1920 open drive limo - or taxi cab?

[nzcarnerd]

Not a lot to go on with this one.

 

http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_1221945.html

 

 

[Guest]

LHD with no right hand door. 

Didn't someone have a thread here last year on a similar barn find car?

Perhaps it was only the body?

[keiser31]

I see 2 right side doors.

 

Edited January 8, 2019 by keiser31 (see edit history)

[Guest]

I think my monitor was drunk when I looked at the photo this morning. 😄

[Grandpa]

The fairly straight cowl and the minimal intrusion of the rear fender into the rear door indicates a long wheelbase large car and not a taxi.  Could be a circa 1917 Marmon.

 

[keiser31]

I agree with the 'not a taxi' statement.

Edited January 8, 2019 by keiser31 (see edit history)

[Guest]

To me the only thing pointing to "taxi" was the lazy way the driver was opening the passenger door.  By the way in many jurisdictions a limo could be a taxi but a taxi might not be a limo.  Just as a rifle is a gun, but a gun might not be a rifle, it might be a pistol.

[keiser31]

The 1916 Marmon town car has the square window corners, flatter fender profile and the step up reveal behind the rear door area as on the car in question.

 

Edited January 8, 2019 by keiser31 (see edit history)

[gwells]

That step-up reveal is distinctive, but I sure can't find many pics of closed Marmons from this timeframe.

The '17 Marmon differs in having a slightly-slanted back windshield and in the OP's pic it's not slanted.

 

You have a picture, keiser?

[keiser31]

8 minutes ago, gwells said:

That step-up reveal is distinctive, but I sure can't find many pics of closed Marmons from this timeframe.

The '17 Marmon differs in having a slightly-slanted back windshield and in the OP's pic it's not slanted.

 

You have a picture, keiser?

Just the smallest of pictures....no top over the driver on this one. I could see the stepped reveal on the original.

Edited January 9, 2019 by keiser31 (see edit history)

[DLynskey]

My guess is "taxi" because of the worn condition. It's hard to imagine someone who could afford a limo would be seen riding in a car with a dent above the rear fender and very weathered paint.

 

What is the device at the lower end of the rear door? A doorstop? A wealthy owner surely would train his chauffeur not to open the door against the fender, thus avoiding the necessity of such an unattractive accessory.

 

Don

[Grandpa]

Re. the question of the car being a taxi - - -

The car appeared in the 1920 movie "His Royal Slyness", staring Harold Lloyd.  When new, the car was high priced and extremely unlikely to be used as a taxi at that time.  By 1920, the mid-teens car was an older used car that was converted to a taxi.  The conversion likely included the replacement of the original bail type exterior door handles with a straight type.

 

[Grandpa]

Re. the object on the lower rear side of the back door - - -

The object is an exterior door hinge, which can also be seen in the factory photo of the circa 1917 Marmon.  The upper hinge(s) are of the concealed type.  An exterior door hinge was used because of the slight inward curvature of the lower body.

[Dave Mellor NJ]

That running light on the B pillar looks like a miniature street light. I doubt it's standard equipment

[Grandpa]

Re. the B pillar lights - - -

The pendant style carriage lights were used as original equipment on some chauffeur driven cars of the period.  These lights could be original equipment or added at the time of the conversion to a taxi.  A 1914 Case limousine is shown below.