking at the logo....missed the missing "N" above it.

Love the motto, "With nothing to be feared, we voice our sentiments". Strong stuff!!