nzcarnerd

Interesting mid 1920s car. What is it? I think the photo dates from somewhere in the late 1920s. For reference here are the NZ plates from the first national plates in 1925 until the introduction of permanent plates from 1964. This is a recent shot of the same hotel. The Chrysler is a permanent fixture there.

The car on the right is, relatively, easy. A Ford T from about 1918-20 by the gas sidelights. The other one is a bit more difficult. Probably a middle to upper price car from about 1914-16.

My copy of Floyd Clymer's Catalog of 1914 Cars has section of electric cars. Like most eras of cars 'they all look the same' but all are just that little bit different. Several are shown with solid tyres like this but even those tyres have differences of appearance. I first thought this one was an Argo Brougham but the wiki article says the Argo had a 110" wheelbase, the longest of any electric. The distinctive thing about this car is the location of the lamps - up along the side of the car. I think that confirms that this car is a 1915-16 Broc. Gong by the info in The Standard Catalog, it could be had as a front drive brougham, a rear drive brougham, or a double drive brougham, which presumably had two power packs and drove both axles??? Or was it all just about the location of the driving position?

The Ford T was about the first mass-produced car to go left hand drive, in 1908, and the others followed gradually, most by about 1913. The last to change was Stutz in about 1922.

Prompted by this post I looked in my copy of The Standard Catalog and there is a picture labelled as a 1913 Stoddard-Dayton Model 48 which looks just like the mystery car, even to the two different looking windshield struts.

The car with the small boy at the wheel is a Stevens-Duryea. There were so many similar cars in that era but each had its own characteristics like placement of door handles and lights etc.

Not many cars used that curved windshield strut.

I spoke to the owner of that "Auto Union' yesterday - I have known him for many years. He said the car is 1 1/2 times larger than the original. That is Rod Millen in the car, wearing the blue race suit. The owner drove it as well but it broke a rear drive shaft when he stalled it and tried to bump start it. His next project is to put a Bristol Hercules sleeve valve radial piston aircraft engine (look it up) into the back of an early Land Rover. The photo is one of his other creations - a vintage trials special consisting of two Coventry Climax generator engines in an Austin 7 chassis. He drove that again yesterday.

Hmmm, not much to go on with that one. Date around 1912-14(?), three quarter elliptic rear springs. Hard to say what the rear window of the top looks like - might be four panels? I think that top has a removable rear panel like this 1913 Overland. The top bows match but the rear fender shape is different. I reckon our mystery car is a 1914 Overland. We had another '14 Overland recently - #11. Could this be the same car?

Thanks I will have to remember that difference. So this car is a V rather than an AA.

1927 Chevrolet Landau Coupe.

More on that movie - http://www.imcdb.org/movie_36342-Shadow-of-a-Doubt.html It is nearly midnight Saturday here. I will have a look at the unidentified ones tomorrow, although I see I did have a look at them in 2009..

Do you have the page for the earlier models with the Fedco plate?

The Fedco number is just that - a number. There is no information to be had from it other that a suggestion of an approximate production date. Not like more modern Id plates with all sorts of info on them

There is one in Christchurch, New Zealand, which is a sort 'replica' of the late 1930s Auto Union hill climb car with dual rear wheels. I haven't actually seen it but It was at the Leadfoot Festival earlier this year.

Thanks, that was my guess.

It is a 1914 Model 79 Overland.

The 1930 Plymouth has something like that mounted on the headlight tie bar.

It is a 1924 Studebaker Special Six Duplex Phaeton. The Special Six used a smaller bore version of the Big Six engine and had a shorter wheelbase as well. The Duplex Phaeton was a touring body with a permanently fixed hard top. 1924 was the first year for that style radiator and from 1925 they went to 20" balloon tyres. It can be seen this one is on the older tall, skinny tyres - 32 x 4 - which are quite a small size for a car probably weighs most of 4,000 lb loaded. I think the accessory three bar bumper dates the photo to at least the late 1920s.

Interesting pic of some antiques. Brush on the left, Packard (30 or 18?) and ??? Stoddard-Dayton? Note the Cape Cart top.

Yes the forward lower corner of the vent window is different. Yes, we in NZ call it a quarter light - an English term - the Yanks call it a vent window.

I think this one is earlier than 1934. On the '34s had the front fenders went further forward over the front wheels.

Did a bit of research and it might be the 'lower price' model from 1933?

I have not seen headlights like that on a Packard before. http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_1157886-Packard.html

Phantom I? No other pics sorry. http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_1158082-Rolls-Royce.html