The Pre '30 Auction - 2021

First offered in 1916, the Holt 40-75 was the largest model available at the time. They were commonly used in logging operations throughout the US and in Canada. It is powered by an impressive, Holt built 7-1/2" x 8" bore and stroke engine. Combined with the heavy built Holt chassis, it provided plenty of pulling power. The 75 was one of the last models that still utilized a single front wheel for steering as seen on earlier models. This tractor is a late model 75, has an older restoration and the magneto has been rebuilt and the radiator has been recently serviced.  New oil pump to camshaft gear installed, carburetor needs rebuilt.

Only two complete Huber 15-30 tractors are still known to exist. Unlike the later 15-30 Hubers with four-cylinder inline engines, this early 15-30 is powered by a two-cylinder opposed L-head engine built by Sintz-Wallin. It is the earliest line of Huber tractors sharing the catalogs with the non existent 20-40 and the 35-70. Of all of these early line Huber tractors, there are less than a half dozen in all sizes and conditions. This 1916 model belongs to Mary Ehlerling and was restored by her late husband Dan. It was originally sold to W. B. Petty of Hot Springs, South Dakota on April 21, 1916.Ð’  The tractor was in pieces with many parts missing when Dan purchased it from Mel Reints of Gilette Wyoming in 1991. He started the restoration that same year and had to make several of the engine components. Dan was able to get the tractor back together and painted before the June 1995 Huber show in Marion, Ohio.Ð’  The tractor was on display at the Huber Museum in Marion, Ohio for nearly 20 years.  The tractor is an older restoration and should be thouroughly gone through before starting.  It's too rare not to take exceptional care!  Rods have been replaced, flywheel has been repaired and it has a few replacement parts.  Tractor has not ran for nearly 15 years.

The two cylinder IHC Mogul was designed to meet the needs of heavy prairie work. Produced at the IHC Engine and Tractor Works in Chicago, this Mogul 45 rests on a heavy steel frame and features a single speed forward transmission with a friction drive reverse. The engine is cooled by the large exhaust draft induced cooling tower mounted on the front of the tractor with water being pumped from a large cooling tank mounted below the engine. The engine has magneto and battery powered low-tension variable timing igniter ignition and an air-cooled pony motor for starting. The distinctive sound of the Mogul 45 sets it apart from many tractors of the era. It was truly a "Cadillac" of prairie tractors. This tractor is being sold online and is located in the Netherlands. We can arrange shipping to your doorstep. 

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After having great success with steam engines since the 1800s, in 1910 Sawyer Massey began selling gas tractors. All of their tractors featured a 4 cylilnder in-line engine. The largest of the line was the 27-50. This model had actually been re-rated from their original 1911 22-45 model. This example was sent by Sawyer Massey to the Winnepeg Agricultural Motor Trails for testing. Once the trails were over, the tractor was left by Sawyer Massey as a chore tractor for the grounds. In 1920, Sawyer Massey brought the tractor back to the factory and replaced all of the worn parts with new ones so the tractor could be sold. It was sold to a farmer who used the tractor on a separator until it was retired around 1930. The tractor was owned by the Dome Valley Museum in Arizona for many years and underwent an extensive restoration. A wonderful, excellent running tractor!

This aircraft was acutally used as a feature in the 1988 movie "Midnight Run" staring Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin! It is powered by a 450hp Pratt and Whitney Model 985-14B engine and is setup for wing walking. The plane also has an extreme smoke system installed for exhibitions. The last annual that was preformed on the plane was done in August in 2000.  The engine has not been run since then.  The tach time listed at this time was 549.7 hours and 8203.7 total Aircraft time.  Copies of the log books are available if you click the documents button below. This plane is being sold from it's location in Elgin, Oregon.  

H. H. Linn initially built his own tractor-truck purely out of his own need. He has previously represented the Lombard company so he had previous experience with track design. The half-track truck design worked very well so in short time he began manufacturing them in his hometown, Morris, NY. These tractors were mostly used in logging and lumber operations but were also used by the U.S. government for various heavy duty jobs. This example has been completely restored and is powered by an early Cummins diesel engine. It runs and drives and has a beautifully restored wooden bed with a cable opperated tailgate.

The Autocar company began in 1899 with producing mostly cars until focusing the buisness on comercial vehicles in 1911. The company was very successful during WWI and WWII supplying trucks and specialty vehicles to the military. This Model 27k was used by the Wilkins Drayage Company of Sacramento, CA. It was used as a delivery truck for hauling gravel in the San Joaquin Valley. It has been mechanically and cosmetically restored to perfection! Excellent running and presenting truck!

