1908 Mors

1908 or 1909 Mors 30 or 45hp car (in the collection of the author)

The Societe d'Automobiles Mors was founded by brothers Emile and Louis Mors - early French automotive pioneers. After moving to gasoline engines in 1895, Mors built a reputation for technically advanced and fast cars. The company grew quickly, exporting cars to England and The United States. The Honorable Charles Rolls imported and distributed Mors prior to his partnership with Royce. In fact, Roll set the land speed record in 1903 in Dublin driving a 30hp Mors. The Central Automobile Company of New York (and later Cryder & Company- located at 63rd Street & Park Avenue in New York City) was awarded the sole distributorship for America. Additionally Mors, like many other foreign makes of the period, licensed the manufacturing of it's cars to an American concern - the St. Louis Car Company would built the American Mors (a slightly altered version of the French car) between 1905 and 1909, competing with the French imports of the same name.

The car pictured here appears to be a 1908 or 1909 30hp (possibly the 45hp) Limousine. At the time, Mors offered a 10, 15, and 20hp car - all of which were shaft drive. They also offered a 30hp and 45hp,  chain drive, 4-cylinder car, as well as a 6-cylinder 50hp car. This car is a chain drive and I believe a 4-cylinder. The car is pictured in front of (Raymond) Bergougnan et Cie, the large French tire and rubber company located in Clermont-Ferranb (a city within the Puy-de-Dome region - just west of Lyon). Bergougnan was often over shadowed by it's neighbor Michelin et Cie of the same city.

Around the time this car was made (circa 1908), Mors was in financial trouble. The company had suffered from the financial depression sweeping France at the time - cars sales had fallen off and the company withdrew from racing. Mors' president, Harbleisher, invited Andre Citroen, a gear manufacturer recognized for his expertise in mass production, to join him in trying to turn the company around. Citroen did as requested and quickly increased production. Citroen would go back to running his own company, however the two would meet again. Citroen would resume control of Mors and purchase the company in 1925 - closing Mors and using the factory to produce Citroen automobiles.

Motor, December, 1906

Mystery Solved - 1906 Gallia Landaulette de Ville

circa 1906 Gallia Electric Landaulette (photo credit: Ariejan Bos)

Blog reader Ariejan Bos has emailed this wonderful image of a circa 1906 Gallia Landaulette de Ville which appears to be the vehicle pictured in the Charles Barenne photograph - excellent work Ariejan.

La Societe L'Electrique (1904-1915) established an American distributorship in New York City in 1905 (Gallia Electric carriage Company). The company exhibited at the 1906 Madison Square Garden (Space 42 East Hall), Sixth National Automobile Show. Exhibiting a "Gallia" Landaulet bodied by Kellner and a "Galliette" runabout bodied by Rothschild, it was reported by The Automobile (January 18, 1906) that Mrs. W. K. Vanderbilt Jr. purchased the Landaulet at the show. Interestingly there is also records indicating that Brewster, the esteemed New York coachbuilder, bodied two Gallia Electrics for General A. E. Booth around this same time period.

As the stated in an article in The Motor of Januray 1906, "…the importation of a French electric car, … shows that the idea is eminently practical after all, because both New York and Paris lead the world in this type of motor-cars, and if American electric cars are sold in Paris, why French electric cars may be sold in New York."

Charles Barenne photo of Gallia Electric (in the author's collection)

The Motor, February, 1906

1907 Winton Type XIV Runabout

1907 Winton Type XIV Runabout (from the author's collection)

The Winton Motor Carriage Company of Cleveland, Ohio introduced the new Type XIV in 1907 to replace the Model K. The smaller of the two Winton offerings in 1907, the Type XIV was fitted with a 30hp 4-cylinder engine on a 104 inch wheel base - available as a Touring or Runabout. The Horseless Age of January 16, 1907 writes, "Their Type XIV, four cylinder, 30 horse power chassis is shown stripped and fitted with a regular touring body and as a runabout. The latter car is not intended as a racer, but as a serviceable runabout, and has a comfortable body with collapsible rubble seat and trunk platform." Winton was a well organized manufacturer who appears to have had a strong sales program as witnessed by the article noting Winton's School for Automobile Salesmen seen below.

This car was photographed by Dad in the mid-1950s at Raceland - the estate of John Macomber and host to an annual VMCCA event at the time. The Type XIV Runabout looks to be fresh from refurbishment, and back in 1907, would have sold for $2500.00.

Dad doesn't recall who the owner was at the time and I haven't been able to locate the car today. Does anybody know where it resides?

UPDATE: 
As a blog reader has suggested, this vehicle appears to be the 1905 Binford - not the Winton I thought it might be. The Binford is a car created from the imagination of an early collector and was assembled using parts from various cars in the 1940s (is this a Winton radiator?). The car was created, and has spent much of its life, in New England - traveling through the Princeton Auto Museum and The Long Island Auto Museum. It still exists today.

Cycle and Automobile Trade Journal, November 1, 1906

The Horseless Age, December 31, 1906