1913 Stevens Duryea Model C

Charles Duryea was a successful bicycle manufacturer living in the United States. In 1892 he commissioned his brother, J. Frank Dureya to design and build a motor vehicle. The result was successful, becoming the first motor car in the United States. In 1895 a version of the vehicle was entered in the first race held in the United States. The race was sponsored by the Chicago Times. The Duryea-built motor vehicle captured first place.

In 1896 the series production began for the Duryea Company, located in Springfield, Massachusetts. The president of the company was Frank Dureya, having terminated the business relationship with his brother a year prior. Production continued slowly but steadily. Additional capital was raised to expand business development and production. In 1901 Duryea teamed with the Stevens Arms and Tool Company to help expand the evolving business. The union resulted in the production of Stevens-Duryea automobiles, the first vehicle being shown in November 1901 and on sale in March 1902. The vehicles were powered by 2-cylinder engines capable of producing five horsepower. During the 1902 model year, 50 examples were produced. In 1903, the company increased the horsepower to 7 and dubbed the vehicle the Model L. This series continued until 1905, when it was replaced by the Model R. In its introductory year, 300 examples were sold. The Model R was produced from 1905 through 1908. It featured a 20-horsepower engine and sat atop a 90-inch wheelbase.

In 1904, the contract between Dureay and the Stevens Arms and Tool Company was terminated. The Stevens-Duryea Company was formed by J. Frank Duryea, where he was appointed chief engineer and vice president.

In 1906, the company introduced the Model S featuring a six-cylinder engine. With 50 horsepower and a 122-inch wheelbase, the car was an instant success, with over 900 examples produced in its first year.

From 1906 through 1909, the Model U was produced. It was a lighter version of the Model S, sitting on a shortened 114-wheelbase. The 35-horsepower engine was quick and responsive and ultimately aided in the sale of over 2000 Model U models. In 1910 the Model AA was introduced as a replacement for the Model U. Featuring a 35 horsepower engine and a 128-inch wheelbase, the vehicle was built from 1910 through 1912.

In 1908 through 1912, the 4-cylinder Model X was produced. It featured a 124-inch wheelbase and a 24-horsepower engine. In 1909, the company introduced the Model XXX using the same 4-cylinder engine but using a 109-inch wheelbase. The result was a runabout that was produced from 1909 through 1912.

In 1909 came the Model Y, capable of transporting seven passengers. The 142-inch wheelbase and 40-horsepower engine made it an excellent touring vehicle. Production continued until 1912.

From 1913 through 1914, the Model C was a six-cylinder vehicle built on a 131 and 138-inch wheelbase. It was the first Stevens-Duryea offered with electric lights and a starter.

In 1915 the left-hand drive Model D was introduced and, like the Model C, was available on a 131 and 138-inch wheelbase.

In 1922 the company was reorganized, and the name was changed to Stevens-Duryea Motors Inc.

In 1927, production of the Stevens-Duryea automobiles ceased.

At the age of 97, Frank Duryea passed away in 1967.

With claims of being the first automobile produced in the United States and winning the first automobile race ever transpiring in the United States, the Stevens-Duryea's place in history is forever certain. The company was innovative, and its history was progressive. It focused its resources on building reliable, beautiful, and economical automobiles. Today, their legacy can be seen at many car shows, concours events, and museums.

by Dan Vaughan

Touring
Chassis number: 26285
Engine number: 564

J. Frank Duryea built America's first gasoline engine automobiles with his brother Charles in Springfield, Massachusetts. By 1895, the brothers parted ways and started their own automobile companies.

J. Frank Duryea next teamed with the Steven Arms and Tool Company to build his own automobile and by 1896, the company was already producing and selling automobiles. The company was renamed Stevens-Duryea in 1901 and by 1910, had produced and sold over 2,000 automobiles.

This rare 1913 Model C Stevens Duryea is powered by a large, six-cylinder engine with a factory rating of 48 horsepower. It rides on a 131-inch wheelbase chassis and is equipped with a three-speed transmission and rear wheel brakes. Stevens-Duryea's offering for 1913 included a variety of body styles with prices ranging from $4,550 to $5,800, and it was the first year that the company supplied all of its vehicles with electric lights and horns.

This Model C-Sixes is one of only eight known to survive; seven of them were mounted on the 'short' 131-inch wheelbase chassis.

