1907 Procter Runabout

Sold for $18,700 at 2015 RM Sotheby's Hershey Auction.
Albert Procter began experimenting with the construction of horseless carriages in 1898. The vehicle was intended for his personal use and there was no intention of building additional vehicles. It took him nine years to complete and by 1907, he had constructed this runabout. It was a simple wooden carriage with full-elliptical suspension and was powered by several different engines over the years. The initial engine was a single-cylinder unit which was later replaced by a 10-horsepower twin from an early Ford Model A.

The small runabout was later sold to a gentleman in Marblehead, Massachusetts, who donated its Model A engine to the war effort during World War II. It was later sold - sans engine - to a collector in Rhode Island. In 1980, it entered the Richard Roy collection who eventually re-installed a Ford Model A engine which he sourced from a proper specimen in Australia. That engine, number 1771, is currently installed in the Procter.

Except for the engine, the Procter is original, including its wooden bodywork and metal fenders. The original maroon finish is still visible and the leather interior is believed to be original. Much of the original brass trim appears to be present throughout as well.

By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2015