This is an interesting and unique tractor!  We’ve spent some time researching this and we believe that this tractor is actually a 20 h.p. Kinnard Haines that was the predecessor to the 20-35 Flour City. This tractor resembles a 20-35 Flour City but has several differences including a smaller engine. The first small 4 cylinder engine tractors started production in 1911 and we believe this is one of them.  To our knowledge this is the only 20 h.p. known.  It would be in the same series as the 40 and 50 h.p. tractors.

Work has been started on the tractor including some recast parts including heads and rocker arms, a repaired differential, a new master gear, head and valve work were performed, new pistons and more. The tractor is not currently running and will need mechanically assessed before starting.  The tractor still has some of the original wood on it and you can still see Haines written on the front axle. This is a very rare, very short production tractor that was in between the two cylinder and the later 4 cylinder Flour City tractors. One of a kind tractor!!!

During WWI, The Renault Company built small 25hp tanks for the war effort. After the war, they removed all the armor and were left with a 3 ton crawler. By 1920 this became the Renault HI crawler. Renaults unique hood design seen on their cars and trucks continued into their tractor design. This example is an older restoration and has an aftermarket canopy. An exceptionally rare tractor made even moreso in the crawler version.  ****  Notice: This tractor has not been run in many years.  We started the tractor but it has been found to be missing governor parts. 

Coming at a mere 5 horsepower at the drawbar, the 5-10 Avery was the smallest of the Avery "Bulldog" line. These tractors we available from 1916 until production ceased in 1919. They were marketed for light duty farm jobs with the use of the 10 belt horsepower but were still able to pull a single 14" bottom plow. This tractor is in nice original condition and is in running order.  The engine has been rebuilt, wheels rebushed, the chassis has been gone through and tightened up, friction wheel rebuilt, radiator has been taken apart and clean - very nice little original tractor with a lot of mechanical restoration.  Was originally used in Iowa to pull a stone sled out of the hole while digging basements!

The 'Steel Mule' name was original used by Joliet Oil Tractor Company and its use continued on after they were acquired by Bates Tractor Company. The model D is a 'half-track' tractor that utilizes wheels in the front and tracks on the rear. They also offered a Model H which was very similar but with rear wheels instead of the tracks. The model D is powered by an ERD four-cylinder gas engine. This particular tractor has been owned and displayed by the R.E. Olds Transportation Museum for a number of years. It wears an older restoration and runs and drives but the clutch will need adjustment.  

Rare engine! KW model T magneto, Kingston 5 ball carburetor, This engine has two cracked flywheels. The engine was run several times before the crack was located.

Sn. 272, repainted, runs and drives, radiator panels do leak, rear tires are wrapped for parading.

The Model X was built from 1928 to 1930 with production ending at around 2,400 units. They were marketed by Rumely as a "Super Power" tractor that could handle a 4 bottom plow. This tractor, Sn. 888, is an older, but very respectable restoration and is setup for parades with rubber on the front and rear wheels. It also has a canopy and a reproduction magneto cover.

The Model X was built from 1928 to 1930 with production ending at around 2,400 units. They were marketed by Rumely as a "Super Power" tractor that could handle a 4 bottom plow. This tractor, Sn. X1820, is an older restoration. It has lugs and skid rings and a Bosch magneto.

These extensions have recently been sandblasted, painted and pinstriped with industrial urethane paint. They measure 46” in diameter, 7” wide, and are 7 spoke design.  They are being sold from their location in Odessa, MO.

The Minneapolis 27-42 was originally the product of the Minneapolis Steel and Machinery Company but production continued after a large merger. Minneapolis continued to sell the 27-42 until it was discontinued in 1929. This example has been repainted and outfitted with an aftermarket canopy.  Older restoration, canopy is not original.  Mag and carb had a minor overhaul and made a big difference in how it ran.  Needs an overall tweaking and servicing and should make a good tractor!

This tractor, Sn. 5C1399, is one of only 1,728 35's that were built. It's a good starting and running tractor with a good to very good undercarriage. The steering brakes and clutches work as they should. A lower production Cat that would be a highlight of many collections.

Before 1921 these tractors were sold with an 18-30 designation until it outperformed itself at the Nebraska test and was re-rated shortly after. Allis Chalmers sold the 20-35 from 1921 until 1930. These tractors were essentially the same as the late Greyhound tractor sold by Banting Mfg. with only minor differences. The tractor has been repainted and is in good running condition.  This tractor will be selling from it's location in Owosso, MI.

