Stevens-Duryea production began toward the end of 1901. A light two-cylinder, five-horsepower runabout, it featured a three-speed sliding-gear transmission and wire wheels. Stevens-Duryeas were always quality cars with prices to match. The initial models were priced at $1,200 when popular runabouts sold for half that. The 1905 Model R four-cylinder touring listed for $2,500 and the six-cylinder Model S of 1906 at double that figure, right up in Packard territory. The late historian Beverly Rae Kimes described the Stevens-Duryea approach as “prestigious conservatism,” aptly echoed by the company’s motto, “There is No Better Motor Car.” Production hovered around 100 cars a year, most of them large touring and limousine models. Though purchased in the early 1920s by a syndicate headed by Ray M. Owen of Owen Magnetic, the company continued to build the same cars in tiny quantities as orders were received. Orders ceased around 1927 and so did the Stevens-Duryea.

Acquired by the consignors in 2010 from the previous Ohio-based owner, this 1913 Stevens-Duryea Model C-Six is a fine example of the prestige end of that year’s catalog. On a 138-inch wheelbase and priced at $4,750, it appealed to customers like George Vanderbilt, who owned one at his estate in North Carolina. The car’s massive twin-ignition engine, rated at 48 horsepower, displaces a huge 495 cubic inches.

After acquiring the Model C-Six, the consignors sent the engine to Justice Restoration in Georgia to be rebuilt and had the car professionally restored. By 2021, the engine had been returned and the Stevens-Duryea was made whole again with the help of Fawcett Motor Carriage Company in Ontario, Canada, the final tasks being completed in mid-2022.

As presented, it is magnificent, its cream body contrasted with bifurcated red striping. The undercarriage and wheels are painted in a soft green hue. The seats are of sofa proportions and upholstered in tan buttoned leather. The front seat faces a wood dashboard with a Warner drum speedometer, a Boston key-wind clock with second hand, and a gauge for the Kellogg compressed-air self-starter. A bulb horn is provided for the right-hand driver to warn cyclists and other traffic, and a MotoMeter on the radiator keeps track of engine temperature. A full tan canvas touring top shields the driver and passengers from rain and glaring sun. The windshield is an unusual wood-rimmed single-pane design, which can be tilted outward at the bottom for cockpit ventilation.

The headlights are nickel-plated, complimented by green-lensed cowl lamps. The right running board carries dual spare tires; at the rear is a generous touring trunk. An alternator was added under current ownership.

Accompanied by an extensive history file, this rare Stevens-Duryea is the perfect candidate for touring, upon completion of a full re-commissioning for the road.