This example has long-term Michigan ownership history. It was acquired from the collection of the late Jack Skaff, by Gil and Clara Mack. When it was retrieved from Mr. Skaff's stable, the car was in completely original condition. Mr. Mack spent several years restoring the Stevens-Duryea, retaining all of its original components and parts throughout the process. The work was completed in 2008. It was completed in a dark blue finish pinstriped in light grey and accented with black, a black canvas top with a grey cloth liner, and a glass rear window. It is trimmed in nickel, including its Stevens-Duryea script headlamps and the accessory Boyce MotoMeter. The seats are upholstered in black diamond-tufted leather. There is a five-spoke wood-rim steering wheel, a 'Triumph' fuel gauge located between the driver and passenger, and a Warner Autometer, which contains a speedometer, odometer, and a trip odometer. Other instrumentation includes a Westinghouse voltmeter, a pressure gauge for the original Kellogg air-starting system, and a Boston Clock Company timepiece.

The current owner acquired the car in July 2010. It was shown at the July 2010 Eyes On Design event in Michigan and at the July 2011 Concours d'Elegance of America. It has also appeared at the Bay Harbor Vintage Car & Boat Festival.

In 2008 this 1913 Stevens-Duryea Model C Five-Passenger Touring Car was brought to RM Auctions' Vintage Motor Cars of Meadow Brook. It was estimated to sell for $190,000-$240,000. Bidding surpassed the estimated value, settling at $330,000, including the buyer's premium.

In 2010, the car returned to auction, again at RM's Vintage Motor Cars of Meadow Brook sale where it was estimated to sell for $225,000 - $325,000. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $220,000 including buyer's premium.

Touring
Chassis number: 26200
Engine number: 330

The Stevens-Duryea motor was 'There is No Better Motor car.' It was founded by J. Frank Duryea, considered to be the father of the American automobile industry. His first car, which he built with his brother in September 1893, was the first gasoline-powered car built in America. The company persisted until the early 1920s when it was purchased by Ray M. Owen of Owen Magnetic. Production would continue until 1927.

This car is an original California car and has never had a complete restoration. It has been well taken care of throughout its life. The exterior is light gray with burgundy accents. It has factory-fitted brass. There are gray-painted wooden wheels with burgundy accents, dual rearview mirrors, and a rear-mounted luggage trunk.

The engine is a six-cylinder unit cast-in-pairs and has been restored to show quality. There is a twin ignition with two spark plugs per cylinder. It is believed that this car is one of about ten such examples that are known to exist in modern times.

In 2008 this car was brought to the 2nd Annual Vintage Motor Cars of Hershey presented by RM Auctions, where it was estimated to sell for $250,000 - $350,000. Bidding reached $143,000 but was not enough to satisfy the car's reserve. The lot remained unsold.

This Stevens-Duryea is one of seven surviving short-wheelbase Model C-Six cars. The earliest known owner was Arthur Twohy, of California, who was the co-founder and inaugural president of the Horseless Carriage Club of America. In May of 1939, the HCCA's Gazette listed Mr. Twohy as owning this car, which participated in an HCCA field day at a GM plant in Southern California.

Mr. Twohy eventually sold his Stevens-Duryea to Edward French of San Ysidro, California. In July of 1968, he drove the car in the Transcontinental Tour between New York and San Francisco, among other journeys. Mr. French drove the car from California to New York, then back across the U.S.

Mr. French owned the Stevens-Duryea well into the 1970s. The next owner was the late Jasper Wiglesworth of Kansas. It later passed to David Noran, of Kentucky, who owned the car and was very active with it until it was acquired by its present family in 1997.

by Dan Vaughan

Touring

The Stevens-Duryea was one of the most prestigious automobiles of the pre-World War One era. This huge touring car sold new for a dollar a pound - $4,500. It is powered by a massive 481 cubic-inch six-cylinder motor with dual ignition.

Over the years, this rare 'brass era' automobile has never been completely restored but rather maintained. The current owners have enjoyed participating in numerous vintage car tours with this car.

Production of the Stevens-Duryea, which had begun in 1902, ceased following the production of the 1915 models and did not resume until 1920, then ceased permanently in 1927.

by Dan Vaughan

Touring

Only ten examples of the 1913 Model Cs are known to exist. The various body styles of the Model C sold new from $4,550 to $5,800.

