Eric Minoff
Vice President, Head of Department - US
LOT 251
1911 Pope-Hartford Model W 50HP Portola-Style Roadster Engine no. 8705
Sold for US$291,000 inc. premium
Lot 251
Property from the Collection of Don C. Boulton
1911 Pope-Hartford Model W 50HP Portola-Style Roadster
1911 Pope-Hartford Model W 50HP Portola-Style Roadster
Engine no. 8705
Engine no. 8705
389ci OHV Inline 4-Cylinder Engine
50bhp
3-Speed Sliding Gear Manual Transmission and Shaft Drive
Front and Rear Semi-Elliptic Leaf Springs
Hartford Friction-Type Shock Absorbers
Rear-Wheel Drum Brakes
*Offered from the Don C. Boulton Collection
*The crown jewel for the Pope-Hartford enthusiast's collection
*One of the fastest American road cars of its period
*Properly set up for touring and a favorite road car of Mr. Boulton
THE SPORTY PORTOLA
Painstakingly hand-built from 1903 to 1914 in the Connecticut city of the same name, the Pope-Hartford was the beautifully engineered crown jewel of the automotive empire established by former bicycle magnate, Colonel Albert Pope. Most every component of the Pope-Hartford was produced in-house by the company's skilled craftsmen, including the potent overhead-valve engines that made the cars among the most powerful of their era.
Like many of its ilk, Pope-Hartford offered a "race-and-road" model, a stripped roadster in which performance was the main goal. The 1911 Model W Portola roadster was essentially a Pope stripped to the bare essentials, with an advanced engine, four-speed selective-shift transmission, shaft drive, and dual magneto and coil ignition, and could achieve 70 mph, a remarkable figure for the time.
THE MOTORCAR OFFERED
With only one authentic Portola Roadster remaining in existence, dedicated Pope enthusiasts such as Don C. Boulton were left to the creation of their own cars. Mr. Boulton acquired an original Model W engine and chassis, as well as a rear axle from a Pope fire truck, and commissioned the restoration of this car.
The car is beautifully finished in a rich deep blue, with black moldings and a light blue pinstripe. Set up for touring, it is fitted with an electric starter and period Hartford friction-type shock absorbers, as well as a storage compartment for tools and such that is most cleverly built into the center of the double rear-mounted spares. Pope-Hartford-branded Gray & Davis headlights with matching model 934 cowl lights illuminate the way. Mr. Boulton's friends recall this as one of his favorites for regional and national tours, of which it participated in several over the years.
Accompanied by a collection of photographs and Mr. Boulton's typical thorough file of restoration invoices, this handsome Pope-Hartford is also offered with copies of the original price list, parts manual, and sales brochure. It is among the most fun automobiles in this collection of high-horsepower Brass machines, and would undoubtedly be a real thrill for the new owner to take out and run on the open road, in the best tradition of its late caretaker.
Saleroom notices
Please note, the title for this vehicle will be in transit.
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