If there is a focus in the Guyton Collection – other than what, simply, one enthusiast truly enjoyed – it is on rarity and unusual specification. Witness the Mason, the Model X Duesenberg, the Wills Sainte Claire, or the Ruxton. Fred Guyton loved cars that were distinctively different from all the rest. Few of his machines embody the philosophy better than his 1912 Hudson, with bodywork by Kent coachbuilders James Young & Co., Ltd., best-remembered for their exceptionally elegant work on Rolls-Royce and Bentley chassis.

James Young outfitted six Model 33 chassis with this body, known as the Doctor’s Coupe, a convertible with “dickey seat,” mahogany-framed sliding windows based upon the design used in British railroad cars, and a lush interior in cloth with embroidered accents. Reportedly one of the six examples was delivered to the Duke of Westminster. Typical of the coachbuilder, the construction throughout was without peer, though evidence shows that the thrifty British shop incorporated stock Hudson roadster body panels into the design. Riley wire wheels were another unusual touch.

This car’s earliest known ownership was in Dingwall, south of London near Croydon, where an owner dubbed it “the Dingwall Dandy,” striped that name on the hood, and enjoyed driving it around town. It was acquired in the 1950s by David and Dorothy Rice, longtime Horseless Carriage Club of America members in Pasadena, California. Following a restoration, it was shown and driven by them for many years. Most famously it was featured in an article, “An American Abroad,” by Julie M. Fenster in Automobile Quarterly, Vol. 25, No. 2. In 1980, it was awarded 3rd in class at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, followed by an AACA Senior First Prize in 1983.

In 1989, the Rices sold the car to respected Washington State collector, Carl Schmitt, known for the fastidious maintenance and documentation of his automobiles. Following Mr. Schmitt’s passing it was acquired for the Guyton Collection, in 2008. It has been well preserved in Mason’s Garage ever since, and remains a very attractive automobile, with only minor patina and wear showing on its now five-decade-old restoration. Further it is offered with a handsome history file documenting its Rice and Schmidt ownerships.

Few cars in the Guyton Collection are rarer than “Dingwall Dandy;” none can challenge it for sheer crowd appeal. It is, simply, cute as a button.