The year 1908 marked the introduction of the Ford Model T and the first wide-scale expansion into motoring by American citizens. Once primarily the entertainment of the wealthy, cars were now rapidly replacing horse-drawn carriages in the streets, including as a means of transporting goods. The latter was true for William Ayers, of Sussex, New Jersey, who in 1908 received this Holsman Model H-11 Touring off a train from the factory in St. Louis, Missouri. A successful salesman for the Honesdale Shoe Company, Mr. Ayers removed the Holsman’s rear seat and used the car to haul the latest footwear about Sussex County.

Mr. Ayers’s son, R.D., followed his father into success in the county, leading the Farmers Union Telephone Company and serving as a prominent local politician. He eventually inherited his father’s Holsman, which then passed to his brother. In April of 1964, it was finally acquired from its original owner’s family by Richard Roy, a resident of the Sussex County town of Branchville.

Despite being remarkably well preserved as-acquired, including a reinstalled rear seat, the car was restored in the late 1960s by Mr. Roy’s trusted friend and restorer, Lawrence Stillwell, of Goodville, Pennsylvania. Following the restoration, it was entered in the 1964 AACA Eastern Fall Meet here at Hershey, Pennsylvania, finishing 2nd in Class 2. The car is believed not to have been shown publicly since but has remained in the Roy Collection for over 50 years—and has still never left the ownership of Sussex County residents.

Amusingly, with half-a-century’s patina, the car appears now much as it did when Mr. Roy acquired it; its brushed-on paint would shine up nicely, and the leather interior and patent leather fenders would respond well to treatment. The brass headlamp and hubcaps are still in fine condition, and the car overall has a wonderful, correct appearance, including its various badges and striping. It is believed to have not been driven since the late 1960s and would therefore require mechanical work before being returned to the road. The car is accompanied by various pieces of documentation, including assorted original and reprinted manuals, and the bill of sale from Mr. Ayers to Mr. Roy.

Out of all the automobiles in Mr. Roy’s collection, his family is particularly proud of this one. It is part local artifact, part fascinating “high-wheeler,” and wholly historic in its every charming nut and bolt. It has been 51 years since it last came to Hershey—and now it is back!