Who knows this racecar?
>>> Expert AutoPuzzles >>>
Italian ?
Not from Italy.
French ?
Not from France.
British, ie Brooklands ?
Yes and yes!
Sorry, I mixed something up here... :bag:
>>> Professional AutoPuzzles >>>
That building behind the car looks very, very French to me. The shutters and the concierge's entrance door make me think that's a Parisian apartment block.
Is it a British marque owned and driven by a Frenchman ?
I´m quite sure it not even european.
From down under ?
No.
Perhaps one of Louis Zborowski's "Chitty" cars? Maybe a re-bodied Chitty 2, after it was sold to an individual in the USA. I believe it is (was?) in a museum in the USA.
I'm sorry, but I'm a bit confused. In reply #7 you said it was British and a Brooklands car. Now you say it is not European.
Can we have this clarified?
Sorry - my mistake.
To help: it is american.
Locomobile?
The body style is unusual for an American track car of that period. The bonnet louvres and top vents remind me of the Vanderbilt Cup Simplex - is this a rebodied car of that type?
QuoteThe body style is unusual for an American track car of that period.
That´s why I´ve mixed it up.
I do not have any technical details, sorry.
Quote from: 4popoid on August 21, 2014, 07:00:17 PM
Locomobile?
I take it that it is not a Locomobile, so how about a Lozier?
The wheels resemble those on a Simplex - but the radiator looks to be too far forward. Perhaps a Simplex fitted with another engine?
Quote from: Otto Puzzell on August 22, 2014, 05:33:30 AM
The wheels resemble those on a Simplex - but the radiator looks to be too far forward. Perhaps a Simplex fitted with another engine?
I've just realised that the OP hasn't answered my post #17 - I also thought it might be a Simplex.
Oops - I didn't see that. I'm pretty sure you're right. The cooling doors on top of the hood / bonnet are common on Simplex cars of the time.
Locomobile
Simplex
The photo you showed point into the right direction. Mine was made in 1903 before the qualification for a race.
The driver also gave his name to the car.
And it is not a too well known one... ;)
Well, despite the photo of the 1903 GB racer I found looking nothing like this, I'll have to ask if it is Alexander Winton in a Winton before the Long Island trials.
Good idea, but not Winton...
Locomobile
Simplex
Winton
To help a bit: the first letter is from the first half of the alphabet.
Has Lozier also been eliminated?
Maxwell?
Locomobile
Lozier
Maxwell
Simplex
Winton
You said: "The driver also gave his name to the car." Was the driver's name: Herbert Lytle?
QuoteYou said: "The driver also gave his name to the car."
Yes.
QuoteWas the driver's name: Herbert Lytle?
No.
Locomobile
Lozier
Lytle
Maxwell
Simplex
Winton
Was the driver's name: Guy Vaughn?
Locomobile
Lozier
Lytle
Maxwell
Simplex
Vaughn
Winton
A well-known name, so it's probably not correct - Knox ?
Was the builder or driver Herbert Buffum?
Buffum
Knox
Locomobile
Lozier
Lytle
Maxwell
Simplex
Vaughn
Winton
And no - it is not a well known name.
Was the driver's name: Montague Roberts?
Buffum
Knox
Locomobile
Lozier
Lytle
Maxwell
Roberts
Simplex
Vaughn
Winton
You need some help:
QuoteThat building behind the car looks very, very French to me. The shutters and the concierge's entrance door make me think that's a Parisian apartment block.
I ignored this post intentionally, because I thought it would help too much.
Yes, the photo was taken in France in 1903.
The car and driver are American.
The driver was born in Ohio.
He was a well known aviator, too...
Now I think there´s a chance to solve this monster finally ;)
Eddie Rickenbacker?
Nope - he would have been 13 in 1903 :(
Percy Owen?
Could it be Orville Wright ? He was born in Ohio....
Buffum
Knox
Locomobile
Lozier
Lytle
Maxwell
Owen
Rickenbacker
Roberts
Simplex
Vaughn
Winton
Wright
Keep digging! He took part in some important and known races and events...
Harris Hanshue?
Buffum
Hanshue
Knox
Locomobile
Lozier
Lytle
Maxwell
Owen
Rickenbacker
Roberts
Simplex
Vaughn
Winton
Wright
Glenn Curtis was a well-known motorcycle racer - could it be him?
Buffum
Curtis
Hanshue
Knox
Locomobile
Lozier
Lytle
Maxwell
Owen
Rickenbacker
Roberts
Simplex
Vaughn
Winton
Wright
Beachey ?
Beachey
Buffum
Curtis
Hanshue
Knox
Locomobile
Lozier
Lytle
Maxwell
Owen
Rickenbacker
Roberts
Simplex
Vaughn
Winton
Wright
William K. Vanderbilt Jr.?
Not Vanderbilt, but comparable - his family belongs to big money...
Beachey
Buffum
Curtis
Hanshue
Knox
Locomobile
Lozier
Lytle
Maxwell
Owen
Rickenbacker
Roberts
Simplex
Vanderbilt
Vaughn
Winton
Wright
Must be Harry Harkness then
:applause:
Yes!
LOCKED for you!
Now I need a year a what this car was supposed for.
Could it be the 1903 Paris-Madrid race ?
No.
The photo was shot in 1903, but for a 1904 race. Which one?
The 1904 Gordon Bennett Cup ?
Yes, it´s the 120HP Harkness racing car, driven by Harry Harkness at Paris during the 1903 eliminiation trials for the 1904 Gordon Bennett Cup!
Nice solve!
It seems Harkness intended to participate in the 1903 Bennett Cup race, but the car was not completed in time. This snippet is from The Motor Car Journal ("every Friday, one penny") from November of 1903. I don't believe Harkness competed in the 1904 race. The second pic is a list of entrants (including an unnamed Austrian.)
I found Harkness in the list of potential competitors for the 1903 GB and would have guessed him but
(a) could find no photo of the car, and
(b) did not recognise the name from aviation
(c) Harkness is a local rose-grower
Some of those internet race summaries are unreliable, but then so are books. For what it's worth I can say that the Montagu/Sedgwick book of the GB races shows Werner from Austria in a Mercedes in 11th place at 7:32:13.2 ahead of Jarrott and shows Warden as DNF after 2 laps.
The Internet site that included the list of finishers attributed the list to "(Beaulieu, p206)".
Thank you for your contributions!
I think he only participated in the 1903 elimination trials for the 1904 race and did not qualify.
Nevertheless I´m happy that I´ve found this high-resolution photo of this interesting car.
Another photo
:applause: