1911 Selden Model 40R

George Selden produced upper mid-priced vehicles from 1907 to 1914, and trucks until 1932. His legacy does not center around his automobile production, but rather his trade as a patent lawyer and his claims to have invented the automobile in the United States. In 1895 he held a patent that allowed him to collect payment on any road vehicle that was fitted with an internal combustion engine for the next 17 years.

Henry Ford refused to pay, and Selden commenced litigation for patent infringement, resulting in the most celebrated patent suit in history. Selden won his case; Ford appealed the decision and won a 1911 reversal in his favor. As a result, all royalties to Selden were stopped. To add to the misery, a fire destroyed part of his factory. Even with these major setbacks, Selden still produced his highest level of vehicles in 1911, with 1,628 examples built.

In 1911, the fully equipped Selden Varsity Roadster sold for about $2,500. Under the bonnet was a four-cylinder engine that displaced 356 cubic inches and produced 40 horsepower. It featured dual ignition, a Bosch magneto and battery, and a crank start.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2020