A Roamer ?

[John_Mereness]

The cast of Rolls-Royce radiator/grill trademark "infringers" is usually Roamer, Moon, Elcar, and MacFarlan.  A lot of people have said this is a Moon via hood louvers, but scale seems wrong as is price range for customization (ie this had Rudge wheels and .....).  This was posted by Logan Mulford (a picture of his grandfather) out on the Facebook Art Deco Era Motor and Fashion Group - he was asking if anyone knew the make ?   

 

There has been too much guessing, so looking for a 20's expert and explanation of why they believe it is what it is.

[keiser31]

By the look of the headlamp stanchions, I would say Roamer.

[Bob McAnlis]

Try Kenworthy

[Steve Moskowitz]

I believe Bob hit it on the head!  Google Kenworthy Automobile and you will find pictures that clearly show the unique similarities with this car.  Should have known Bob would come up with this...coming to Auburn this year???

[Ivan Saxton]

I do not like to disagree with Bob or Steve, though I have never met either.  I rule out Roamer absolutely,  though certain Roamer features probably indicate what it is.     Radiator shapes of those mentioned should more correctly be ascribed to an ancient Grecian architectural style.  Roamer used an inversion of the same shape for its radiator badge.   The same shape was featured in the door handles, in the same orientation as the radiator badge.  Now the Roamer step plates have a "cut-out" of the same shape,  but the same way up as the radiator itself.   It is difficult to determine the shape of the "cut-out" on the Kenworthy pictures that I could find on Google.  There might be better angle shots of Kenworthy in January 1921 Show issue of MoToR; but my copy of that is fragile , and I have put it somewhere safe where I cannot find it today.   My guess is that the prominent circular shape of the holes in the step plates is likely indicative of Moon.   I did not register to memory much detail of the Kenworthy  that I saw at Harrah's on display in 1980.  I was more interested to study detail on Roamers, but the unrestored Duesenberg engined Roamer had previously been sold to someone in California.    ( And there were so many cars that were notable but I had never seen before, that I just walked past many that in other circumstances I would have crawled around under, and photographed for hours.)   You cannot go by the Rudge Whitworth licence wheels, which were made by both Buffalo/Houk,  and Standard Roller Bearing in Scranton PA .  The identification on the wheel discs on this car is too indistinct for me to recognise;  but Buffalo wire wheel discs were a very light and intricate etching on Packard Twin Six and those few early Packard Eights that had 100mm Rudge Whitworth wire wheels.  SRB discs for Mercer were much more deeply etched.  Those for the Hayes wire wheels on Roamer were a much deeper pressing with nickel plating and black paint in-fill.   However, when Ian Smith purchased new stuff for his 1918 SX Stutz Bearcat from Harry Pulfer, ( who made a lot of nice stuff to help people), Ian got four wheel discs for me for the Roamer, which were etched and with red and white paint in-fill, for which I have seen no precedent.

[keiser31]

Here is a 1918 Roamer....similar step design and wide frame splash area....lots of differences, though.

Edited April 18, 2017 by keiser31 (see edit history)

[Ivan Saxton]

I am surprised that there might have been double cantilever rear springs earlier than about 1920, because those removeable pieces above the step-plates are for greasing those dc springs.  I have the chassis frame and other parts of a 1917 semi-elliptic rear spring car, which originally had a "Rottenber"engine, which was a model which was not as well regarded as previous engines, in separate -pot Overlands, for instance.   They used  semi-elliptic rear springs into the 20s for longer wheelbase requirements.   Is that the roamer that Tom Carrig restored?