Jump to content

MY GRANDFATHER'S CAR - WHAT WAS IT?


Guest ROBERT JENNINGS

Recommended Posts

There's a nice big touring in 5 of the pics. The other 8 all have a roadster. I don't know if they're the same car but the ones with the top up show the same rear double light and all have a high right hand drive steering wheel. I can't say for sure on the last pic but I think it might be just two cars, a touring and a roadster, I don't know the make.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest ROBERT JENNINGS

the "roadster" is a touring car with the top cut back and the rear seat removed - I believe this was done in order to carry more gear & equipment for a trip to Arizona from Detroit in the early part of this century - all the "roadster" pictures are from that trip. The car was abandoned and a train was taken for the return trip. Unfortunatly my grandfather died before I discovered these photos so I was not able to talk to him about it, My mother remembers that he went on this trip with a reporter from one of the Detroit newspapers but I have not been able to discover which one or exactly when the trip was taken. It was before he married my grandmother.

post-90662-14313933716_thumb.png

post-90662-143139337132_thumb.jpg

post-90662-143139337136_thumb.jpg

post-90662-14313933714_thumb.jpg

post-90662-143139337144_thumb.jpg

post-90662-143139337148_thumb.jpg

post-90662-143139337151_thumb.jpg

post-90662-143139337155_thumb.jpg

post-90662-143139337158_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I see two things, that make them two cars. First, on post #1 second photo top. You can see a swoop in the top hood section (packard style)

Compaired with the photo with the roadster pic, with the rear end on the ground and wheels off, The hood top section is a smooth radius, No swoop

like a packard.

Secondly, the windshield posts and frame work are completely differant.

I think it may be possible the they are the same make of car, as the rear sping set up and front axle are the same on both cars.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest ROBERT JENNINGS

Sorry I was not able to provide better photos, I made these prints in the early 60's from the origional negatives and I also had the orig sepia prints - they are both lost now. I don't think there were any other photos

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Robert,

When I first saw the pictures of the touring car, I also was thinking Packard. But all of the design features don't match Packard (close but not an exact match). I suggest checking Packard factory photos available on the following web site (you can search by the year of the car):

The Making of Modern Michigan - "Digitizing Michigan's Hidden Past"

I couldn't find a match in the factory pictures. It is an interesting collection of factory pictures, even if the car isn't a Packard.

Grandpa

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The touring has carriage style cowl lamps while the roadster's are shaped like a bell laying on it's side. The hoods are different, The touring's windshield has braces going forward while the roadster has small braces going backward. I suppose this stuff could have been modified but why? I believe they are different.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest ROBERT JENNINGS

I AGREE, LOOKS A LOT LIKE AN E.M.F. BUT REAR FENDER TREATMENT IS OFF - all the EMF photos I've seen show rear of fenders going flat and my grandfathers car curves down.

post-90662-143139340203_thumb.jpg

post-90662-143139340206_thumb.jpg

post-90662-14313934021_thumb.jpg

post-90662-143139340212_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Robert - Picture #3, just above, is so close to the first touring car picture in your first post. That photo is the best one, so I'm using that one to compare in my search. Other than the rear fenders, the door hinge/pull on the front door are reversed. Your grandfathers touring has doors that hinge in the rear only. The spoke count on the rear wheels is too many. It's hard enough to match the door pulls, then, just to find a coach with front and rear doors, don't forget the moulding strip between the doors countinuing around the back... Hmmm.... I must be missing something..... It's out there somewhere, but......

Stumped Chuck

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I believe it's a 1912 REO. I believe REO had a few models around that time.

Most times we think of REO as having a huge logo on the radiator but some models around that era only had the smaller radiator badge. I noticed the last photo in post #1 has a glare when looking at the radiator so it's hard to tell what the emblem may have been.

However, if you consider the shape of the hood in the first photo of post #1, that's a distinct characteristic of REO from what I've encountered. Plus the lights, fenders and the rear metal that curves up at the end all match certain models of the REO line, not all but some.

Could it be a 5 passenger REO Special ? Any REO guys out there ?

Oldsmobile was first REO . Was your grandfather an Oldsmobile guy by chance ?

Great photos and story. Thanks for sharing

Edited by 30DodgePanel (see edit history)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest ROBERT JENNINGS

I have been doing a lot of research using the suggestions proposed plus I have did some photo editing to see what the touring car would look like if it was converted to a roadster. Still not sure any of the suggestions are correct - primarily the treatment on the rear fenders does not look right'

post-90662-143141719308_thumb.jpg

post-90662-143141719316_thumb.jpg

post-90662-143141719343_thumb.jpg

post-90662-143141719356_thumb.jpg

post-90662-143141719376_thumb.jpg

Edited by ROBERT JENNINGS (see edit history)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...