1910 Pope-Hartford Model W 50 HP Racer

This 1910 Pope-Hartford Model W 50HP 'Racer' was part of the Lindley Bothwell Collection and was sold at auction in 2017 as part of the dispersal. Mr. Lindley passed away in 1986, but his collection remained intact and was not sold until the passing of his wife decades later. Bothwell had a pension for the 'raceabout' two-seater and this Pope was part of his stable since the 1950s, if not earlier.

This Model W is powered by a 389 cubic-inch, overhead valve, four-cylinder engine with a single Pope-Hartford carburetor, Bosch 'Twin Spark' Magneto, and delivers 50 horsepower. There is a four-speed sliding-gear transmission and two-wheel mechanical brakes. It is not known what original coachwork this vehicle may have worn, and it is believed that even prior to WWII, this car had been converted to its present racer form.

Mr. Bothwell campaigned this car during the early 1950s at the South Catalina Island races along with the 6th Annual Pebble Beach Sports Car Races in April 1955.

Bothwell routinely rented his cars for film use, frequently receiving quick 'blow-over' paint jobs to satisfy the visuals required for a scene, a tradition that continued long after his death. It was used during the opening sequences of the movie Seabiscuit and its long-standing white livery had been replaced by an apple green hue and wore the Number 8 badge.

By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2022