1912 Locomobile 6-48 Model M

Identical twin brothers Freelan Oscar and Francis Edgar Stanley were one of the first motorcar producers in the United States and one of the more successful in steam-powered car production. Freelan Oscar and his wife are credited with being the first individuals to drive an automobile to the top of New Hampshire's Mount Washington on August 31st, 1899. Their Locomobile steam runabout took two hours and ten minutes to climb the slope, except for the time required to refill the boiler with water. Their journey took about half the time required by a team of horses.

The Stanley brothers had created a successful business in manufacturing photographic plates. When the world was introduced to the motor car, the brothers began to tinker. By the autumn of 1897, they had produced their first motor car, with their automobile business opening in November 1898.

Their cars were shown at the Boston motor show in 1898, but prior to this, John Brisben Walker, publisher of Cosmopolitan magazine, acquired about buying the business. The brothers quickly stated a very high sum of $250,000, which was accepted, to much surprise of the Stanley brothers. The brothers were appointed as General Managers. To aid in the acquisition, Walker took Amzi Lorenzo Barber as a partner in this venture. Barber had made a fortune paving America's cities and was known as 'The Asphalt King.' By June of 1899, deliveries of the Locomobiles had begun.

The partnership between Walker and Barber did not last long, and soon the men parted company. Both men went on to establish separate car companies. Barber kept the Locomobile name and moved operations to Massachusetts. He purchased numerous plant sites before finally settling on a plant in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Production began in early 1901. A year later, over 4,000 Locomobile steam-powered cars had been delivered. Part of the popularity was due to a Locomobile steam-powered racer driven by S.T. Davis Jr. a distance of one mile in just fifteen seconds. Davis Jr. was Barber's son-in-law who had joined the Locomobile company in 1900 as its treasurer. He later became a founder and president of the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

In 1903, Davis Jr. took over the company as president, and under his care, the company's reputation flourished and was given national recognition. This was the same year that the company merged with the Overman Wheel Company. The Overman Wheel Company had been supplying Locomobile with parts and boilers.

It was not long before the Stanley brother's steam-powered car began gaining popularity and providing fierce competition for the Locomobile. Locomobile decided to add internal combustion engines beginning in 1903 to their vehicles to diversify the products and increase sales. By 1905, the Locomobile Company no longer offered a steam-powered model and had switched completely to gasoline power.

Locomobile's powerplant was designed by Andrew Lawrence Riker and it would quickly gain a reputation for its durability and power. It was initially a twin-cylinder unit but soon was made into a four-cylinder version featuring automatic inlet valves. As 1905 came into sight, only the T-head four-cylinder models remained.

Locomobile's success in motorsports led them to claim their product was 'Easily the Best Built Car in America.' This claim was backed-up by winning America its first victory in a major international race. In 1908 a Locomobile won the grueling Vanderbilt Cup. The Model I-based number 16 racer was driven by Racer George Robertson. From that day forward, the racer became known as 'Old 16' and instantly became a racing legend.

Locomobile retired from motorsports to concentrate on their production cars. In 1911 their six-cylinder T-head Model 48 was introduced. The six-cylinder engine was a very advanced unit and would power all future Locomobile models. The engine found in the Model 48 displaced 429 cubic inches and produced 70 horsepower. The cylinders were cast in pairs. Riker was the engineer responsible for the design and he chose to use a variety of metals, such as aluminum and bronze, in the creation of the motor and chassis. Many of these metals were unable to battle the test of time, resulting in few examples surviving to modern times.

The 1912 Locomobile 6-48 Model M Sportsman Torpedo Touring was a very refined and sophisticated car. It carried a price tag of $4,800, putting it within reach of only the affluent in society. At a time when a Cadillac of similar dimensions and power rating cost just $1,8000, the Model M Locomobile was a very exclusive vehicle.

The Locomobile Company was merged with Mercer and Simplex as part of Hare's Motors in 1920. This union collapsed a short time later, and Locomobile became its own independent marque once again. It was later purchased by William Durant and merged into his growing empire of automobile production. Even Durant was not able to shield the Locomobile Company from the effects of the Great Depression, and it was ultimately forced to close its doors forever in 1930.

by Dan Vaughan

Sportsman Torpedo Touring
Chassis number: 5273
Engine number: 5257

This vehicle is a 1912 Locomobile 6-48 Model M Sportsman Torpedo Touring car and was treated to an extensive restoration which began in 1997. It took two years for the professional restoration to be completed. Locomobiles offered their vehicles in a choice of colors. This example is finished in burnt orange with deep maroon fenders and chassis. The interior is finished in maroon leather and has a black cloth roof.

Factory options include a Jones speedometer and clock, and an Amp meter with white faces and brass bezels. There is a Klaxon horn, optional shock absorbers, an electric start mechanism, and dual taillights.

Between 1911 and 1912, it is believed that only 11 examples of the Locomobile 6-48 models have survived.

This car was offered for sale at the Vintage Motor Cars sale at Hershey, PA presented by RM Auctions. It was estimated to sell for $400,000 - $600,000. It was offered without reserve and sold for a high bid of $660,000 including buyer's premium.

by Dan Vaughan

Sportsman Torpedo Touring
Engine number: 5113

The Locomobile Model M, later renamed the Model 48 for its taxable horsepower rating, was introduced in 1911 and produced until the end of the company in 1929. During its very long production lifespan, very few engineering changes were made. Power was from a large T-head six-cylinder engine which was renowned for its lightness and durability.

This particular example is from the second series of production and is part of the Don C. Boulton collection. It has been given a restoration by Tim Ohlendorf of Ohlendorf Restorations in Beecher, Illinois, from a partially disassembled original car that had been owned by Wayne Leonard. Using a photograph of an original Model M roadster, built for a Philadelphia client, Art Bergstrom produced the two-seater body, using authentic period methods, on a correct rolling chassis and engine acquired in Wisconsin. It is finished in the color scheme of grey with black moldings and burgundy striping, soft dove grey chassis and suspension, burgundy wheels, and tufted burgundy leather upholstery. It has a Jones 100 mph speedometer and clock, and Locomobile -branded oil, temperature, amperage, and fuel gauges. There are correct Locomobile-branded Solar lamps, dual rear-mounted spares, a toolbox on the running board, and a 'mother-in-law' seat. The engine is a 524 cubic-inch T-head inline 6-cylinder unit offering 48 horsepower and mated to a four-speed manual transmission. In the back are drum brakes.

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