1920s Romanian Supercar?

Hi Folks,

Turning to you with hope of a bit of help. We this side of the pond have run out of ideas as to what this car could be. Relatively sure it is European and Teutonic at that, from the double lamps. This was mainly a feature from Germany' Austria, and Italy, occasionally the Low Countries. We have looked at various possibilities including Austro Daimler and Metallurgique, and numerous other bullnose rad types.

However the script on the badge is upturned V shape which ends in what looks like ##### #illar. Suggesting something like # Aquillar. Not Templar. I seem to recoginse the badge; sure I have seen it before.

Mermaid figure on the top of the temperature gauge. Seems to be Boyce MotoMeter but has anguar sides rather than being round. Light background with four/five letter heading. Seems to start with a W.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

Regards

Vintman (UK)

www.svvs.org

Research in Romania suggested the registration was linked to an Austrian Graf & Stift . I have found nothing like it in my researches of G&S, so I doubt it.

Vintman

I believe it actually is a Gräf & Stift. VK 1 and SR 3 models look a lot like this car. The fender tips are of different shape but the radiator, lights etc. match. Also if you take a close look at the badge you can see it is a typical Gräf & Stift triangle - even the last letters are visible.

I agree, it's definitely a Graf & Stift.

How about pictures if you are sure it`s Grag&Stift,haven`t found anyone with that windshield type on Graf&Stift.

Leif in Sweeden.

I wouldn't try to identify a car based on the windscreen alone. Graf & Stift were an expensive car in their day, and like most top end European cars of that period, they mostly had coach built bodies by various makers. The coach builder was usually responsible for the body, mud guards, windscreen etc. Sometimes the bonnet would remain the same from the car maker, but that was about it. The body on this car could be the only one made, the windscreen could a one off item made to suit this car alone. I'm sure Graft & Stift were bodied by various coach builders, and in various countries. Like Mercedes bodied in France, Bugattis bodied in the UK, etc.

Attached is a photo of a 1923 SR3 Graf & Stift, here in Melbourne, as well as a 1920 Lohner bodied Graf & Stift with a similar windscreen.

That looks quite right with Graf&Stift,the problem we have are that the google resault are different from contry to contry I think. I have`t seen those pictures before at least not the ones on the open car.

Thanks Craig.

Leif in Sweden.

Hi Folks,

Thanks for your inputs but I remain puzzled and concerned about this one. Roughly half of the people think it is a Austro Daimler, the other half that it is a Graf & Stift. I am not yet convinced it is either. If you enlarge the photo by clicking on it, the end of the script on the badge becomes quite readable, and it does not seem to say STIFT. Also the angle of the radiator is more acute on the G&S and the point of the rad curves under. Also, G&S logo sags down in the centre. The logo on the photo is very much upward V. ??

The radiator shape is nearest to a cca 1920 Metallurgique : http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/1921_M%C3%A9tallurgique_12-14_HP_sports_roadster_fr3q.JPG . Metallurgique were made under licence by Berman.

Any thoughts on/about the Boyce MotoMeter??

Please keep thinking!

Regards

Vintman

These photos are probably better examples of the type and year of Graf & Stift I was thinking of, the first could even be the same model.

Hi Craig,

Guess you have cracked it. Many thanks. And thanks for attaching the photos which prove that 'a picture is worth a thousand words'. I have not seen the upper two pictures before. The middle one even has the windscreen that Leif was talking about. I am guessing that my photo must be of a slightly earlier car because of the larger headlamps and simpler non tulip body. Possibly just before after WW1. Again, many thanks.

Kind Regards

Vintman