ID unique pre-WWI closed body

[PFindlay]

I'm trying to ID this body, which may or may not be on its original chassis.  It is quite unique in that it has a center door on the right side and a single front door on the left.  It's fully enclosed with three sets of slide-down windows on each side.

 

It's a left hand drive, probably circa 1913 - 1915?

 

Suggestions?

 

Edited September 14, 2020 by PFindlay (see edit history)

[mribbich@wi.rr.com]

Post some pictures of the engine all sides.

 

Marv.

[28 Chrysler]

Taxi of some sort ?

[PFindlay]

4 hours ago, mribbich@wi.rr.com said:

Post some pictures of the engine all sides.

 

Marv.

Thanks, but I'm trying to identify the body.  It is currently on a Russell-Knight (Canadian) chassis so the engine is known.  I've found no record of this body style on a Russell so I'm trying to determine if the body has been taken from another car.

Peter

[PFindlay]

22 minutes ago, 28 Chrysler said:

Taxi of some sort ?

That's an interesting possibility which I will keep in mind as I'm looking through the old photos.  Thanks, Peter

[Casper Friederich]

The factory-built body Sedan version of the Italian 1919-26 Fiat 501 had a similar door configuraton, also the first closed Citroën was equipped with asymmetrically placed doors. 

 

Edited September 15, 2020 by Casper Friederich (see edit history)

[8E45E]

It could be a McLaughlin body, built for taxi use.  We know McLaughlin got into bed with Buick, but Col. Sam also built bodies for Rauch & Lang (scroll to the Auto Section here for the Rauch & Lang https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=hqOjcs7Dif8C&dat=19110226&printsec=frontpage&hl=en  )  It also has the thick wood window frames in the illustration.  I wouldn't be surprised if McLaughlin also supplied bodies for other makes of vehicles.

 

Craig

[PFindlay]

Interesting.  I've never heard of "The McLaughlin Electric".  I'll start checking out McLaughlin and taxi bodies.  Thanks,  Peter

[Ariejan NL]

Before the first World War in the USA this type of body was called an inside-drive limousine, at some point around 1914 they started to be called sedan. A front door for the driver and a center door on the other side for the passengers was the common configuration. Added a 1912 Auburn limousine with quite similar looks. Normally every body style in the USA was very specific for each make, so it could be that your limousine body was used on an Auburn before, but I have not enough examples of other makes to be sure.

[PFindlay]

Thank you Ariejan, this is very close.  The main difference I see is the slight arch along the roofline.  Very helpful.

Peter

[Ariejan NL]

It seems that Rambler was the first make to introduce the sedan on the American market end of 1911. In Automobile Topics the body was described as an inside drive four-passenger coupe, but in a Rambler's advert of early 1912 it is praised as the cheap alternative for the chauffeur driven limousine. Again the similarity of the bodywork with your body is obvious. Remarkable is of course the asymmetric window configuration because of the different position of the entrance doors.