1909 Locomobile Model 40 Baby Tonneau

This 1911 Locomobile Model 40 I Four Passenger Demi-Tonneau was acquired by Walter 'Wally' McCarthy of Long Island in the 1960s as a project. Following its rebuild, the car campaigned in Horseless Carriage Club and 'Friends' tours. In the late 1990s, it passed on to Connecticut-based collector Richard King, and by this point, its three-decade-old restoration had aged, and a decision was made to comprehensively refresh the car. The mechanical work was entrusted to John Fleck, and the bodywork and paint were by Stu Laidlaw. Upon its completion in 2004, the car was shown at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, earning a 2nd in Class.

Mr. King used this Locomobile on brass tours until 2007 when it was sold into the ownership of the Longfield family in Toronto. While in their hands, the Locomobile was shown at the 2010 Meadowbrook Hall Concours, taking a Class Win. The car remained in the Longfield family ownership for seven years, joining the current collection in 2018.

By Daniel Vaughan | May 2023

In 1909, the Locomobile Company produced the Model 30 and the Model 40. The Model 30 rested on a 120-inch wheelbase and was offered as a Tourer or a Runabout while the Model 40 had a larger platform, measuring 123-inches, and was available as a Baby (Toy) Tonneau, Limousine, or a seven-passenger Touring car. Both the Model 30 and Model 40 had four-cylinder engines, with the Model 40's being slightly more powerful. It displaced 471 cubic inches and had a T-Head design.

By the late 1900s, the Locomobile Company had forged a name for itself. They had won the prestigious international Vanderbilt Cup race in 1908 and were renowned for their speedy luxury cars. In the early 1920s, the company was acquired by Durant Motors which continued using the Locomobile brand name as their top-of-the-line autos until 1929.

This 1909 Locomobile Model 40 I is a Toy Tonneau that originally sold close to $5,000, a very big purchase at the time. It has won First in Class at the 2010 Meadow Brook Concours d'Elegance and Second in Class at the 2004 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. It has freshly polished brass trim and brightwork, a four-cylinder engine offering 40 horsepower, and a 123-inch wheelbase. The car was owned by Walter McCarthy in the late 1960s and was acquired by Richard King from Walter in the 1990s and restored it for the 2004 Pebble Beach Concours. In 2007, a private collector acquired the car from Richard King.

The Model 40 Type I was the biggest and fastest that Locomobile produced during the early 1900s. Locomobile was incorporated in 1899 when John Brisben Walker and Amzi Lorenzo Barber purchased the Stanley Brothers' steam car patents for $250,000 in cash. In the early 20th Century, the Locomobile was one of the most expensive and elegant automobiles built in the US.

By Daniel Vaughan | Aug 2016