1916 Monroe roadster. $6,500. Info & photos. Same Sterling engine as used in Scripps Booth

Dear Friends: (lots of photos,just ask. $6,500 firm).I bought this super rare and interesting 1916 Monroe 18-20 HP 4 cylinder roadster,for preservation purposes. Approx. a dozen or less survive. Fewer survive than Scripps Booths. Built by Durant and his empire,at the same time as the Scripps Booth,Little,and the beginnings of Chevy. Scripps Booth and Monroe used the same open valve engine by Sterling in 1915 to early 1916,and the very advanced,Alan P. Brush designed Sterling motor with a closed valve in head engine in mid 1916 to 1917. Mine has the later motor. (see April 1916 ad for new Sterling engine for Scripps Booth). My Monroe engine is identical to the SB engine in the ad,with the exception that the starter generator combination has the distributor in a different place on the set up. The prior owner thought the car was a Dec. 1914 prototype,one of 5 built. His history on the car is below. After a lot of research,I am sure its a spring to fall 1916 model. The serial number on the motor is 11512C. In the Scripps Booth history website,the link for it is listed below,it states the newer versions of the Sterling motors started at 10,000. Thus my motor is the 1,512 built in the newer style.Remember the same engine was used in 1916-17 Monroe and Scripps Booth,so those serial number sequences of motors will be under the hood of both makes of cars built in 1916. The car comes with a pile of literature I bought on 1915-19 Monroe,plus a super rare and original Monroe gold and enamel dealer lapel pin! I have thought of restoring the car,OR building it as a slightly smaller version of the 1920 Monroe that won the Indy 500. (see photo below). Tom Butterworth,model T Tom,in Detroit,can build an authentic aluminum one or 2 seat Indy car body for this car for $2,500ish the last time I looked. He builds many for 100 inch Wheelbase Model T Fords,and this car is 96 inch WB. I also have a super nice set of period disc wheels with tires that will fit the Monroe hubs with either no modification,or a little modification of the hubs,if you wish to build an Indy car with disc wheels. I will sell those with the car for an additional $800. I paid $5,500 for the car 3 months ago,from the former owner,and paid the www.uship.com hauler $850 to bring it from Wisc. to Fla. I paid another $150 for the literature. Thus I have $6,500 in the car. The price is $6,500 firm,no trades. I can assist with shipping. It comes with the original title wiork and a bill of sale from me. For an additional $250 in title fees,I can get a Florida title issued in my name,and then sign that title over to the new owner. I bought this rare car to protect it for future generations to enjoy. DO NOT buy the car unless you are going to take care of it! It is nice and solid,missing a few small parts. I have a lot of photos,just ask. Serious inquiries only! I can store for free in my locked garage until spring. Must be fully paid for immediately however. Car has the doors,running boards,all four fenders,etc. with it. All the major stuff there and in nice original shape. Never abused or rusted. Ran and driven until approx. 15 years ago. George Albright,Ocala,Fla. gnalbright@gmail.com cell 352 843 1624 weekdays 10-4 EST Best. Below is the prior owners story about the car,from Ebay auction,which he ended early to sell the car to me: The experimental model 1915 Monroe M-2 made its first public appearance, "finished in the rough," in a downtown parade in Flint on Thursday, October 29, 1914, to promote the good roads movement. It was first displayed at the Flint Chevrolet dealer showroom of the Garner Auto Sales Company on Saturday, December 4, 1914, with the first deliveries starting January 1, 1915. I estimate approximately five experimental and show cars were completed by the end of December 1914.

To read more about the history of the Monroe automobile, please go to; http://home.earthlink.net/~<wbr>scrippsbooth/monroeprod.html To see the history of Scripps Booth cars,with frequent mention of the Sterling engine also used in the Monroe , go to: http://home.earthlink.net/~<wbr>scrippsbooth/sb.html

The experimental model 1915 Monroe M-2 made its first public appearance, "finished in the rough," in a downtown parade in Flint on Thursday, October 29, 1914, to promote the good roads movement. It was first displayed at the Flint Chevrolet dealer showroom of the Garner Auto Sales Company on Saturday, December 4, 1914, with the first deliveries starting January 1, 1915. I estimate approximately five experimental and show cars were completed by the end of December 1914.

