Lot 243

Hershey 2017

1909 Locomobile Model 30-L Speedster

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$96,800 USD | Sold

United States | Hershey, Pennsylvania

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Engine No.
2730
  • Formerly of the Ralph B. Loucks Jr. and Charles LeMaitre collections
  • Sporty period-style speedster bodywork
  • A participant in Vanderbilt Cup anniversary events during the 1950s
  • Wonderful heritage and a delight to drive

This highly sporting Locomobile has been known in the hobby for some 60 years. Ownership history includes Ralph B. Loucks Jr., a well-known early enthusiast and sportsman from Chicago, and the great collector Charles LeMaitre. It bears a Second Prize brass plaque on the dashboard, from the 50th anniversary celebration of that famous 1908 Vanderbilt race, which was held on 25 October 1958, at Old Westbury, Long Island. Photos taken around that time show it in its current configuration, with a monocle windshield, brass lighting, a center-mounted Rushmore spotlight, gas headlights, and kerosene side-lamps.

The leather upholstery is removable and in excellent order. A Warner Auto Meter odometer-speedometer combination is fitted to the dashboard, which also carries a Warner Chelsea clock with a second hand, and the ignition is of a Bosch dual-coil system. The chassis is original and highly correct. Even the original muffler is in place and in good order. It rides on Firestone Non-Skid tires, with dual spares at the rear. The current owner, an avid enthusiast, had RM Auto Restoration install electric start, as well as a charging system and cut-off switch for the battery, and has much enjoyed driving it on local country roads since his acquisition.

It is unusual to find a speedster on such a high-quality chassis with a long-established history. This car, which is eligible for vintage racing and vintage touring, will turn eyes on any highway and provide an immense helping of fun. It is, as the early company slogan boasted, “Easily the best-built car in America.”