The answer of last week wasn't that hard. It is of course the 1928 Indian X4 automobile. Built by the Indian Motorcycle Co. of Springfield, Massachusetts,USA. Their fourth experimental, thus X4, car. In the mid 1920’s Indian sought to expand their product line and built or planned to build the items mentioned in the clue. The X4 car had a Lycoming WS L-head 6 Cylinder engine, a hydraulic assisted gearbox, drive shaft and differential/rear axel, all of unknown make. It was essentially an Assembly Car, with Indian supplying almost nothing used on it. It does not even have the distinctive Indian logo, the badge it does have is an enigma now. The oil cooler is the ornamental piping (tubing) on the radiator. After the project ended the X4 became the property of the designer, who called it “The Baby”, and was converted to a 4 seater. It was driven till 1950, which shows, I think how good a car it was. It is intriguing to think where a roadster or sports car would have placed Indian in the market, particularly in light of the post WW2 sports car boom in the USA. The X4 is in the Springfield History Museum, Springfield, Massachusetts, USA.
As we expected, quite some good answers came in. From a very short one from Fedor (Indian Experemetal Roadster 1929) to some longer ones. The most complete answer came from Leon Mitchell but this was way over the 100 words. Other good answers came from Fried Stol, Graham Smith and John Hentges. But the winner of this week's quiz is Ace Zenek, who was fast with his answer and told us some extras: Indian X4, 1928 experimental roadster, the last of four cars built, modeled after the Austin Seven, with a Lycoming straight six WS L-head motor, and Stromberg Model O carburetor. Unusually the plating on the radiator was used as a cooling surface for the car's oil. The logo on the radiator badge is a cross on a shield inside a diamond so it is entirely different from the Indian motorcycle badge. On display at the Museum of Springfield [Massachusetts] History. Given to Harold Forrest Peavey as a going-away present in 1929, “Baby” has only had three owners since new.
So congratulations to Ace.
Quiz sent in by Chris Mooney, thank you for that Chris!