The 10-20 Titan was a wildly successful tractor for International Harvester. Over 78,000 10-20s were built from 1916 to 1922 with small updates over the years but still retaining it's core design. This example, Sn. TY58305, is in it's work clothes and runs and drives well. It still retains original equipment including lugs, clutch pulley, and the KW magneto.  This tractor will be selling from it's location in Owosso, MI.

This has been a long time project and the owner has decided to let someone else finish them! There are two chassis, one needs rear wheels. There are pallets of loose parts pictured, along with a large group of patterns the previous owner has made. There are no crankshafts. Two cylinders and heads for one of the Moguls are at the foundry right now and the owner will provide them to the new buyer. Please take a look at all of the photos and give Alex a call at the office 217-563-2523 to go over more information.

Shortly after life ended for the Model 30 Hart Parr, production began on its replacement, the 18-36. This example, Sn. 89215, has an older restoration and does run.  It possibly needs a replacement head gasket.   It has lugs and skid rings with additional parade bands over them for road use. One of the easiest driving and running tractors for an entry level Pre-30 collector!

J.I. Case began selling steam engines in 1869. This late example was produced just after the company started selling gas tractors in 1911. The boiler is a triple lap seam boiler which will need attention before operating. The engine has a rare set of 30" drivers of which there are probably less than ten of these known. This traction engine is being sold from it's location in Odessa, MO.

Original set of extension rims 

Frick traction engines were built in Waynesboro, Pa. This engine Sn.16598, is one of the smaller 8x10 single cylinder sizes of the line up that they manufactured which would make it easy for hauling to and from shows. It has rubber bolted to the rear wheels for parading, a Pickering governor with automatic shut off feature, and very nice condition gearing. Included with the engine is a Penberthy ¾ injector and an original Frick steam gauge. The boiler has never had any kind of welding or repair. The engine was recently running on air to test its operation.   This traction engine is being sold from it's location in Odessa, MO.

This example, SN. 11723, believed to be the second to the last steam engine that Huber sold. This is a unique double cylinder steam roller with power steering and a vertical water pump. The front water tank has been removed but will be provided. The roller appears to be the original and in good shape. The boiler for this roller has had R Stamp repairs. It is certified to 165 PSI MVWP as shown in the R Stamp paperwork. The boiler has also had new flues installed.  This traction engine is being sold from it's location in Iowa.

Built in Battle Creek, Michigan. This engine, Sn. 13945, has all the features of a rear mount plowing engine with side tanks, canopy, butt strap boiler, and heavy gearing. The engine has a Pickering governor, Cross Head Pump, & one injector which make for a great combination for both belt work and traction work. To our best knowledge there are only two known Nichols and Shepard traction engines with municipal wheels. This engine and a 20hp Side mount. The engine currently has the boiler flues, and ash pan removed ready for inspection by the potential buyer. The boiler does have some previous repairs and would need attention before operating.  This traction engine is being sold from it's location in Odessa, MO.

This unique setup is a Russell 25hp boiler that has been placed on a truck chassis with a shop built locomotive cab. It utilizes an engine from a steam shovel. The engine is hooked up to the original truck transmission which is a 5 speed with reverse. It was last run in 2018 at The Greeley Old Time Farm Show in Colorado.  The last boiler certificate expired in 2018 and it had a 125psi rating.

The boiler has had the firebox and flues removed and is ready for a new firebox. Aumann Auctions does not certify pressure vessels and boilers should be inspected by potential buyers at their own discretion.

Introduced in 1908, the Model T was Ford's first mass production vehicle. The model was in production up until 1927. This 1923 model is in nice, original condition. It wears a great original patina and would be a great mechanical restoration project!  All 4 wheels have perfect wood.  Engine has compression and would be made to run in just a few hours.  A very nice original barn find Model T.

Maxwell produced automobiles from 1904 until 1925. This car is in barn find condition and will need some work to get running. The body is nice and solid and will make for a great project. Not a lot of opportunities to bring back to life nice old original pieces like this!  excellent wood in all 4 wheels.  Still has original trim wood around the top edge of the body.  A nice old Barn find.

This is a half scale model of an original 1907 Rolls Royce that was hand build by a gentleman in England. He spent nearly 4,000 hours building this 8 foot long half-size model. The chassis is made from aluminum sheet material. The body is aluminum skin over hardwood framing just like the real car. The upholstery is soft genuine leather. The tires are 16" bicycle tires with wood spoked wheels like the original. It has a 12-volt car battery under the hood and a mid-mounted electric motor. The small speedometer is from a bicycle. The side lamps and tail lamp burned oil just as on the full-size car but have been electrified. Located in Nokomis, IL.

