1912 Little Roadster Roadster

The Little automobile, named for William Little, formerly William Durant's General Manager at Buick, was ironically a big man. Introduced on October 30th, 1911, the Little was a runabout powered by a four-cylinder engine delivering 20 horsepower and priced at $690. In 1912, the company introduced a Little Six, which would become a Chevrolet Light Six in May of 1913, and the Little Four was discontinued entirely.

Little was in business for barely 18 months, with just 3,500 cars produced.

This example has an older restoration with a body that has been rebuilt and finished in light gray paint. The four-cylinder L-head engine develops 20 horsepower and is mated to a three-speed manual gearbox. There are two-wheel mechanical brakes, and the wheelbase measures just 90 inches.

In 2010, this car was offered for sale at the Vintage Motor Cars of Hershey, presented by RM Auctions. It was estimated to sell for $20,000-$25,000 and offered without reserve. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for $26,400, including the buyer's premium.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2010