1909 Pope-Hartford Model S Toy Tonneau

Colonel Albert Pope invested his bicycle wealth in the manufacturing of electric vehicles, entering the automobile business in 1896. He is credited with being the first manufacturer to mass-produce automobiles; convinced that electric cars were the way to go, he produced over 500 of these vehicles in 1899. He also dabbled in building cars with internal-combustion engines, and soon after the turn of the century, he established several divisions, including the Pope-Toledo and Pope-Waverly. The longest-running of these was the Pope-Hartford, located in Hartford, Connecticut. By 1909, the Pope-Hartford was a well-regarded luxury car with a reputation built on endurance racing.

This Model S with its 4-cylinder, overhead valve, 40 horsepower engine cost $2,750 in 1909, making it very expensive when compared to the new Ford Model T selling for $800. Over the years this car has had several owners, including Mat Browning of the gun manufacturing family.