Technical Description of the model from the Owner    

     This incredibly detailed half-sized model of a 1907 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost automobile was built by Arthur Fredrick Musson in England. According to his son David, Arthur kept track of his time and spent over 4,000 hours (2 man-years of time) building it starting in the early 1980s and finishing it in 1987. Arthur sold it for about $15,000 shortly afterward so he would have enough money to immigrate to Australia where the rest of his family lived and buy a home there.   

     Arthur patterned this little beauty after a full-sized 1909 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost Automobile located in Beaulieu, England. Beaulieu (pronounced BEW-lee) is a small village located on the southeastern edge of the New Forest national park in Hampshire England and is home to both the Palace House and the British National Motor Museum.  

     This jewel measures ______" long by ______" wide and ______" high to the top of the erected folding windshield. It has a wheelbase of ______" and a wheel track of ______". It weighs approximately 160 pounds without the 12-volt automotive battery that is used to propel it and light the headlamps, cowl lamps, and single tail lamp. The typical medium-sized 12-volt automotive battery will weigh around 50 pounds. 

     Arthur was very familiar with working with sheet metal but he did not have access to elaborate sheet metal forming tools so he used aluminum sheet material rather than steel to fabricate the ladder-type frame with its several cross members. He even punched large holes in the cross members wherever possible to reduce their weight.

     All of the leaf springs are assembled from many aluminum leaves. The front springs are the typical semi-elliptic type while the rear suspension is of the platform type with a single transverse spring shackled to the back of a pair of semi-elliptic springs on each side. The special and rather complex shackles resemble U-joint crosses. This rather elaborate type of rear suspension was thought to provide a smoother ride on the larger cars but disappeared for the most part by 1910 or so.

    Evidently, the rear springs would not carry the load Arthur intended so he installed rubber-tipped rigid supports to carry the load on the rear springs. I wrapped wood blocks with white cloth and taped them in place to keep the front of this beauty from bouncing when it is being transported. I never removed those blocks yet.

     Between the front shackles, front spindle kingpins, rear spring front shackles, and the rear spring rear platform suspension shackles, there are 20 miniature grease cups that Arthur built from scratch. They are made from brass and have knurled threaded caps that one could remove to pack them with grease. I find no evidence of grease anywhere so I don't know if Arthur intended for them to be functional or used merely for decoration.     

     The front axle appears to be a piece of steel bar stock that Arthur cut to shape and used a ball end mill to remove the inner material on both the front and back sides. The steel steering spindles rotate on typical kingpins. An authentic worm and sector steering gear with a steering arm actuates a drag link that turns the right spindle. A typical tie rod links the rotation of the right and left spindles together.  

     The rear axle assembly incorporates a fully functional differential so this model has drive to both of the rear wheels. I have not had any reason to take it apart so I have no idea where Arthur obtained the many gears, bearings, and other parts used in its construction. It appears that he fabricated both halves of the rear axle housing using a cast flange from something. He even included a truss rod under the center housing which was typical on vehicles of this era.

     As was typical until the mid-1920s, the front wheels are without any brakes at all. The brakes on the rear wheels are of the mechanical internal expanding variety inside the brake drums. They are actuated by the foot pedal as well as by the locking hand lever which is the outer of the two hand levers on the right side of this vehicle. They are actuated by the cross shaft and the steel rods which run down both sides of this model. For some unknown reason, Arthur never painted these brake actuating rods.

          The tires are 35-year-old all-black 16" x 2-1/4" Michelin bicycle tires and are mounted on beautifully fabricated authentic wood artillery wheels. All rubber tires made before 1924 or so were not black but were of a light gray color. A full set of 5 16" all-white bicycle tires are included with this model in an attempt to replicate the original light gray tires. I installed one on the right front wheel just to see how it might look. I concluded that white tires looked odd on this mostly white model so I decided to leave the nicely contrasting original black tires on this model for now. The new owner can choose which color of tires to display on this exceptionally fine and unique model. A spare tire is mounted on a bicycle rim and is carried on the right running board.   

     The front wheels have 8 spokes each while the rear wheels have 14 spokes each. Very few cars of this era had more than 12 spokes in the rear wheels. Many of the larger brass era cars had only 10 spokes in the front wheels while nearly all of the medium-sized and smaller brass era cars had 12 spokes in all of the wheels. Nobody has ever been able to explain to me why many of the larger brass era cars had only 10 spokes in their front wheels. 

