106ci F-Head Single Cylinder Engine
Single Carburetor
8bhp
3-Speed Manual Transmission with chain final drive
Semi-Elliptic Leaf Suspension
2-Wheel Brakes

*From the Estate of Harold Coker
*Handsome early pioneering Thomas car
*Exquisitely restored
*Eligible for Horseless Carriage Club Events and more

THE THOMAS COMPANY

Like so many of his pioneering contemporaries, Erwin Ross (E. R.) Thomas was in the bicycle business prior to manufacturing automobiles. During the 1890s, E. R. was the managing director for H. A. Lozier & Co. who produced the famous Cleveland bicycle. However, he recognized the huge potential in the newly evolving automobile business and left Lozier to take over the Buffalo Automobile and Auto-Bi company, which was known for its production of bicycles and motorcycle engines. In 1900 E. R. changed the company name to Thomas Auto-Bi, and by 1901 Thomas claimed to build more air-cooled motors than anyone else.

E. R. had bigger things in mind however, and the first Thomas automobiles were introduced in 1903; small runabouts described in the catalog as the happy medium between the cheaper and more expensive cars produced after E.R. Thomas consolidated his manufacturing into one division. E.R Thomas continued following the French pattern of design that had served him well with his previous motorcycles, tricycles and quadricycles. The resulting new car looked quite similar to a Renault or DeDion Bouton and shared a similar mechanical design. Since the French had lead the motor industry for over a decade, this was certainly a safe and reliable model to copy.

The Thomas Model 18 proved a good car and a fairly successful product. Thomas would quickly begin to move towards a more American/German type design with his next motorcars. The limitations of the light French design would prove a bit frail for difficult American conditions.

Today, on our properly paved roads, the Model 18 is a delight and a fine American alternative to the ubiquitous French voiturettes. The Thomas Model 18 is well engineered and has the build quality that helped establish the company's excellent reputation. The strong 8hp single drives the car through an efficient 3-speed sliding gear transmission. The 3-speed is a big help in efficiently climbing rolling hills without having to resort to low gear. Equipped with a roomy and comfortable tonneau, the Thomas is an appealing four-up transport.

THE MOTORCAR OFFERED

Bonhams is delighted to offer the latest in a series of cars presented from the collection of likely the most noted follower of the Thomas legacy, Harold Coker. Mr. Coker was truly passionate about the Thomas products and at one time had amassed examples of almost all the early cars they built.

Here is his single cylinder car which carries with it a somewhat remarkable story which deserves telling.
While the story is not documented and is almost too fanciful to have dreamt up, it does represent the form in which the car was purchased from William S. Abbott in Godfrey, Illinois in the 1990s by Harold Coker.

It is said that in the early days this car was driven from New York to St. Louis for the 1904 World's Fair where it was used as part of a Fair and was known "The Red Devil". Within a short period of time, the subsequent first owner, who lived in Union, Missouri, determined that the Thomas single cylinder motor wasn't sufficient to climb the hill to his home. He complained and returned the car to the E.R. Thomas Company, who it is said no longer had a suitable powerplant and elected to install a more powerful twin cylinder Buick unit of a similar era.

Coker wanted to restore the car to as original a specification as possible, so he removed the Buick engine, made patterns and recast a new single cylinder unit from an original '03 Thomas from fellow enthusiast and friend, Henry Jansen. The former two-cylinder motor was sold in part to fund this and other projects. The remainder of the car was restored to very high standard as evidenced today and has from time to time been displayed at concours events by the Coker family, most recently at the Atlanta Concours d'Elegance in 2018.

Finished in the bright red colorway that is so often considered the norm for the brand and was exactly as depicted in contemporary Thomas marketing materials, this is a fine representation of the model. The car has never been submitted for dating with the Veteran Car Club of Great Britain, so its potential eligibility for the London to Brighton has not been explored.