Frank and Charles Duryea's earliest automobile was a one-cylinder, 4-horsepower buggy that was created in 1893, making them one of the first automobile creators in the United States. After the brothers had a falling out, they went their separate ways. Charles continued to make Duryea cars, and Frank hooked up with an arms maker, J. Stevens, to form the Stevens-Duryea Company of Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts.

They produced cars from 1906 to 1915, when Frank introduced the new Model D and sold his interest in the company. IN 1919 the company was resurrected with a massively expensive new version of the Model D.

Touring

The 1913 Model C is powered by a 460 cubic-inch inline 6-cylinder engine offering 45 horsepower and rides on a 131-inch wheelbase. The body and fenders are made of aluminum and the car features an air-starting system. It is equipped with rear-wheel brakes and is the first year that Stevens-Duryea offered electric lights and horns as standard. The car weighed 4,500 lbs., cost $4,800, and 1,000 were sold in 1913.

In 1917, the California owner's son took this car out chasing rabbits and damaged it. The rancher then put the car in the barn with just 3,500 miles on it. The car was purchased with the ranch in the late 1940s and is still believed to have less than 7,000 miles on it. In June, the car completed the Red Rock Tour in Montana, a 2 1/2-week trip of 2,100 miles. The car is one of ten known to exist.

Touring

Stevens Arms and Tool Company was a successful bicycle manufacturer in the U. S. In 1892, he commissioned his brother J. Frank Duryea to design and build a motor vehicle. The result was successful, becoming the first motor car in the U.S. In 1895, a version of the vehicle was entered in the first race held in the U.S., and the Duryea-built motor vehicle captured first place.

Stevens-Duryea introduced its first 6-cylinder model, priced at a whopping $5,000, in 1906. During the years that followed, Stevens-Duryea cars became more expensive and even more impressive until, in 1913, the company introduced the C-Six, built on the well-proven 6-cylinder chassis.

This Five Passenger Touring model was carefully cared for by its first owner in Vermont until 1946. Its next owner was equally fastidious about the car's upkeep, and apart from regular routine maintenance, nothing was changed. Despite the incredible state of preservation, the car was used quite regularly for fairly long road trips, including climbing the arduous Smugglers Notch in Stowe, Vermont. The original leather is in perfect condition, as is the top, which is believed to have never even been folded. The original flooring is still intact, the engine compartment is exactly as the factory delivered it, and although it has faded, the paint still shows its original pin striping.

This car is powered by a six-cylinder engine developing 48 horsepower.

The 1913 Model C was built on either a 131- or 138-inch wheelbase and was the first Stevens-Duryea offered with electric lights and starter.

Touring
Chassis number: 26442
Engine number: 696

Stevens-Duryea production began near the close of 1901 with a light two-cylinder, five-horsepower runabout with wire wheels and a three-speed sliding-gear transmission. The quality construction and attention to detail justified the price of $1,200, approximately twice as high as other runabouts of that era. The 1905 Model R four-cylinder tourer was priced at $2,500, and the six-cylinder Model S of 1960 was in the $5,000 territory. Most of the bodies were large touring and limousine styles with production hovering around 100 cars per year.

Stevens-Duryea was acquired in the early 1920s by a syndicate headed by Ray M. Owen of Owen Magnetic. Production of high-quality automobiles in small quantities continued until around 1927.

This 1913 Stevens-Duryea Model C-Six Seven-Passenger Touring was acquired by its current owner in 2010, purchasing it from an Ohio-based owner. It is built atop a 138-inch wheelbase and was originally priced at $4,750. The 495 cubic-inch twin-ignition engine produced 48 horsepower.

The current caretaker commissioned the Fawcett Motor Carriage Company to perform a thorough restoration and Justice Restoration in Georgia to rebuild the engine. The engine was completed by 2021, and the restoration was done by mid-2022.

The car wears a cream body with bifurcated red striping, and the undercarriage and wheels are painted in a soft green hue. The seats are upholstered in tan buttoned leather, and the front seats face a wood dashboard with a Warner drum speedometer, a Boston key-wind clock with second hand, and a gauge for the Kellogg compressed-air self-starter. There is a full tan canvas touring top, a wood-rimmed single-pan windshield, a bulb horn, and a MotoMeter. The headlights are nickel-plated, and there are green-lensed cowl lamps. The right running board carries dual spare tires.

by Dan Vaughan