1924 McFarlan Twin-Valve Six Suburban Sedan

This Twin-Valve Six Suburban was once part of the Harrah Collection until 1984. The interior features black leather upholstery up front with grey cord upholstery, roll-up shades, and a division window in the rear. Other features include dual side-mounted spare tires, a raked windshield with an opening top panel, a sun visor, cowl lights, Vesta drum-type headlights, and a McFarlan-scripted Motometer.

McFarlan never produced vehicles in high quantities. 1924 was a production high point for the company, which saw 278 examples produced.

In 2010, the car was offered for sale at the Vintage Motor Cars of Hershey auction presented by RM Auctions. It was estimated to sell for $65,000-$75,000. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for $52,250, including the buyer's premium.

This car has covered less than 10,000 miles since new and sports many original elements. When new, it sold for $7,300, an astronomical figure at the time. Of the 278 cars built by the McFarlan Company, less than 20 are known to have survived.

This example rides on a 140-inch wheelbase and features dual side mounts, wire wheels, and conservative but elegant styling. Powering the McFarlan is a T-head, six-cylinder engine displacing 573 cubic inches, featuring three spark plugs and four valves per cylinder, producing 120 horsepower, the highest output for a domestic maker at the time.

By Daniel Vaughan | Aug 2011