Car in Colorado, no newer than ~1910

[West Peterson]

Sorry about the resolution. I'm trying to get a better scan.

[oldcarfudd]

Maxwell. Possibly an A or AA.

[West Peterson]

Can you provide any photos? I'm not saying you're wrong, and while the hood certainly makes me think Maxwell, I cannot seem to find any images of a Maxwell that has a wooden cowl that looks like that, along with a grille that looks like that, and with fenders that look like that.

Almost looks like a Hupmobile to me.

[oldcarfudd]

It was just a guess.  But that shifter lever looks like the one on a Maxwell planetary transmission.  Hupmobiles had sliding gear transmissions with very different levers.

[Chris Paulsen]

Definitely a 2-cylinder Maxwell. I believe it is a transition model between 1911 and 1912. The radiator and hood are 1912, but the body, fenders, etc are 1911. The shifter is signature Maxwell. 

[Dave Mellor NJ]

This 12 Maxwell has the high painted radiator and a similar cowl

 

[Ozstatman]

40 minutes ago, Dave Mellor NJ said:

This 12 Maxwell has the high painted radiator and a similar cowl

Dave,

Here are a few more pic's of that 1912 Maxwell taken the same day in 2013 at the Shannons Sydney Classic at Sydney Motorsport Park. It was in the Concours and received an award and later a lap around the track. Unfortunately it broke its crankshaft last year(it split in two!) and a billet shaft is now being machined to replace it

[DavidMc]

Hey that's my car!  Its a 1912 Maxwell  Messenger AC 2 cyl. 

 

There are some similarities with one in the B&W photo but that gear lever for example is quite different , the radiator looks deeper than mine.   Mine was the first year with a painted radiator and a wooden cowl like the one in the B& W photo. Tthe previous models had brass radiators and  curved metal cowls.  There were more than one Maxwell Messenger body style in 1912 ,  below are only photos I have of two of the body styles.  The one on the right is the same as mine the one on the left has similarities with the subject car such as the gear lever but it does not have the wooden cowl and it has the earlier style brass radiator.

1912 was the last year of the 2 cylinder models and it looks like Maxwell may have selling cars with a mixture of parts from current and earlier models.   My guess is that it is a 1912 Maxwell AC but with some unusual body features.

 

 

 

[Frank Cerutti]

I agree with Chris Paulson and DavidMc.

The car is 1912 AC ( tall bonnet and radiator) with 1911 AB body (fuel tank under the seat and gear change outside the seat).

I can only assume the updated bonnet and radiator AC, were placed on unsold AB body and chassis for sale in 1912.

[DavidMc]

Frank,  the bonnet (hood for the benefit of our US friends) on my AC is  about 18" high from the side rails.  I am curious as to whether the curved metal cowl from the earlier models was tall enough to accommodate this or whether Maxwell extended the cowl to take the AC bonnet.  Is your LD metal cowl tall enough for the AC bonnet?

 

The AC Messenger like mine is a bit odd in that its body is quite different to all previous 2 cyl Maxwell models which at first seems strange when Maxwell were stopping production of the 2 cyl cars .  The body has a wooden cowl taller radiator lower body due to the round fuel tank at the rear instead of under the seat however the reason is simple.  The company was being run by Walter Flanders of Flanders car fame and the body on my car is from a 1912 Flanders car.    The occasional 1912 AC that turns up with a body that is a mixture of body parts points to a company using up its parts inventory before ceasing production.

 

The AC is mechanically identical to the 1911 AB and earlier models with a 4.5" bore however in 1912 Maxwell advertised it as a 16  HP car while the earlier cars were 14 HP.  It seems the sales people discovered a couple more HP without the burden of "truth in advertising"

 

[Frank Cerutti]

David

 

On the LD, the top of the bonnet (US hood) is 18 inches above the chassis rails, the same as the AC. I would have sworn the AC was taller.

 

The top  of the curved steel cowl is 21 inches on the LD.

 

With the bonnets being identical in height I imagine the rear bonnet frame from an AC would fit on the LD perfectly.

 

The shape of the AC bonnet gives the illusion of taller and thinner, which of course it is not, to accommodate the flat cylinder layout.

 

Frank Cerutti

1909 LD9024

Townsville, Australia