1912 White Model 30 G.A.D. Roadster

226.4ci 4-Cylinder Inline Engine
Single Carburetor
4-Speed Manual Transmission
2-Wheel Brakes
Leaf Spring Suspension

*Timewarp, preserved Brass Era motorcar
*Ex-Leo Bongers Estate
*Believed never shown or displayed
*Possibly unique survivor in this condition

WHITE MOTOR COMPANY

Thomas White was an old-line Cleveland manufacturer, primarily of sewing machines, which allowed him the luxury of an automobile. He bought a Locomobile steamer before the turn of the 20th Century and was unhappy with both its quality and reliability. His son, Rollin, a Cornell engineer, perfected a water tube steam generator that fixed the most basic problems with the Locomobile and patented it. He and his brother Windsor began making White steamers, which proved successful and spun off from the original company, and they had their own plant by 1906. Three years later, the company was so well established that William Howard Taft selected a White as the first official automobile of the U.S. President, a publicity coup. However, steam was running its course in the U.S. auto industry, and the internal combustion engine was becoming the standard. White had to bow to public taste. After careful research, White decided to license the design of a Delahaye engine and built a "gas car" in 1909.

1912 represented the third full year for production of gasoline automobiles and the first without any steam offerings. The Model 30 as shown here was offered with two wheelbase lengths, a 110 inch for the Touring and Roadster and 120 inch for formal Limousine and Landualet versions. A roadster such as this would have set its original owner back some $2,250.

The White is a relic of a time when Cleveland was the sixth largest city in the nation and was attempting to become the automobile capitol of America. White Motor Company was an integral part of that history.

THE MOTORCAR OFFERED

As with today's auction, for many there is no better experience than attending a collection dispersal sale, and through the peak of his buying Frank Spain was clearly present at many of these events across the country. When it came to the White here, its file starts with the 'hook' of a 'Large Estate Sale' that was to be held in David City, near Omaha, Nebraska on what must have been an extremely cold late January day in 1993. The seller was Leo Bongers, who had amassed more than 100 of all sorts of cars, a dozen motorcycles, automobile parts and signs etc. and on his death it all had to be sold. Photos from the day of sale show remarkable vehicles such as this literally lined up outside in the sun, and press reports chart thousands of people attending the auction.

Amazingly, this is as much as we know of the White's history. What can safely be assumed is that Leo Bongers appreciated this car for its originality and authenticity, which was also what drew Frank Spain to the car. Without a paper trail, one can only guess at the car's history, but the fact of the matter is that however many or few owners this car has had all must have cherished it, and fortunately for collectors today, it presents an incredible timewarp unrestored automobile the likes of which are rarely found.

Viewed very closely, almost all of its finishes appear to be original, the upholstery is dry but for the most part undamaged and there are no obvious omissions to its specifications or original features. At some point, seemingly quite early on in its career an ancillary starter motor has been fitted to the White, with a large lever control on the dash, such that this also blends in with its condition.

Perhaps the most extraordinary aspect of the car is the consistency of its state, paint, upholstery and plating are all gently aged over their 107 years of existence, making an incredibly rewarding automobile to marvel at.

Frank Spain clearly saw the importance of this special automobile more than 25 years ago, before preservation had been highlighted as a contrast feature of concours around the world. Today it would surely provide its next custodian with an entry to some of the most hallowed lawns and would likely steal the class or show.