1910 Stoddard-Dayton Model 10C Raceabout

Charles Stoddard of Dayton, Ohio, and his family were successful entrepreneurs with interests in paint and varnish manufacturing and farm equipment. Charles recognized the potential and future of the automobile and began investigating various fuel technologies such as electric, steam, and gasoline. He settled on gasoline as the most promising fuel source, contracted with the Rutenber Company in Chicago for a supply of engines, and began to manufacture the Stoddard Dayton automobile.

The Stoddard Dayton was a large, heavy, luxurious, reliable automobile. After a few years of the Rutenber-built four-cylinder engines, Charles Stoddard designed a T-head four rated at 35 horsepower for the 1907 models. One of the new 35hp Stoddard Daytons finished the Glidden Tour with a perfect score. Perhaps their most impressive accomplishment was winning the first race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1909.

An engineer from England name H.J. Edwards was hired in 1908. He was tasked with designing Stoddard Dayton's next engine. It was introduced in 1909 and was a 4.75 x 5 inch 36 horsepower four. This was not an unusual configuration, however, its valve layout set it apart. It was a true cross-flow head with inclined overhead valves and hemispherical combustion chambers.

The Stoddard Dayton Model 9 was fitted with a valve actuation system. It had a single camshaft in the crankcase, and only a single pushrod and rocker arm pivoted in the center of the head, operating both valves. There was a conventional exhaust valve operation with the pushrod pressing down on the valve. The intake valve was opened when a low place on the lobe allowed a spring on the pushrod to pull down on the positively-fastened pushrod and the other end of the rocker arm.

The engine layout and many of the mechanical components of the Stoddard Dayton were efficient in terms of moving parts. They did, however, impose large friction loads on the valve gear, which had to constantly work against the pressure of the intake valve opening springs. The valve gear quickly wore out due to the rubbing loads on the camshaft and tappet.

This led to the Stoddard Dayton engines being redesigned to separate the valve gear, placing a second camshaft on the other side of the engine and duplicating the rocker arms and pushrods for conventional valve operation against springs which held the valves closed.

In 1912, the company added a 70-horsepower Knight sleeve valve six-cylinder engine to its catalog. By this point in history, the Stoddards had sold out to Ben Briscoe in 1911 and the company succumbed when U.S. Motors went under in 1913.

This particular example, a 4-seat Roadster, is one of the few remaining Stoddard Daytons in existence. It is a Model 10C that is believed to have once been in the Autorama collection of James Melton. It was later part of the Paine Collection.

The car is equipped with C.M. Hall acetylene headlights, a Gray & Davis kerosene taillight which has been electrified, and a Rubes trumpet-style bulb horn. It also has a Stoddard-Dayton No. 2 carburetor. The suspension is comprised of semi-elliptical leaf springs and solid axles. The rear brakes use contracting external bands on the drums. There is no top or top frame and no windshield. Its color is cream with a chocolate brown accent and red chassis and undercarriage. The seats are upholstered in Beige leather.

This car is powered by a hemispherical combustion chamber, inclined valve cross-flow 40 horsepower Stoddard Dayton engine.

By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2017