Alex Dragone and the Locomobile

[Flivverking]

Well ,one would think after the usual work week of dealing with  antique,vintage and classic motorcars,the buying of,repair/restoration ,the consignments and selling of these old heaps , not to mention the people and their personalities involved ,the weekend comes one would think "enough is enough"and take a break from it all.

 Not so for young Alex Dragone and his girlfriend..

Spotted out this Father's day, at a little meet in Shelton Connecticut being held at the Shelton Hysterical,oops! I mean,Shelton Historical Society,an anual anything and everything cars event,is there with what must be his his favorite ride,the huge stately, dark red LOCOMOBILE touring car.

And we must say too! It's our favorite ..

A detailed older restoration ,kept up in excellent condition and used quite often as far as this level of collector cars go.

 

We love the fact that even a grand luxury car of this period has nothing on a Model T Ford for starting convenience as seen when Alex and his girl ready to leave and Alex takes about 35 seconds plus,just pumping up fuel tank pressure with the dash pump before hitting the starter,which leads to ,2 very quiet 1/4 revolutions of the Loco's motor and it comes to life with a deep power low pitch growl ,all while any good tuned Model T is already down the street ! LOL .

Here are a few Loco pics of the day (some with sun glare) 

 

Edited June 20, 2021 by Flivverking (see edit history)

[Flivverking]

[Flivverking]

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[Flivverking]

[alsancle]

525 cubic inches.

[edinmass]

True car people take their cars out all the time. I just got back from grocery shopping and a Walmart trip with my 1917 White. Why not drive them? That’s why they have wheels. I also managed 60 miles on a 1930 V-16 Cadillac today before the afternoon showers kicked in. If you don’t drive them, you might as well collect rocks. The photo is yesterday’s drive to lunch in a 1933 a phantom II. Do yourself a favor, take you car out for a drive........

 

 

Edited June 20, 2021 by edinmass (see edit history)

[John_S_in_Penna]

1 hour ago, Flivverking said:

...huge stately, dark red LOCOMOBILE ...grand luxury car...

 

Do you know the year of the car?  It appears close

to my 1916, and is even in the same color.

 

Yes, it's definitely good he got it out to exercise it and

share it with show-goers.  But observers should be impressed

by excellence, not just by the weight of metal, the length of the

wheelbase, or the perceived material value.  We all recognize

that there's just as much satisfaction in going out to ice cream

in a Ford Model T.  And a Chevy Caprice from the mid-1970's

is probably bigger than the "huge" and "grand" Locomobile!

 

 

[Flivverking]

I think it's a 1920.? 

[Flivverking]

Original photo 1920

[edinmass]

Loco’s always have been good cars. It’s good to see the “big nickel” orphan cars getting out and driven. For too many years the nickel cars were left to rot. Today, people are recognizing what a great value they are, and how drivable they are compared to cars built in the late 20’s. Winton, Crane, Cunningham, Stephens, Pierce, just to name a few........all have been coming out of their garages for the first time in generations.............

[Walt G]

What Ed said and I will add to that "FINALLY" coming out. Road locomotives. Gotta love them. You have to be able to walk around one at least to really appreciate them. One of my current "projects" is to clean and polish a radiator/shell from a Locomobile of the same era that is on the car shown that I have had for decades and bought from Austin Clark. It is made/assembled  like a piece of very very large jewelry. A very heavy piece of large jewelry. It is not something that I am supposed to move by myself given the size/weight of it and I said I won't as it will get my cardiologists angry and my son as well. So I don't do that - except when none of them are around. I dood it. 🙃

[wayne sheldon]

Locomobiles are incredible cars! I know or have known several people that had them, everywhere from a 1906 on up into the early 1920s.

The era photo posted by Flivverking has me a bit confused (photo said to be 1920?). Most Locomobiles I have seen (or followed on tours) of the late 1910s into early 1920s had much flatter cowling, more like John_S_in_Penna's car. Alex Dragone's car has more flair to cowling! More like a longtime good friend's 1915 (also maroon). The funny thing is, I know TWO people with 1915 Locomobile touring cars. Both the same maroon! The two cars look so much alike, I am not sure I would know which was which if they were parked side by side? Beautiful cars!

