A High Wheeler cruising in Houston

On Saturday April 23rd, Worldwide Auctioneers are holding their annual Houston Classic Auction in the Versailles Ballroom at La Toretta Conference Centre. on the shore of Lake Conroe.
Such glorious surroundings deserve glorious cars and there are plenty to choose from.  But let's first  go back to the beginnings and remember the 'Horseless Carriages' and the awful rutted roads they had to contend with. The 1908 Sears Motor Buggy Runabaout is one such car, with its solid rubber tyred 36 inch diameter wheels being driven by a  flat twin air cooled engine via  friction drive and double chains .  Customers were encouraged by the slogan 'The Sears is so simple that anyone can operate it.'    Many would simply uncrate the car at the railway station, consult the Instruction Book, and drive home. 
This car gave many decades of good service to its original owners, the Goracke family from Nebraska, and was bought by the vendor from an estate sale which he believes makes him the second owner.
The 1912 Locomobile Model 30 Torpedo still has wooden spoke wheels, but of smaller diameter and with pneumatic tyres. The owner has made many improvements to the car to enable regular practical use on modern roads. The original total-loss oil engine lubrication system has been replaced with a 30 pint pressurised system with deeper sump and drilled crankshaft inside its 4.5 litre T-head 4 cylinder engine.
The 1937 Cord took our fancy, with its supercharged Lycoming V8 and so did the fabulous 1938 Mercedes-Benz 540K with its supercharged straight eight.  We do like the Ford flathead V8 and there are two early examples looking particularly tempting - a 1932 Roadster and a 1936 two dooor Coupe with rumble seat.
The 1929 Studebaker House Car is a wonder-to-behold. The catalogue entry describes all the home comforts expected in a quality mobile home - leaded windows, of course there's a loo,  a small bath, even a kitchen sink -  and all with a lovely vintage driving feel. The powerful Studebaker 'President 8 ' will give you enjoyable touring at respectable speeds. The original owner of this unique vehicle lovingly called it 'Dulce Domum' - Latin for 'Sweet Home'.
Sears had started including mail order kit-houses in his famous 1908 catalogue and we bet if he had lived longer, he may well have offered House Cars such as the Studebaker.

Text Robin Batchelor, pictures courtesy Worldwide Auctions.