Guest Posted November 23, 2001 Share Posted November 23, 2001 Here's something for you brass enthusiasts. 1915 Stellite 4 passenger torpedoe roadster, made by Vickers in England from 1913-1919. I believe there are only 2 in the U.S. technical details are as follows, 1.1 liter 4 cylinder inlet over exhaust engine, 8'3" wheelbase with 700/80 tires,3 speed transaxle with 4.8-1 axle ratio, rack and pinion steering plus cantilever springing. This car is low, sporty and sexy with much brass trim with the heaviest cast brass windshield stanchions Iv'e ever seen, the headlights, sidelights, radiator, mouldings and practically all exterior and interior trim are brass, please e-mail for photos. The car originally came from Henry Austin Clarke in the '60's and is in all essentials amazingly original and complete with the following caveats, it was resprayed with laquer over the ORIGINAL PAINT and given a new leatherette interior about 40 years ago, still O.K. but worn. When I got the car it was partially disassembled, fortunately all the parts were found and I had new pistons, bearings, valves and valve guides made plus over $2,000.00 in new rear axle drive gears and differential pinions making this a most reliable tour car which I have driven less than 1,000.00 miles. The Stellite has been described by David Scott Moncrieff and other writers as "the best of british light cars" and this description certainly applies to this one, I've had it up to 43mph but it seems most happy at 30-35 and except for a carb rebuild { crude S.U. with manifold vacuum operated leather bellows} has proven amazingly trouble-free and fun, PLEASE E-MAIL FOR PHOTOS TO cranleto555@yahoo.com or call me at 631-549- 3839 and please come and drive it!!! I want to trade it for a '27-'32 large,powerful sedan, Hudson,Lincoln, Pierce, Elcar, etc, what have you? all cars considered as I prefer to trade rather than sell. <BR> Thanks, Carleton W. Hughes jr. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 23, 2001 Share Posted November 23, 2001 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted November 24, 2001 Share Posted November 24, 2001 Are the Stellite wheels cast like the 1912 era AC? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 24, 2001 Share Posted November 24, 2001 In fact they are welded pressed steel developed by a John Sankey and called naturally Sankey Steel Wheels. They were popular from about 1912 to the late '20's, I've been told on account of the high duties on imported wood. Carleton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 25, 2001 Share Posted November 25, 2001 Attention interested parties, not shown in the pic are the original top irons with new oak top bows which only need to be covered with white canvas in the original manner. Carleton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 26, 2001 Share Posted November 26, 2001 Any brass freaks out there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted November 26, 2001 Share Posted November 26, 2001 I stand corrected on the "cast" wheels. My 1912 AC went to a new home over 10 years ago. I wonder if the Sankey wheels are just a copy of the 1904 Autocar wheels made by Midgley Mfg. in Columbus, Ohio? Yeah, I'm a brass car nut. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 27, 2001 Share Posted November 27, 2001 Guess nobody out there wants to swap. Suppose I'll have to do the unthinkable and actually SELL it, then buy the type of car I want, oh well.................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 17, 2001 Share Posted December 17, 2001 One last chance to swap for this beauty before I detail it out and offer it for sale next month so read my honest description above.<P> Any interesting vehicle considered so e-mail away to cranleto555@yahoo.com. <P>Anyone grown tired of their Rolls silver shadows or Mercedes SL's and want something different? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SalG (Sal Grenci) Posted December 18, 2001 Share Posted December 18, 2001 LI, You mention Austie, did you ever go to the Iron Range? I went to the last few and after he passed away. <p>[ 12-19-2001: Message edited by: SalG ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 19, 2001 Share Posted December 19, 2001 Hey Sal, I went once when Austie was alive and once after he passed on, loads of fun and very educational for a kid like me as there were many guys who actually welcomed my youthful questions as opposed to others. Carleton<BR> <BR>Oh, Merry Christmas all!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SalG (Sal Grenci) Posted December 19, 2001 Share Posted December 19, 2001 LI, The first time I went, Les Cutting invited me and I got there early before Les, several people questioned me as to who I was. I picked through the piles in the various buildings. As the usual, Austi would close down for lunch and go to John Ducks. He wanted people to pay for their pile before going to eat. (This way he had drinking $) Well, I had a pile of small Model T items and one cardboard sign reading LI Auto Museum, Southampton, NY. Austie would note sell it to me. I asked why not, I thought everything was for sale. He stated that no signage or lititure was for sale. He then checked over my pile well and spotted something else he hid not want to sell, so I said fine and asked for a price on what was left and then he did not want to sell me anything. Les comes over and says that I am a fine young man in his club, not a dealer and that I wanted the items for my collection. Hearing Les, Austi gave me everything for free, including the excluded items. After luch he directed me to other items of interest. I