At least two other friends with later Locomobile Sportifs were decent enough to have colors other than maroon! (Me joking of course?) One is green with black, the other mostly white with black.

[John_S_in_Penna]

3 minutes ago, wayne sheldon said:

Most Locomobiles I have seen (or followed on tours) of the late 1910s into early 1920s had much flatter cowling, more like John_S_in_Penna's car.

 

The production touring cars tended to have that up-sweep

in the cowl area;  the sportifs, which were custom-bodied

at least in 1916, had a straight-through cowl that was

really well in advance of the time.  Sportifs such as mine,

which are really just sporty touring cars, seat only 4 people;

regular touring cars (at least in 1916) have a body that

is less sleek but widens out for a 3-passenger rear seat.

 

 

[Flivverking]

The Dragone Locomobile is a 1923.. Excuse me Alex.😱

It is a model 48. 

 

 

What I find interesting in new and old photos of late teens to mid 20's Locomobiles I find on the web is the short sweep or long sweep front fenders seen through all years .

 

The Dragone Loco does have the low hood line cowl.. Depending on the angle of the picture the windshield frame thickness,along with the side crown of the cowling and body widening ,plus the shine highlights makes the cowl seem or appear to up-sweep..

Edited June 21, 2021 by Flivverking (see edit history)

[wayne sheldon]

Thank you John, for the clarification on the cowls! The Nickel Age Touring Club which I used to tour with fairly often (along with Grimy!) had a surprising number of incredible cars. I missed the tour about a dozen years ago (more?) that had five Locomobile Sportifs on it! One tour I went on had four model 34 Marmon automobiles. I did mange to make a few tours with two or three Locomobiles.

[John_S_in_Penna]

1 hour ago, Flivverking said:

The Dragone Locomobile is a 1923.

What I find interesting in new and old photos of late teens to mid 20's Locomobiles I find on the web is the short sweep or long sweep front fenders seen through all years.

 

The Dragone Loco does have the low hood line cowl.  Depending on the angle of the picture the windshield frame thickness, along with the side crown of the cowling and body widening, plus the shine highlights makes the cowl seem or appear to up-sweep..

 

As shown in the 1916-1917 Locomobile catalogues I have,

all production models had the regular S-curve in the front fender's sweep.

The taut shape of the front fender (as mine has) was shown only in certain

custom models.  They figured that latter shape was sportier, I suppose.

 

Also, Dragone's Locomobile pictured DOES have the upswept cowl.

Edited June 21, 2021 by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history)

[Flivverking]

Your right about the upsweep cowl..I was coming at it too much the wrong perspective as compare to other cars ....  For a Locomobile...it's a hill climb cowl on Dragone' s red bus.LOL!

[John_S_in_Penna]

16 hours ago, edinmass said:

I also managed 60 miles on a 1930 V-16 Cadillac today...

The photo is yesterday’s drive to lunch in a 1933 a phantom II. 

 

Ed, do you, as a collection manager, exercise others'

cars for them?  I see that cars in many large collections

don't get out enough, and therefore have more problems.

If so, you're doing the owners a good service.

 

I guess it's like having a dog-walking service, but many times

more enjoyable---

[edinmass]

Every car in the collection gets out on a regular basis.........even the show cars. We keep spare exhaust manifolds so we can swap them out and run them without ruining the porclin finish. Milage driven per car depends on if it's actively on the show circuit. You can drive 100 point cars.......but keeping up with all the little dings and wear is very time consuming never mind expensive. We have a handful of "hardcore" drivers that go anywhere, anytime. Dirt roads and all.........

 

I help a few others with their cars and collections. Often times people offer me cars for a few months or a year to help them get t sorted out. 

Edited June 21, 2021 by edinmass (see edit history)