10 hp, two-cylinder engine, friction transmission, and full elliptic leaf springs in the front and rear. Wheelbase: 81 in.

• Recent cost-no-object restoration by High Mountain Classics

• Spectacular Brass Era automobile

After a disagreement with his partners, founder Charles Metz left his namesake company to become editor of the Cycle & Automobile Trade Journal. He returned in 1908 only to find Waltham debt-ridden and in shambles but with a tremendous surplus of parts. Ever the innovator, Metz offered customers a payment and self-assembly plan by which they could purchase their cars gradually and in pieces. Each “Parts Group” cost $25.00 and was followed by another once the previous box of parts had been assembled by the client. Thus was born the Metz Two, which required fourteen boxes of parts. At $350, it was quite the bargain. By 1909, Waltham’s debts had been paid off by his innovative “Metz Plan.” With his debts paid and parts supply reduced, factory assembly was offered the following year.

This magnificently restored Metz Two formerly resided in Pennsylvania before entering an Alabama museum and was later owned by noted collector Al Wiseman. It is an example from 1909 and, as such, was likely hand-assembled by its very first owner. Following the purchase by its current owner in 2008, it was subjected to a comprehensive just-completed restoration by Jim Stranberg at High Mountain Classics in Berthoud, Colorado. Receipts totaling in excess of $119,000 arguably make this the finest Metz Two extant. The eye-catching dark green and black paint is accented by yellow pinstriping on the wheels and fenders. The elegant brass headlights, cowl lights, and trim pieces are polished to perfection. The black convertible top is impressive, as is the rear-mounted wooden storage compartment. The black leather upholstery is complemented by a wooden steering wheel with brass spokes.

The Metz Two is an extraordinary vehicle, born of a debt-ridden company and the ingenuity of its founder. Beautifully restored and attractively finished, this particular Metz is a superb example of the innovative thinking typical of cars of the Brass Era.