1914 Locomobile Model 48 Touring

This 1914 Locomobile Model 48 Seven-Passenger Touring Car was offered for sale at the 2006 Gooding & Company Auction at Pebble Beach, where it was offered without reserve and estimated to sell between $90,000-100,000. It is the product of a recent repaint and was formerly in the collection of James A. Conant. Under his care, the car was shown at many events and driving tours and is one of the most exquisite of its kind. It has period-correct octagonal lamps, an octagon dashboard, octagonal frames around the instrumentation, and more. The use of the octagon shape was a common practice for the Locomobile Company and helped differentiate it from other cars of the day.

It is powered by a six-cylinder 525 cubic-inch engine mated to a four-speed gearbox capable of traveling comfortably at speeds of 55 mph. At the auction, there was much interest in the vehicle and the price of the vehicle continued to escalate. Being in such wonderful condition and the prospects of a great touring automobile surely helped escalate the price. At the conclusion of the bidding, the car had been sold at $176,000.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2007