     The brass hubcaps closely resemble those on the full-size vehicle. The rear hubcaps have a thin photo-etched brass ring that is soldered to the machined hub cap. The ring has the words "Rolls Royce" etched into it in two places.  The front hub caps press on while the rear hubcaps screw onto the wheel hub. The red steel wheel hub plates closely resemble those on the full-sized car.

     The electric propulsion motor is of the 12-volt DC type and is mounted under the middle of this gem. It turns an open driveshaft that has 2 covered U-joints and turns the pinion shaft on the differential assembly. The motor speed is regulated by a solid-state SCR speed controller located on an aluminum heat sink under the rear of the body. The accelerator pedal actuates a linkage that rotates the shaft on a potentiometer that sends the appropriate electrical signal to the motor SCR speed controller. There is a pair of double solenoid controlled relays under the middle of this car that change the direction of rotation of the electric propulsion motor.  

     The propulsion battery is a typical medium-sized 12-Volt automotive battery that sits in an aluminum cradle under the polished aluminum engine hood. This hood has aluminum piano-type hinges riveted in place. There are pairs of beautifully fabricated rotating hood latch handles on both sides of the hood. The tapered handles are machine from aluminum bar stock and rotate tiny steel hooks that turn a quarter of a turn and latch into small brackets on the insides of the frame rails. Authur even fabricated beautiful aluminum three-dimensional escutcheons where the hood handles rotate in the bottoms of the hood sides. Seemingly small details like this are not easily noticed by many people but really add to the great appeal of this unique model when one examines it closely.

     The controls consist of a genuine hardwood rimmed brass spoked steering wheel with centrally mounted controls for the engine throttle setting and ignition spark timing. Those control handles move but the linkages are not attached to anything. There is a wood control box on the wood dash panel that has a removable lid. Inside are located an electric voltmeter, a red control circuit pilot light, a 10 amp fuse holder, a toggle switch to operate the lights, and a key switch. The key switch even has a half-size red leather fob with a metal insert that has the proper RR half-size insignia on it. A brass dummy fuel level gauge occupies the lower right corner of the dashboard. 

     The left or clutch pedal moves but is not hooked to anything. The right or brake pedal actuates the brakes on the rear wheels. The accelerator pedal is located to the right of the brake pedal and controls the speed of the electric propulsion motor. Both the hand brake lever and the directional control lever operate in a rather complex fabricated steel quadrant just like the brake and shift levers on the full-sized vehicle. They also both have nickel-plated handles that release the ratchets that hold the levers in position. 

     The inner of the pair of outboard control levers controls the direction of the vehicle. When it is locked in the fully forward position, the red pilot light comes on on the dash control panel and the vehicle will move ahead when the accelerator pedal is depressed. When the directional control lever is locked in the center position, the red dash pilot light is not on and the vehicle will not move when the accelerator pedal is depressed. When the directional control lever is locked in the fully backward position, the dash pilot light will be on and the vehicle will move backward when the accelerator pedal is depressed. 

     The electronic speed control circuitry works very well and is smooth throughout the entire speed range. This vehicle will move along at a very slow creep or move up to a maximum speed of about 10 miles per hour. The speed range is the same in both the forward and reverse directions.  

     I suspect the speedometer is from a British bicycle of some kind and it fits the size of this model very well. It appears that Arthur changed the face or at least added the date 1906 to the face. That would make it look more authentic because most such accessories were either patented or built a year or so before they were used on an automobile. 

     It is driven with a cable inside a metal housing that has a pulley on the end. A pulley on the drive shaft runs a round section rubber belt that turns the pulley on the cable. This speedometer showed 85 miles on the odometer when I bought this car and now shows 112 miles. I find it hard to believe this little beauty has traveled 27 miles since I have owned it but it may have. I am too large to fit in this car and no adult has tried to drive it since I have owned it either. I have not yet checked to see if the odometer and speedometer register in scale or actual miles or speed.  

     To me, the body is one of the most impressive parts of this model. It is framed in hardwood and covered with aluminum sheet skin, just like the full-size vehicle. The rear doors and their perimeter exposed wood framing are truly a work of art. That hardwood frame is exposed and varnished rather than painted body color. The brass door hinges are truly fabulous. The part of the hinge on the door is fabricated from heavy brass bar stock. The part of the hinge that attaches to the door jamb is made from brass sheet material and actually wraps around and covers the part of the hinge that is attached to the door. 

