1913 Case Model N Roadster

The CASE Company had been a primary manufacturer of farm machinery since 1844. It is a little-known fact that CASE produced a variety of motorcars along with their threshers and tractors from 1911 through 1927. Throughout those 17 years, they built a little over 27,000 cars in Racine, WI, and only about 110 have survived. This example is a 1913 CASE Model 30 N. 1,252 Model 30 N cars were made in 1913. Only five are known to still exist.

CASE made its first attempt at outsourcing the engine on this car. The car was fitted with a 4-cylinder 30-horsepower Continental engine (actually developed 38-42 horsepower) that was manufactured in Muskegon, Michigan. With a 4 and 1/8 bore and a 5 and 1/4 inch stroke, she boasts a modest 280.6 cubic inches. Other interesting features included helical cut timing gears, engine oil level sight gauge, engine oil sight feed gauge on footboard, cast aluminum crankcase and transmission housing, a three-speed selective transmission, double-drop frame, six disk clutch, and an acetylene injection starting system.

What remained of this car was obtained in Orlando, Florida, in January 1998, and it has been under restoration for the past seven years. Many sheet metal, brass, and wood parts had to be re-made/re-cast from existing originals or from patterns developed from the remaining cars.