History of car # 3 (A sad story)

This car was titled in May 1955 in Wisconsin to Grant L Campbell. On August 20, 1966 the car was sold to a childhood neighbor of mine, Bob Elver. I accompanied Bob to Hollandale, WI when he purchased this car. The car was then stored with other collectable cars in his garage until 1985. I purchased the car from the estate in 1985 after Bob’s accidental death.

The car was in running condition and was stored in my garage until 2002. I gave the car to a customer who restored old cars on the side with the agreement that he would restore it; we would sell it, and split the profits. Unfortunately, he passed away shortly thereafter. His widow wanted to continue the deal with her son completing the restoration. After some time it was difficult to make contact or obtain information. I was contacted recently to pick up the car because it was taking up space in their garage and restoration was not going to be completed.

The car had been garaged the entire eleven years but the body had been disassembled and no one could find the miscellaneous nuts and bolts. Missing was the headlights and magneto retardation unit from the steering wheel. The rolling chassis appears to be complete however at some point the motor had been removed from the car but not disassembled. It was reinstalled in the chassis but incorrectly.

I have documentation of the above facts. The title is still in the name of Grant Campbell but signed over to Robert Elver.

The experimental model 1915 Monroe M-2 made its first public appearance, "finished in the rough," in a downtown parade in Flint on Thursday, October 29, 1914, to promote the good roads movement. It was first displayed at the Flint Chevrolet dealer showroom of the Garner Auto Sales Company on Saturday, December 4, 1914, with the first deliveries starting January 1, 1915. I estimate approximately five experimental and show cars were completed by the end of December 1914.

History of car # 3 (A sad story)

This car was titled in May 1955 in Wisconsin to Grant L Campbell. On August 20, 1966 the car was sold to a childhood neighbor of mine, Bob Elver. I accompanied Bob to Hollandale, WI when he purchased this car. The car was then stored with other collectable cars in his garage until 1985. I purchased the car from the estate in 1985 after Bob’s accidental death.

The car was in running condition and was stored in my garage until 2002. I gave the car to a customer who restored old cars on the side with the agreement that he would restore it; we would sell it, and split the profits. Unfortunately, he passed away shortly thereafter. His widow wanted to continue the deal with her son completing the restoration. After some time it was difficult to make contact or obtain information. I was contacted recently to pick up the car because it was taking up space in their garage and restoration was not going to be completed.

The car had been garaged the entire eleven years but the body had been disassembled and no one could find the miscellaneous nuts and bolts. Missing was the headlights and magneto retardation unit from the steering wheel. The rolling chassis appears to be complete however at some point the motor had been removed from the car but not disassembled. It was reinstalled in the chassis but incorrectly.

I have documentation of the above facts. The title is still in the name of Grant Campbell but signed over to Robert Elver.

History of car # 3 (A sad story)

This car was titled in May 1955 in Wisconsin to Grant L Campbell. On August 20, 1966 the car was sold to a childhood neighbor of mine, Bob Elver. I accompanied Bob to Hollandale, WI when he purchased this car. The car was then stored with other collectable cars in his garage until 1985. I purchased the car from the estate in 1985 after Bob’s accidental death.

The car was in running condition and was stored in my garage until 2002. I gave the car to a customer who restored old cars on the side with the agreement that he would restore it; we would sell it, and split the profits. Unfortunately, he passed away shortly thereafter. His widow wanted to continue the deal with her son completing the restoration. After some time it was difficult to make contact or obtain information. I was contacted recently to pick up the car because it was taking up space in their garage and restoration was not going to be completed.

The car had been garaged the entire eleven years but the body had been disassembled and no one could find the miscellaneous nuts and bolts. Missing was the headlights and magneto retardation unit from the steering wheel. The rolling chassis appears to be complete however at some point the motor had been removed from the car but not disassembled. It was reinstalled in the chassis but incorrectly.

I have documentation of the above facts. The title is still in the name of Grant Campbell but signed over to Robert Elver.