Worldwide Auctioneers have a treat in store when they offer a long concealed assortment of pre-war, brass era and steam-powered motorcars from the Sawyer's Sandhills Museum during The Houston Classic Auction on April 25th, which runs in conjunction with the Concours d'Elegance of Texas at La Torretta Lake Resort & Spa.
The collection features a fascinating group of rare and venerable motorcars that have been untouched since the mid 1990s, when the Nebraska museum closed its doors for the last time.
Mr. George Sawyer Sr., a retired rancher and motorcar enthusiast, travelled the country during the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s buying significant old automobiles that represented good value because 'no-one knew what they were.'
The 1900 Locomobile Model 2 Runabout has a 3.5 HP twin-cylinder double-acting steam engine, with transverse full-elliptic spring at the front, live rear axle with full-elliptic leaf springs and single chain drive, differential brake, tiller steering. Once you’ve attended to the boiler under the driver’s seat you can enjoy the whisper of a steam engine pulling you along with bags of torque – a truly wonderful experience.
Little is known of the origins of the 1902 Rattler , which is the only example known to exist, and could lead to the most interesting aspect of owning this unique piece of history. The enormous carriage wheels, with equally large wings, probably helped the makers name their car. The water-cooled engine sits under the seat to keep you warm and the chain driven rear axle has an interesting differential. No wonder it has survived so well for over 100 years – it was probably a nightmare to drive with pencil thin cart wheels spinning away in the mud and the boiling engine cooking the driver’s bottom. We expect they pushed it in the shed and left it there.
The 1909 Buick Model F has an interesting layout with its 2.6 litre twin cylinder engine beneath the seats, the carburettor beneath the pedals and the petrol tank fills the space between the radiator and bulkhead. Perhaps this is where Leslie Hounsfield found his inspiration for his Trojan design – even down to the single chain drive, two speeds and planetary gears?
Equally well-preserved is the 1912 Chalmers Model 30 – a true grand tourer offering 5 passengers plenty of comfort and leg room and its 3.7 litre 4 cylinder motor with OHV plus 3-speed gearbox will give you speed to match. Chalmers became one of America’s best cars and the evidence of good quality and design is easy to see.
Another 1912 car is the Imperial Model 34. A large and imposing car with a 40HP 4-cylinder motor to complement its smart style and well-balanced design. The word Imperial implies royalty and the highest order of aristocracy. It’s no wonder that many car companies chose the name Imperial as the namesake for their product. So popular was the name that an Imperial car was built in no less than six different cities in the U.S. Although several cars wore the Imperial name, none lasted longer than the Jackson, Michigan-built Imperial.
The 1916 Paterson Model 6-42 has a wheelbase of 117inches, one more than the Imperial, and is powered by a 40HP Continental in-line six giving ample touring speed to its 7 passengers if you include the two fold-out seats in the back. This old war horse has surely covered more than the 8,647 miles indicated on the speedometer – it certainly looks like it!
The six cylinder Continental engine also powers this 1924 Flint Model E with solid wheels but still no front wheel brakes and this 1924 Model T Ford Coupe is also rear wheel brakes only and ready to be dusted down and used as-is.
What better way to honour one's father than to name a car after him. Such were the thoughts of Charles Jeffery, who decided to call his new car the "Jeffery" after his father Thomas, who brought Rambler to Kenosha, Wisconsin, and forever changed the city. When Thomas died in 1910, son Charles honoured him with the new Jeffery in 1914. Business looked good with over 10,000 cars sold in 1914, but an epic event changed the course of the young Jeffery’s life. He was aboard the Lusitania when it was sunk in just 18 minutes after a hit from a German torpedo. Jeffery survived four hours in the icy waters but he was never the same and sold the company to Charles Nash and retired.
In all the cars above, you're talking not just about the car, but its well-earned, century-old layer of dirt, dust, grime, crud, cracks, scratches and other imperfections that are all part of the tapestry of its history, and which all give new meaning to the word patina. If you want a clean well-maintained car ready to use, then this 1919 Buick H45 will please you. Not from the Sandhills collection but nevertheless a fine original car which Mr. George Sawyer would have bought if he’d found it!
(Text Robin Batchelor, pictures courtesy Worldwide Auctioneers)