c.1916 Brewster Coupé
Registration no. not UK registered Chassis no. 02344

Goodwood Members' Meeting|7 April 2019, 13:00 BST|Chichester, Goodwood

c.1916 Brewster Coupé
Registration no. not UK registered
Chassis no. 02344

*One of circa two dozen survivors
*AACA award winner
*Knight-type sleeve valve engine
*An older show-quality restoration
*Present ownership since 2010

Footnotes

'Carriage Builders to American Gentlemen', and arguably the most famous of American coachbuilders, Brewster & Co bodied its first automobile - a prototype electric car - in the mid/late 1890s. New York's wealthiest families had long favoured Brewster as a builder of fine quality horse-drawn carriages, so it was only to be expected that they should turn to the same firm to supply bodies for their new automobiles. The first gasoline-powered chassis to carry a Brewster body was completed in 1905 and in 1910 the company moved into a new purpose-built factory on Long Island. It was from this new plant that the first Brewster car would emerge in 1915, with production proper commencing for the 1916 model year.

Brewster were importers of Panhard, Renault, Rolls-Royce, and Delaunay-Belleville automobiles, and it was difficulties in the supply of these European chassis, occasioned by the outbreak of WWI, that prompted the American firm to build its own. The Brewster automobile had a 125" wheelbase chassis and was powered by a 276.5ci (4½-litre) four-cylinder Knight-type sleeve valve engine. Mechanically it owed much to the contemporary Rolls-Royce while the oval radiator was a direct crib from the Delaunay-Belleville. Steering wheel position was optional and various body styles were available, all priced between $5,250 and $6,650 in 1916, making the relatively compact Brewster considerably more expensive than the gargantuan V12-engined Packard Twin Six! Some 500 of these exclusive automobiles had been made when production ceased in 1925, shortly before Brewster's acquisition by Rolls-Royce of America. Around two dozen of these early oval-radiator cars are believed to exist today.

An older show-quality restoration, still in good condition, this AACA award-winning Brewster Coupé features a distinctive forward-sloping 'Brewster windshield' and is finished in blue with black wings and black detailing. The charming cloth-trimmed interior incorporates extensive timber framing, rear courtesy light, roof vents, and a pull-down rear window blind, while the beautifully detailed engine bay boasts numerous brass and copper components. The Key Collection purchased the car at a US auction in 2010. Few early American automobiles are rarer or more exclusive than this wonderful Brewster Coupé, which would grace any important private collection.

Should the vehicle remain in the UK, local import taxes of 5% will be added to the hammer price.

Saleroom notices

Please note, information from the US book of serial numbers suggests that this vehicle could have been constructed circa 1921.

Additional information

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