later told this story to several people who knew him for years, and they said I had the seal of approval. I also went to the Iron Range after his death and picked up many items that were off limits. <p>[ 12-19-2001: Message edited by: SalG ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted December 19, 2001 Share Posted December 19, 2001 Sal, Thank you for that nice flashback in time! I first met Austi in 1962 when we went to the museaum for the one and only time. I'll always kick myself for never going to the "Iron Range" later on in life. Les Cutting is another guy that helped many people into the hobby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronbarn Posted December 19, 2001 Share Posted December 19, 2001 Sal, 1937 and others, What was the Iron Range? I knew Austi only from Philadelphia Annual Meeting and being from the south knew little of the LI Museum. How about you guys get together and tell a more complete story for the Antique Automobile magazine. Sounds like it would be a fascinating article. Any photos? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SalG (Sal Grenci) Posted December 20, 2001 Share Posted December 20, 2001 Ronbarn & others, The Iron range was given its name because you basicly went by invitation only and you roamed the range (fields & buildings)for iron, or wood or rubber or anything else that you felt was treasure and most other people in and out of the hobby think is junk.<BR>For those of you who do not know of Henry Austin Clark, his family got their $ from Cuban sugar plantations and lost a big chunk when Fiedel came in. This said, Austie never had a "real" job, he lived off the family $$ and he had the LI Auto Museum, and wrote books and was an authority on many brass cars. He also started the Carnival of Cars in NYC, Broadway & 45th in the early 50's (I think) it flopped. After he died the Iron Range was run by Warren Kraft and the prices were even better. And the off limits items were for sale. The LI site has been vacant for years, I went while it was open, it sites on prime land on Cty Rt 39. It has been up for sale for a long time, I just drove passed there yesterday. <BR>My friend Les Cutting was there the day it opened (1940's) and the day it closed. He is 83 now and has Parkinson's, he was a mentor to many in the hobby and collected odd makes before anyone else considered this a hobby. <BR>As for photos, I do not have any. I will take a picture and send it to PeterG.<BR> <p>[ 12-19-2001: Message edited by: SalG ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted December 20, 2001 Share Posted December 20, 2001 Ronbarn, You couldn't write an article about Austie, someone needs to write a BOOK! Years ago there was a monthly feature in Old Cars Weekly that Austie wrote, it was great. He would relive an old car adventure while relating the historical features of the car he was after at the time. If you can find some of the bound "Best of Old Cars Weekly"there are a lot of the old features there. Austie was a great photographer and had a nice series of car postcards that he sold. He had a special way of shooting a car, you knew it was one of his photos if you saw it in a magazine. It was a pleasure to have known him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 20, 2001 Share Posted December 20, 2001 Brief story about Austie told to me by my friend Lester Cutting who was an expert storyteller.When in his cups Austie would sometimes proudly boast that he never worked a day in his life and when Lester queried him on this was told the following tale. When a young man Austie was hounded by his father to "buckle down and forget these toys" not a successful approach toward one whose preferences were formed early. One day to mollify his father Austie agreed to go to work in "your own office" as his father put it. On the day appointed young Austie stepped into the building and said to a secretary seated nearby, " I'm Henry Austin Clark junior, could you show me where my office is"?<BR>"just a moment sir" she replied and made it seemed 2 dozen calls before escorting Austie to a distant part of the building where there was an obviously unused office, after awhile Austie walked back down the corridor and thanked the secretary for her help. She asked him if he had any instructions for his office to which he replied "paint it" and never set foot in it again. this is near as verbatim as I remember Les telling it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SalG (Sal Grenci) Posted December 20, 2001 Share Posted December 20, 2001 Can someone who knows how to move a post please send this over to the general DF? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 20, 2001 Share Posted December 20, 2001 But what about my poor Stellite?{bought from Les and Kathy} no one wants to trade?do I have to actually lower myself and SELL it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted December 20, 2001 Share Posted December 20, 2001 I keep getting this vision from the movie "Rocky" you standing there screaming STELLITE!!!!!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 20, 2001 Share Posted December 20, 2001 I get a different view - from "Streetcar Named Desire" with Marlon Brando bellowing "Stella" repeatedly. The object of his affection(?) was Kim Hunter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 20, 2001 Share Posted December 20, 2001 And Blanche Dubois, Stella's sister whom Stanley rapes. As for poor Stellite, well no one wants her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
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 accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now