1912 Imperial Model 34 Semi-Torpedo Touring

The Campbell brothers, 'T.A.' and George N., were proprietors of the Jackson Carriage Company. They added motorcars to their portfolio in 1908 and called them Imperials. They were four-cylinder, medium-sized vehicles with touring car and roadster bodies.

Like most vehicles built by smaller companies, Imperials were assembled using 'off the shelf' components built by automotive supplier companies. The bodies on the Imperial automobiles were made by the Beaudette Company, which also produced bodies for Buick and Ford. If you look at 1910-era Buicks and Fords, the resemblance is clear.

Imperial automobiles were built from 1908 to 1915 when the company merged with the Marion Company of Indianapolis, Indiana, and became the Mutual Motors Company. When the new company was formed, they discontinued the Imperial line and produced a new vehicle called the Marion-Handley.

This Imperial was produced in Jackson, Michigan, and sold new in Wisconsin. The 1912 model came complete with a windshield, speedometer, gas lamps, Prest-O-Lite tank, and tools. The Model 34 Touring Car was priced at $1,400, and the Model 33 Roadster at $1,250. The high-end Model 44 Touring Car costs $1,750. This car was found in its original condition in the late 1940s and became part of an auto museum in Valentine, Nebraska. The museum was decommissioned in 2015, at which time it was obtained by the current owner. The car has been restored, and the 2016 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance was the first time it had been shown after being hidden for the past half-century.