1917 Locomobile Model 48

Locomobile of Bridgeport, Connecticut, began in 1899 when magazine publisher John Brisben Walker and Amzi Lorenzo Barber, the 'Asphalt King,' took over the steam car business of F.E. and F.O. Stanley. Their $600 steam car was named 'Locomobile' and quickly grew in popularity, with approximately 2,200 cars built in 1901. By 1903, its popularity faded as sales were overtaken by the curved-dash Oldsmobile.

Locomobile hired engineer Andrew L. Riker to design a gasoline-powered, four-cylinder, front-engine model wearing lightweight stamped aluminum bodywork. In this guise, fully equipped, it sold for $4,000. It was briefly joined by a twin-cylinder model, but by 1905, it was the sole model and offered in four sizes.

Locomobile's steam car had been a very popular 'volume' seller, but their gasoline took on a different persona and catered to the influential and affluent members of society. In 1905, the most expensive Locomobile sold for $7,500, making it one of the most expensive vehicles available.

The Locomobile 48-hp Type M was introduced in 1911 and would become the company's most significant and long-lived model. Power was sourced from an iron T-head six-cylinder unit with a 429 cubic-inch displacement size and a single Ball and Ball Updraft carburetor. The cylinders were cast in pairs and bolted to a bronze crankcase, which contained a drop-forged alloy steel crankshaft that was both statically and dynamically balanced and rode in seven main bearings. The '48' grew to 525 cubic inches and 142 inches, and by 1914, the four-cylinder cars had been dropped and a smaller six became the 'entry-level' Locomobile. While all of Locomobile's competitors used a three-speed gearbox, the Model 48 utilized a four-speed transmission. Stopping power was provided by mechanical drum brakes on the rear wheels. The quality and craftsmanship could be seen throughout the vehicle, and no shortcuts or inferior components were used in its construction. The chassis members were pressed from chrome-nickel steel, then heat-treated and hot-riveted together, and suspended by chrome-nickel-tungsten steel leaf springs. The front used a solid axle, and the back had a live axle. Semi-elliptical leaf springs were in the front, while the rear used three-quarter elliptical leaf springs.

During the early 1920s, Locomobile, like most other manufacturers, was affected by both the post-World War I recession and the infusion of military trucks which came on the market after the war, decimating sales of its Riker truck line. Locomobile fell into the hands of Hare's Motors, and when they collapsed, it was acquired by Billy Durant. Locomobile entered receivership in 1929, the victim of inspired mismanagement and manipulation, bringing to a close the saga of one of America's earliest and best automobiles.

The Locomobile Model 48 was produced from 1911 through 1926 and changed little during that time, and was one of the few luxury automobiles whose production run spanned the brass, nickel, and chrome eras. Since the company prided itself on quality over quantity, just four cars were assembled per day, with prices far exceeding the company's primary competitors at Packard, Pierce-Arrow, and Peerless. They were expensive, solid, conservative, and durable.

by Dan Vaughan

Gunboat Cabriolet by Healey & Co

The Locomobile Company of Bridgeport, Connecticut, built some of the finest automobiles during the first part of the twentieth century. Unlike most companies that built cars in all price ranges, the Locomobile Company produced only high-priced luxury cars. Interestingly, the company garnered much of its earliest publicity from racing. In 1908, a specially built racecar, which would become known as Old 16, was the first American racecar to win the prestigious Vanderbilt Cup Race.

The earliest Locomobiles were powered by two and four-cylinder engines. In 1912, a new model, the Model 48, was introduced, with a large, six-cylinder engine. The engine was built with a bronze crankcase on which three 2-cylinder engine blocks would be mounted. Locomobile continued building the Model 48 until 1926 with very few changes.

While most Locomobiles were touring cars and limousines, a few Locomobiles were fitted with sportier roadster and speedster bodies. This example, called the Gunboat Roadster, has a body built by the Healey Company. It is the only known example in existence.

