Cars of the Month - October

1902 Elmore

Elmore was founded in Ohio in 1899 and built its first car – a 6hp single-cylinder two-stroke model – in 1902. A two-cylinder model followed soon after, with three- and four-cylinder models added by 1906.

In 1909, Elmore was one of several automotive brands acquired by William Durant to form General Motors. Apparently, Durant was drawn to Elmore’s two-stroke engine, which its creators claimed was superior to the four-stroke.

The early Elmores from 1902-03 were available as runabouts/roadsters and tourers, but as they were priced above the similar-looking Oldsmobile ‘Curved Dash’ model, sales were somewhat modest – never more than a couple of hundred units annually.

This 1902 Elmore is available from The Veteran Garage in NSW.

See more online with this ad code: JCMD5282600

1919 Oldsmobile Model 37A Tourer

Oldsmobile offered their first six-cylinder model in 1908, but dropped it for the 1916 model year, only to re-introduce it a year later in the form of an all new, 177 cubic inch unit for the ‘Model 37’.

A mildly altered ‘Model 37A’ for 1919 offered the same engine, transmission (three-speed floor shift) and most of the same body styles. Unlike Oldsmobile’s eight-cylinder Model 45, the Model 37A was offered in closed coupe and sedan body styles, but tourers and roadsters were also available.  

In 1919, the Model 37A outsold the Model 45 by almost four to one.

This 1919 Oldsmobile Model 37A Tourer is available from a private seller in NSW.

See more online with this ad code: JCM5262328

1912 Willys Model 59 Doctor’s Coupe

Despite John North Willys taking control of Overland in 1908 and renaming the company ‘Willys-Overland,’ the Overland name remained in use until 1925.

Overland’s 1912 range covered four models, all with four-cylinder engines, but of different outputs and on different wheelbases. The Model 59 featured a 30hp engine and 106-inch wheelbase. Priced above the Model 58, but below the Model 60 and 61, the Model 59 was available in roadster, touring, coupe and delivery truck bodies. At this time, all Overlands were right-hand drive, with LHD not introduced until 1915.

This 1912 Willys Model 59 is available from a private seller in VIC.

See more online with this ad code: JCW5306480

1920 Buick KX-49 Tourer

Buick’s range for 1920 was unchanged from the year before, with only the series designation altered - from ‘H’ to ‘K’.

The Series K was powered by a 242 cubic-inch inline six producing 60hp, with model designations – from 44 to 50 - defining the body style and wheelbase length. Models 44 through 47 rode on a 118-inch wheelbase, with Models 49 and 50 (there was no 48) on a 124-inch wheelbase.

The K-45, a two-door, five-seater touring body, was the most popular in 1920, with more than 85,000 built. Of the K-49, a four-door, seven-seat touring model, the 16,801 units built in 1920 included 1,100 for export, identified with an ‘X’ in the model name.

This 1920 Buick Tourer is available from a private seller in QLD.

See more online with this ad code: JCW5249627

1916 Cadillac Tourer

After introducing electric starting for 1912, a two-speed diff for 1914 and a V8 engine for 1915, Cadillacs were only mildly changed for 1916. The V8, a 314.5 cubic inch unit, produced “60+” horsepower (actually 77hp) and was matched to a three-speed manual transmission.

Changes were made to open and closed body styles for 1916, with some dropped and new ones introduced. Entry to Cadillac ownership at this time was via a four-door seven-seat touring car, four-door five-seat ‘salon’ or two-door roadster, all of which started at US$2,080.

While left-hand drive had been standardised on all Cadillacs in 1915, factory right-hand drive was still available as an option.   

This 1916 Cadillac is available from The Veteran Garage in NSW.

See more online with this ad code: JCMD5223018

1914 Hupmobile Model 32 Tourer

After working for Oldsmobile and Ford, Robert C Hupp launched his own marque – Hupmobile – in 1909.

The first Hupmobile was the ‘Model 20’, a 17hp four-cylinder roadster on an 86-inch wheelbase, which was joined by the Model 32 in 1912. This offered a more powerful (32hp) engine and longer (106-inch) wheelbase.

Hupmobile severely pruned their range for the 1914 model year, with the Model 20 dropped and just four body styles available for the Model 32. An electric starter and electric lighting were introduced, though.

This 1914 Hupmobile is available from a private seller in NSW.

See more online with this ad code: JCW5290411