Awesome piece of motoring history featuring a rare, factory 3-speed transaxle! Outstanding Gentleman’s Speedster designed while in England with original 30 horsepower engine, gorgeous brass appointments, and perfect running operation! Act quickly!
In Detroit in 1908, three men founded a company to build their own cars; Barney Everett, a man who had made a fortune building car bodies; William Metzger, a super-salesman for Cadillac; and Walter Flanders, who had been Ford production manager. Their name became simply E-M-F Company and the production car was introduced in 1909 and sold through established Studebaker dealerships, called the Model 30 matching the horsepower output. It would be considered a medium priced, mass produced vehicle that was a notch above the popular Ford leading the country in sales. Soon after, Everett and Metzger had left the company by 1909 in a huff to build the Everett, leaving Flanders to continue building the E-M-F Model 30, while he tried to build his own car, a Flanders 20. But, surprisingly, the E-M-F was the second best-selling automobile by 1911 right behind the Ford, and ahead of the Cadillac, Buick, Overland, and many others. The separation of its founders, but level of superior production, didn’t go unnoticed by Studebaker, who elected to buy the E-M-F franchise in 1910, and changed the name officially to their own in 1913.
Offered here is a 1911 E-M-F Model 30 Gentleman’s Speedster finished in Cream White with Red accent stripping and matching Red wood spoke wheels. Likely beginning life as a Touring model, this car made its way to England and later converted to a sportier, lighter Speedster in proper fashion! Maintaining the original chassis, 226.2ci L-head 4-cylinder engine, and very unique 3-speed manual rear transaxle with a perfectly street worthy 3.50:1 axle, it was shed of unnecessary body weight. Adding custom leather bucket seats for two, fuel tank, storage boxes, and the required lighting for night travel, this gorgeous Speedster is truly a piece of vintage automobile art! Being unique only to itself, this one-off example will forever be a testament of a simpler motoring time long passed by when drivers could easily personalize their car for sporting events, touring, and even racing.
Believed to have been converted in England, the beautiful brass lighting provided for the H&B side markers, and the rear Powell & Hanmer LTD (P&H) tail lamps are both born in England and remain acetylene. The Rushmore Lens-Mirror Searchlight headlamps born in Plainfield, NJ but distributed through London have been converted to electric illumination. Additional features include original E-M-F/Boyce Motometer, radiator guard, rope-wrapped suspension springs, passenger assist handle, running board step plate, rear-mounted spare, Pyrene fire extinguisher, Stewart speedometer, Rototherm temp gauge, brass hand horn, and Smith & Sons rearview mirror. Most recently part of the A-Z Collection owned by John Moir in Chocorua, NH, it remains a splendid running and driving unit under his care! It recently received fresh spark plugs, cloth covered plug wires, and new battery for easy starts! A remarkable car to hand start with ease, and even better to experience on the road! The super unique rear transaxle is rare for the period, but allows for wonderful gear engagement and seamless power from the engine to the ground. We encourage visual inspections, and will be happy to answer any questions about the condition. Eligible for AACA, HCCA, and VMCCA events.
Price: Auction
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Location: Saint Louis, Missouri, United States