Chauffeur Coupe by Healey & Co
Chassis number: 11929
Engine number: 9796

This automobile was owned by the Day Family for 59 years. Commissioned by Mr. Day as a gift for his sister, it was designed by J. Frank deCausse and built by Healey & Co of New York City in 1916. The tapered rear end of this distinctive car gets its name from the streamlined shape of a World War I battleship. The price tag was $7,353, roughly equaling about $137,000 today. Mrs. Day-Boyce was shy about being chauffeur-driven around Wallace, Idaho, so the car accumulated a mere 2,400 miles during the family's ownership. After Mrs. Day's death, the car was stored in her silver mine until it was purchased in 1975 by The Harrah Collection in Reno, Nevada. It has been in a private collection since 1981.

Type M Series 7 Tourer by Farnham-Nelson
Chassis number: 13058

Locomobile, built in Bridgeport, Connecticut, introduced the Model 48 in 1911, which endured as long as the company produced automobiles. It cost a whopping $4,800 at introduction, increasing to $9,600 by the end of production. Locomobile was perhaps most famous for the sportif design, considered to be the first dual-cowl phaeton. Locomobile became a part of Billy Durant's empire in 1922, building its final car in 1929.

Automotive research found that J. Frank deCausse of Kellner Studios of Paris designed the world's first dual cowl/dual windshield. The first of this design was built under the direction of Farnham & Nelson Company of Brookline, MA, in 1916 and placed on a 1916 Locomobile Model 48 chassis.

The car is powered by a 550 cubic inch six-cylinder engine developing 82 horsepower. Finished in Pacific Coral with a Deep Slate Blue Gray body and fenders, this Locomobile is powered by a 550 cubic inches, 82 horsepower 6-cylinder engine and is one of three known to survive. It was designed by J. Frank deCausse and built at Farnham-Nelson Wagon Works of Brookline, Massachusetts. Records confirm this chassis was delivered on May 12, 1917, to the Locomobile Dealer in Boston for transfer to Farnham and Nelson. This car is believed to have been built for the Leggett Family (of Rexall Drug Frame) and was delivered to their estate in Newport, Rhode Island. The exterior colors of the Locomobile match those used on Rexall Drug signs.

Chauffeur Coupe by Healey & Co
Chassis number: 11929
Engine number: 9796

This 1917 Locomobile Model 48 Gunboat Cabriolet was ordered by Eugene Day of Wallace, Idaho, as a gift to his sister Eleanor Day Boyce on the occasion of her 50th birthday. Delivery occurred on December 23rd of 1916 to a dealer in Spokane, Washington, with a chassis price of $4,600 and its 'Special Cabriolet Convertible Body' adding another $2,650 to its cost. Its one-off coachwork was designed by J. Frank de Causse who led Locomobile's Custom Body Department following his tenure at Kellner in Paris.

The coachwork was created by Healey of New York with several unique features, including a single door on the right side providing access to the passenger compartment equipped with a forward-positioned driver's seat and a pair of adjustable lounge seats for passengers. The cabriolet top allows the car to be configured as an enclosed coupe, an open cabriolet, or with the roof open above the driver. A single person can operate the top, thanks to the roof assembly which employs concealed springs to counter-balance the weight of the mechanism.

For fifty-eight years, the car was cared for by the Day family chauffeur, who stored it in a heated building or a silver mine shaft, protecting it from the elements. It passed to Harrah's Automobile Collection in 1975 and was then acquired by enthusiast Stephen Dean in September 1981. While in Mr. Dean's care, a restoration began in 1986, with gray wool fabric being new old stock material acquired by Phil Hill in Paris. During a 1988 trip to England, Mr. Dean acquired specially tanned leather produced for exterior applications from Connolly and used this to finish the convertible top. The car was finished in midnight paintwork with black fenders highlighted with cream wheels and trim. Upon completion, it was displayed at the 1996 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and returned in 2007, where it received a second-place class award.

by Dan Vaughan

The name '48' was used by the Locomobile Company to signify their six-cylinder engines that were originally rated at 48 horsepower. The first Model 48 was introduced in 1911 and remained in production until 1924. At this point, horsepower had skyrocketed to just over 100. When it was first introduced, it was a marvel both aesthetically and mechanically. By the mid-1920s, it had begun to show its age. Sales reflected, and as a result, the company was forced to increase its price.

