Abbott-Detroit Battleship

[BobinVirginia]

I ran across a car I found interesting recently. A 1915 8-80 Battleship which is a unique car with its riveted body panels and pointed radiator. Do any still exist? Perhaps someone here knows something about them? 

[wayne sheldon]

A new one for me.

[Rod P]

New to me, not much out there. 1909-1919. 

 

https://simeonemuseum.org/shop-talk/abbott-detroit/

 

But there 8-80 looks different, as roadster?

[Brass is Best]

That is a great photo of a Fire Department.

[AHa]

I am curious about the vehicle at the far left, the one with the large bulge in the front hood side. It reminds me of a certain 1907 Chadwick car fitted with a blower device wherein a large bulge of similar design was necessary to cover the supercharger. Can anyone identify this vehicle and the reason for this bulge?

Edited July 17 by AHa (see edit history)

[alsancle]

2 minutes ago, AHa said:

I am curious about the vehicle at the far left, the one with the large bulge in the front hood side. It reminds me of a certain car fitted with a blower device wherein a large bulge of similar design was necessary to cover the supercharger. Can anyone identify this vehicle and the reason for this bulge?

I'm not aware of any cars with blowers that early?   Which brings up an interesting question.   I think the earliest blown cars were Mercedes in the early 20s?

[AHa]

Lee Chadwick developed a three stage blower after witnessing the use of one at his local foundry and installed it on a 1907 car of his making. He won the 1908 Giants Hill Climb with it.

[AHa]

1907 Chadwick with blower bulge in hood.

Edited July 17 by AHa (see edit history)

[AHa]

Bob, the car you posted is an Abbott Detroit; Battleship was the name Abbott Detroit gave this model. And, yes, there are a few Abbott Detroit cars around. Before you posted this picture, it was doubtful they ever actually produced any Battleship cars. Manufacturers routinely produced artwork to see how much interest a car might produce before production was started. This picture proves at least one example was produced. Fire departments during these years kept their eyes out for large displacement cars to convert to fire trucks once they were being sold as used cars.

[PAV8427]

6 minutes ago, AHa said:

Bob, the car you posted is an Abbott Detroit; Battleship was the name Abbott Detroit gave this model. And, yes, there are a few Abbott Detroit cars around. Before you posted this picture, it was doubtful they ever actually produced any Battleship cars. Manufacturers routinely produced artwork to see how much interest a car might produce before production was started. This picture proves at least one example was produced. Fire departments during these years kept their eyes out for large displacement cars to convert to fire trucks once they were being sold as used cars.

So with just minimal fire fighting equiptment on the Battleship, that could be the first'first responder'. 
At least one of the first. 

[BobinVirginia]

I asked about a Battleship on the Period Image thread and @30DodgePanel shared the best pic of one I’ve seen! Apparently some were made but not many. 

[BobinVirginia]

If you zoom in and look at the details it’s a very neat car. The cowl air scoop on the side with the bulky rivets is one detail I like. 

[BobinVirginia]

I found a few more pics here https://www.imcdb.org/v585287.html

That’s about all I’ve found. 

[AHa]

It would be called a fire chiefs car. 

[AHa]

The Battleship Roadster is called a 45-50, which means the car produced between 45 and 50 hp. Horsepower was measured differently in those days and a spread was many times how it was expressed. At low rpms it produced 45 horses and at higher it produced 50. This was important because most roads were unpaved and it was common place to get bogged down in sand or mud. You needed a high horsepower, or torque, at low rpms to pull out of these quagmires.