Can you identify this pre-GM vehicle?

[manikmekanik]

Who knows what this is?

[West Peterson]

Durant-Dort Carriage Co., Flint, Michigan. Largest maker of horse-drawn carriages in the country.

[manikmekanik]

You're very close, West! You have good eyes, or a good photo viewer!

I think it's more rare than that! Yes, it's horse-drawn, but has no wheels.

Here's another photo. I love the detail of the hand painted pinstriping.

[West Peterson]

Your photos are very blurry and the contrast blows out a lot of the detail in the body tag. I'm pretty sure I'm correct in identifying the body tag as Durant-Dort Carriage, Flint, so I must be wrong about thinking it's a carriage. Is it, perhaps, a cutter? or something larger?

[manikmekanik]

Sorry 'bout the bad pix, Wes!

I'll get some more to post today.

Hint: It's perfect for "Dashing thru the snow" and it's not an implement.

[West Peterson]

A cutter is a two-passenger, one-horse open sleigh.

I look forward to seeing some overall pictures. Is this yours? I love the originality of what I see so far. Where did you get it. Is it an heirloom? (Is it for sale? <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />)

[Guest John W. Cina]

I just thought I'd add a little $ .02 .

Yes the Durant-Dort carraiage company did build some good ones.

I've been driving horses for almost 35 years. I have a Cutter with similiar painting on it.

Nice to have orginal condition vehicles like that. Most cutters/sleighs were taken out for different ocassions than stuck back in the shed where they stayed - keeping them nice.

My kids used to get a ride to school in the sleighs.

We have an event in January its called the " St. Paul Winter Carnival Sleigh and Cutter Parade " held the end of January where we have probably the Worlds largest gathering and longest running event of Horse and Sleighs.

I always have felt its fun driving horse ----- and also collecting and driving OLD cars -------

It gives a real insight into the evolution of early transportation.

Well we got about a 1/2" snow so Santa may make it in his Sleigh --------

[color:"red"] MERRY CHRISTMAS [color:"green"]to all .......... John in MN. 3)- 1921 DORT touring cars

[West Peterson]

John

That's neat.

My grandmother, who lived in Freeborn, Minnesota, used a cutter to take herself to school every day in the winter. That sleigh remained in the family barn, then the garage rafters for a long, long time, and was in very, very good condition. I wish I knew the maker of it.

In the 1980s, when I told the family I would like to have the sleigh, much to my dismay, it had been sold by her niece without asking any of my grandmother's direct decendants. I was not very happy. That's what happens, I guess, when you move so far away from home.

Merry Christmas, everyone.

[manikmekanik]

Thanks for the excellent feedback, gentlemen!

I've been away from this thread for a year, but posted a new one in the Durant forum.

Maybe we'll get up to MN this January, depends on snow depth. I'd rather sell it to someone who appreciates it, and knows what to do with it, like a restorer, or carriage builder. She wants to paint it up and put it on the front porch, for Christmas display.

I told her NO WAY! No-one is gonna paint over that beautiful scroll work, (pinstriping), as long as I own it!