     The door latches are similarly spectacular as well. They incorporate lost wax castings for the nickel-plated bail-type exterior door handles. The spring-loaded latch mechanisms are fabricated from brass and hidden behind the leather inner door panels. As on the real vehicle, the latches will open when the outer bail handles are rotated in either direction. A triangular cam on the handle shaft actuates the latch bolt in the mechanism. 

     There is a flat brass escutcheon that surrounds the lock bolt and another one that surrounds the opening lever on the wood on the top of the door. There are beautiful 3-dimensional nickel-plated escutcheons that surround the shafts on the outer door handles. The red leather inner door panels have the distinctive RR logo on the flaps that cover the access to the storage compartments inside both of the doors.

     The upholstery is a beautiful red genuine leather that may be of the better vat-dyed variety that it is dyed all the way through the material. The upholstery incorporates a diamond tufted pattern that is correct for brass-era vehicles. I suspect Arthur used a modern stuffing material rather than the horsehair stuffing that was used on the original vehicle. The leather is still very nice and soft with no cracks or damage even though this jewel is over 35 years old. The leather could use some very careful cleaning and treating with a preservative but I will leave that task to the new owner.

     The windshield is a rather complex 3 section unit fabricated from solid brass stock. It is supported with complex sloped solid brass rod assemblies on both sides. The bottom sloped section is fixed. The pair of upper sections can fold as a unit where they attach to the bottom sloped section. The pair of very special S-shaped wing nuts lock the pair of upper sections to the sloped lower section. The upper of the pair of upper frames can be hinged open to allow more air to flow through when desired. A pair of knurled brass round knobs lock that movable section in place. I replaced the plastic glazing that was damaged when I bought this model. 

     The four beautifully flowing fenders are fabricated from sheet aluminum material. The front fenders have a reinforcing angle attached to the bottom edges to reinforce them while the rear fenders do not have this feature. This was common on some of the full-sized vehicles of this era. Arthur must not have had access to a bead roller so he attached a quarter-round metal bead to the tops of all four fenders using blind rivets.

     The fenders attach to the aluminum trimmed hardwood running boards and are supported with round rod brackets as well. The 6 running board brackets are of particular interest to me. Arthur bent a 1/2 inch wide steel channel to the required curvature and then filled the open side of the channel by soldering flat stock in place where strength was needed to make a strong rectangular tube section.

     Each of the six running board bracket channels is terminated in a curved point on a sculpted steel 4 hole plate where they bolt to the outsides of the frame rails. Please note the special conical-shaped square-headed bolts that attach the plates to the frames. Arthur spent many hours making these special bolts from scratch. This is another very impressive detail that escapes the attention of the average model viewer. 

     The full-size RR vehicles did not use rivets to hold the frame sections or such attachments together. They featured special tapered shank bolts that were fitted to tapered holes formed with a tapered reamer. This method of construction was considered to be superior to rivets and was done to assure parts would not become loose during the life of the automobile. It also allowed parts to be disassembled and reassembled much easier than fighting with removing and replacing rivets. This was a very costly type of construction but that was not a factor for the "best car in the world".

     The very distinctive radiator is of particular interest due to its unique profile which became a RR trademark of a sort. A few manufacturers copied it in the early 1920s but were soon discouraged by Rolls Royce. I suspect this radiator was fabricated from "German Silver" which is an alloy consisting of about 60% copper, 20% nickel, and 20% zinc. It resembles silver even though it contains no elemental silver unless it has been plated. 

     It is interesting to note that this radiator has both upper and lower water tanks with the appropriate inlet and outlet even though it has no functional metalcore. The black core material on the front appears to be a "Hexcel" expanded plastic material similar to that used in snow skis back in the 1970s. A cloisonne enamel emblem adorns the upper front while a turned filler neck tops the upper tank. Authur did not originally feature the "Spirit of Ecstacy" flying lady radiator ornament which someone added after this model made its way to America. This radiator ornament was not featured on the full-size RR autos until 1910 or so.

     Arthur really went all out when he found or fabricated the three ornate badges for the badge bar in front of the radiator. It appears that one or perhaps two of the badges were photo-etched with the third badge being very carefully cut from sheet brass material. The badge bar also holds the engine hand crank support. The engine hand crank turns in the support but does not attach to anything on the model. The special front and rear license plates both display "SG 80". This was significant for the RR meet on the 80th anniversary of the introduction of the Silver Ghost in 1987 where this model was displayed and first sold.