During the mid-1910s, the Company experimented with custom coachwork to appeal to wealthy clients. The vehicles were built to customer specifications and created to satisfy their needs and desires. The use of accessories by Tiffany Studios was not uncommon for the Locomobile Company at this time.

by Dan Vaughan

Owned by elite members of upper East Coast aristocracy like Vanderbilt, Wanamaker, Melon, Gould, and Governor Cox of Massachusetts, and prestigious members of the West like Tom Mix, Charlie Chaplin, and Cecil B. DeMille, the Locomobile Model 48 was one of the most expensive and elegant automobiles ever manufactured in the United States. Weighing 3 tons, the six-cylinder Model 48 came arrived on the scene in 1911 and became known as the 'Best Built Car in America'. During its eight-year production run, the most famous Locomobile was originally priced at $4,800, which would eventually rise to $9,600. By 1923 the Model 48, advertised as the 'The Exclusive Car for Exclusive People' was in such demand that the automobile was produced at a rate of two per day.

Locomobile began its story as a manufacturer of inexpensive light steam carriages before it began building gasoline-powered automobiles. By 1904 the company had transformed itself into a luxury brand and experimented with custom coachwork in an attempt to appeal to a wealthy clientele. The automobiles were built to exact customer specifications, and the accessories came from Tiffany Studios.

Locomobile found itself trying to reinstate itself in the premier auto market once again in 1921 after a new board of directors seated themselves at the helm. At the Bridgeport plant, using overstocked parts, the Model 48 was assembled with engineer Andrew Lawrence Riker making mechanical improvements. Unfortunately for the Locomobile Company, Riker left the company in 1921.

The Locomobile Company named the Series 8 Model '48' to signify their six-cylinder engines that were originally rated at 48 horsepower. Introduced in 1911, the '48' would continue in production until 1924 and was constructed of magnesium bronze, aluminum, and steel. The wheelbase of the Model 48 was nearly 30 inches longer than that of a modern Chevy Suburban. Many of the powertrain components were cast in bronze, while the chassis was constructed of chrome-nickel steel. The Model 48 would be one of the few luxury automobiles whose production period would span the brass, nickel, and chrome eras. It was an expensive, old-fashioned vehicle for wealthy, conservative, old-fashioned people.

Featuring balloon tires, the 48 sported Buffalo wire wheels, and nickel-plated or brass trim. Most Locomobiles featured two spares and the option of two-wheel drum brakes or four-wheel brakes. Demarest was responsible for the body of the Model 48 and was something not often seen – a six-fendered car with the fifth and six fenders sitting just in front of the rear passenger compartment. At first, the Model 48 was met with fanfare and popularity, but before long the basic design of the car, even with numerous mechanical improvements, was an outdated design. Horsepower dwindled down to just over 100, and sales of the basically unchanged Model 48 continued through 1932 and 1924, still using 1919 parts. Late in 1924 the new Model 48 was debuted; the 19,000 Series. Though it was basically the same car, the 19000 Series sold for $2,000 less.

The following year the Model 48 was officially discontinued and replaced with the Model 90, a new luxury automobile. Unfortunately, many coachbuilt-bodied Locomobiles were made into scrap metal during World War II. Today there are approximately 167 Model 48's known to exist and are considered wonderful historic examples of a bygone era. Valuable and extremely collectible, the Locomobile Model 48 was a truly exceptional automobile.

Sources:

http://www.locomobilesociety.com/history.cfm

http://www.hemmings.com/hcc/stories/2005/03/01/hmn_feature17.html

http://www.classiccarweekly.net/2012/06/01/locomobile-model-48/

by Jessican Donaldson