1911

This 1911 Pope-Hartford Model W wears five-passenger touring coachwork and is said to have spent time in two brass-era collections before being purchased by its current owner circa 1991. Finished in green with yellow pinstripes, the car is powered by a 389.9ci inline-four with two monobloc cylinder and head castings, overhead valves operated by cold-drawn steel-tube pushrods, and a six-feed mechanical oiling unit. Additional features include a four-speed manual transmission, rear drum brakes with externally contracting bands, 27” wood-spoke wheels, a black soft top, tufted black leather upholstery, and a Warner Auto-Meter speedometer. This Pope-Hartford is now offered on dealer consignment in St. Louis, Missouri, with a clean Nevada title. The Pope-Hartford marque was established in 1904 under the umbrella of Colonel Albert A. Pope’s Pope Manufacturing Company, which built bicycles, motorcycles, and automobiles under several subsidiaries. Based in Hartford, Connecticut, Pope-Hartford offered single- and two-cylinder models before introducing a four-cylinder engine in 1906. The Model W was introduced in 1911 with a revised 50-horsepower engine and a choice of various body styles on its 124”-wheelbase chrome-nickel-steel channel-section frame. Five-passenger touring bodies could be optioned with or without front doors, and this example wears coachwork in the former configuration that has been repainted in green with dark green accents and yellow pinstriping. Features include a body-color radiator shell, leather hood straps, Gray & Davis headlights and cowl lamps, linoleum-lined running boards, an adjustable windshield hosting dual side mirrors, and a black soft top. The acetylene headlights are not currently plumbed for gas, and the rear light is said to have been converted from oil to electrical operation. The selling dealer notes that the cowl lamps are in need of oil. The wood-spoke artillery wheels are finished in green with yellow accents and wear Lester tires measuring 36×4.5 up front and 37×5 at the rear. A spare of each size is secured outside the right-front door. Stopping is handled by pedal-operated externally contracting bands and lever-activated internally expanding drums, each of which acts upon two sets of drums at the rear wheels. The cabin houses front and rear bench seats upholstered in black tufted leather with color-matched trim over the door panels. Additional features include black rear-compartment carpeting, rear door pockets, a right-hand shifter, and a bulb horn. The wood-rimmed steering wheel sits ahead of the right-hand side of a wood dash panel that hosts a Warner Auto-Meter speedometer and a Warner clock. The five-digit odometer shows 12k miles, approximately six of which have been added by the selling dealer. The clock is said to require winding. The 389.9ci inline-four features two monobloc cylinder and head castings, overhead valves actuated by cold-drawn steel-tube pushrods with ball ends, and a camshaft driven by gearing simplified from the previous year’s design. Lubrication is handled by a mechanical oiling unit with six pumps delivering oil to each cylinder, the timing gear intermediate shaft, and the timing gear case. Induction is via a single updraft carburetor, while ignition is handled by a Hadco distributor. An alternator and an electric starter have been added. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a four-speed manual transmission with a direct-drive top gear. Suspension incorporates leaf-spring solid axles with trussed torque rods and adjustable radius rods at the rear. Oxidation is present on the exhaust components.