     The 5 very intricate yet functional half-size lamps on this fabulous model are like fine jewelry on a beautiful woman. The pair of headlamps are of the self-generating acetylene gas type that featured the twin water tanks for the acetylene gas generator under each lamp. On the full-size lamps, water was dripped on pieces of carbide which created acetylene gas which was burned in the lamp to produce a fairly bright light. 

     On the full-size original vehicles from 1912 and earlier (Cadillac had the first electric lamps in 1912), the driver had to stop the vehicle, get out and add water to the tanks (except in cold weather when the lamps could not be used), place carbide chunks in the acetylene gas generator, open the door on the headlamp, set the water dripping to get the gas generator operating, light the lamp, adjust the intensity of the flame and close the door for each headlamp. Consequently, acetylene headlamps were only used when absolutely necessary and could not be used in freezing weather. They also caught fire on occasion.

     The fork-mounted headlamps on this jewel were made from spun or otherwise fabricated brass parts and then nickel plated. They have opening doors to access the burner just like the real lamps did. However, it appears that Arthur never intended for them to burn acetylene because they had electric bulbs in them when I bought this model. I upgraded the bulbs to a brighter and more efficient type. I also replaced the fluted plastic lenses shown in some of the photos with clear glass lenses as the original vehicle had. I never tried to drive this model in the dark so I can't tell you how well the headlamps actually work. The door's hinges and latch operate fine on the right headlamp door but the latch on the left headlamp door is missing a part so that latch is wired shut. 

     The pair of spade-mounted side lamps were also fabricated from scratch from brass spinnings and were nickel-plated. They also feature hinged and latched opening doors and have convex glass lenses. They have red jewels in the back of the housings so the driver can tell if they are working or not. They originally came with functional miniature kerosene burners that featured tiny adjustable wicks. I removed the burners and saved them in the tiny wood box on the left side of the dash. I then installed sockets for electric bulbs and did the same for the tail lamp. Those 3 lamps feature smaller power bulbs than the headlamps have so the light they emit is more yellow in color and more closely resembles the light given off by the typical kerosene lamp.

     Only one taillamp is featured because twin taillamps were not required on all vehicles until the later 1950s here in the USA. Please note how the taillamp features a red glass lens that makes the red caution light for the back of the vehicle. That taillamp also serves as a license plate lamp and illuminates the rear license plate that has the same "SG 80" characters as the front license plate has. 

     Please note the half-scale "Pratts" oil can attached to the left running board with a leather strap. This would have been used to carry extra engine lubricating oil because the vast majority of the early engines either burned or leaked a considerable amount of engine crankcase oil. I believe that Pratts was eventually taken over by Esso in the UK. 

 I bought this fine model from a color ad in Hemmings Motor News back in 2002. An elderly man in Cincinnatti Ohio who owned a life insurance company and a large estate on the south side of Cincinnati owned it. It was stored in a dirty garage where dogs had access to the building so it had some dog hair on it. I had no enclosed trailer to haul this in at that time so I built a very sturdy plywood crate to protect it while transporting it on my open flatbed trailer. That plywood crate is included with this superb model.

     There was a Rolls Royce Silver Ghost tour that was headquartered here in Bozeman Montana for several days back in 2004 or 2005 or so. I electrified all of the lamps at that time and also incorporated a radio-controlled emergency shut down system at the time. I did that so children could safely enjoy driving this a bit. By pulling the trigger on the remote radio control, power to the propulsion motor is shut down. 

     I displayed this model at the tour with very little interest from most of the participants. The RR tour included a parade in Ennis Montana that 4th of July weekend so I took this gem 60 miles over there and let two young sons of a RR owner drive it in that parade. They soon became very skilled at driving it in circles and figure 8's in that parade and really stole the show that day. 

    The most challenging problem I have had with this beauty was a blown 3 amp fuse in the propulsion motor control circuit and that was completely my fault. When I electrified all of the lamps about 18 years ago, they ran off a 3 map fused circuit that also controlled the propulsion motor control circuitry. I used a DVM to measure the current draw and determined that the 5 lamps collectively drew about 7 amps. Therefore, it is no wonder the original 3 amp fuse blew when that circuit provided twice that amount of current for all of the 5 lamps and the control circuitry solenoids. 

     The left side lamp mounting bracket originally had the spade soft soldered to the 1/4" diameter rod and that let junction go recently. I had a professional welder remove the paint and solder and use his TIG welder to repair that recently. I removed the left rear door and took it to a local automotive paint supplier. They mixed a spray can and a small bottle of cream-colored paint that matches perfectly. The repaired side lamp bracket came out very well. This touch-up paint is included with this model. Some of the photos taken nearly 20 years ago show that left side lamp drooping a bit. I fixed that problem when it was rewelded recently. 

     I polished the aluminum hood before the local RR tour about 18 years ago. The windshield glazing is broken in some of the early photos but was expertly replaced recently. The fluted plastic headlamp lenses were replaced with authentic clear glass lenses recently as well. I have not repaired anything else other than the burned-out 3 amp fuse. 

The following is a letter from the original builders son: 

 To describe the construction of the half-size 1907 Rolls Royce model is to describe my Dad. Really the two were part of each other in a way for such a long time. The car in all its perfection could never have been without Dad's amazing abilities and skills. Dad was born in 1923 in London and grew up in a lower-class family with 8 siblings. He started work early and enlisted during the war as a Royal Engineer based in Kenya. After the war, he started work as a sheet metal worker but also did a number of other jobs as a plumbers assistant, etc.

     Dad had suffered during his childhood with epilepsy and it was a recurrence of epilepsy that eventually forced his hand into model making. Whilst still in London, Dad had made a small Rolls Royce pedal car for my brother. It was his first attempt and a real kid's car. We moved out of London not long after I was born and headed to Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire, UK. There, Dad started to have a recurrence of epilepsy and spent some more time building an Alfa Romeo and a Peugeot. (The Peugeot was another kid's car and the Alfa a fine collector's piece). Dad continued work as a sheet metal worker until he had a very bad accident on his motorbike due to epilepsy. At this point, he could no longer drive and shouldn't have been operating machinery so he decided to build a model that would help fund the family in later life.
 
      He started building the Rolls Royce model in a tiny 1 meter (about 3-1/2 feet) by 1.5 meters (about 5 feet) shed back in 1977. Keep in mind he had no money apart from the small bit of weekly family assistance he received from the government. So to obtain materials to build the car he had to visit flea markets and rummage through scrap metal bins on the local industrial estate. In fact, the most expensive piece on the car when building it was the sheet of red leather which cost him 400 pounds (about $800) and took nearly 2 years to save for. Everything else was built from ordinary "stuff". Even the lamps were made from old brass kettles from market stalls. When my sister emigrated to Australia, Dad moved the car into her vacant bedroom and continued from there. It was a very small bedroom and the car didn't even fit in its entirety.
 
     Dad would spend weeks turning each of the lamps and I remember at one point one of the lamps that he'd been working on for nearly 3 weeks snatched and flung off around the walls completely wrecking it. It was a dark day but he just started again. He had amazing patience and all this time he was making us toys and Mum furniture as well as playing with us. He was a great dad.
 
     Mum and Dad decided that they would try and emigrate to Australia. In 1986 we put the wheels in motion and my sister would sponsor us out. This meant Dad had about a year and a half to complete the car so every waking hour went into it. His aim was to take the car to the 1987 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost "80th" anniversary show and try and find a buyer (hence the number 80 on the license plate). We left Dad in Feb 1987 and moved out to Australia. He stayed behind to finish the car and take it to the Rolls Royce show, which he did and it was a huge hit. He got offered 7500 pounds (about $15,000) for the car and upon working out that this would enable us to get a deposit on a house in Australia he sold the car. The buyer from memory was an owner of a carpet factory or company.
 
     2 years later and whilst in our new house in Australia, we get a video from Dad's brother in the UK who had taped an episode of the famous show "Blue Peter". That video was in regards to a special auction of model and toy cars and the star of the show was Dad's car which was driven out and parked right next to the original Rolls Royce silver ghost which had been brought to the show just to highlight Dad's workmanship. That was a very proud moment and I have attached a picture of this. The show's announcer went on to talk about the values of the models. She said that if Dad's car was to reach its asking price, it would be the most expensive model car in the world. The asking price was 75,000 pounds!!!! A lot of money in those days, especially with the strength of the pound sterling (~$150,000 US). Dad had no regrets that it was about to sell for 10x what he sold it for because he did what he did to get us a house and that had happened so all was well.
 
     That was the last time we saw the car. About 23 years ago. I had located all of the other models that sold that day at a German museum but not the Rolls Royce. As mentioned when the internet came along I began searching furiously but to no avail. Dad decided after some time that he would build another car. He started on a canary yellow 1913 Mercer raceabout in half scale because he wanted to access the American market (ironically) of car lovers. He was about half-finished when at 81 he suffered a stroke and passed away from pneumonia.

More information coming soon!