LOT 337
1912 Babcock Model H 7-Passenger Tourer Chassis no. 1138 Engine no. 1233
Sold for US$25,760 inc. premium
Lot 337
1912 Babcock Model H 7-Passenger Tourer
Collectors' Motorcars and Automobilia Auction|11 October 2020, 13:00 EDT|Philadelphia, Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum
1912 Babcock Model H 7-Passenger Tourer
Chassis no. 1138
Engine no. 1233
Chassis no. 1138
Engine no. 1233
280ci Inline 4-Cylinder Water-cooled Engine
Single Updraft Carburetor
27.3bhp
Manual Transmission
Leaf Spring Suspension
Rear Mechanical Drum Brakes
*Prominent and practical 7-Passenger Tourer bodywork
*Enticing 'Barn-find' condition, with outstanding originality
*Powerful, large capacity 4-cylinder Engine
*Offered from the Petersen Automotive Museum Vault Collection
Previewing in Los Angeles, California by appointment. Please contact [email protected] for scheduling.
THE BABCOCK COMPANY
The H.H. Babcock Company of Watertown, NY had been building carriages for nearly 60 years when its automobile department was established in 1908. Its first car was tested for 5,000 miles in the snow, ice, and mud for which Upstate New York is well known. The first models were high wheelers but, as the company was careful to point out, "the Babcock gasoline machine is not to be classed with motor buggies, but is, in all respect, an automobile, although fitted with 36-inch wheels carrying solid rubber tires." In December of 1913, George H. Backbock announced the closure of his automobile department, but the company continued to build truck bodies. During World War I, Babcock was employing 800 people in the building of ambulance bodies for the government.
THE MOTORCAR OFFERED
Completed in either 1911 or 1912, this prominent and powerful Babcock Model H features the 32 horsepower four-cylinder engine and the 114-inch wheelbase chassis. The bodywork is of a massive 7-passenger, four-door Tourer type, offering plenty of room for friends and family to come along for the ride. The motorcar is in exciting 'barn-find' condition and has been preserved in largely original condition. The interior appears to be as fitted when new, and the old paint is weathered to a degree where it could actually be original as well. Original chassis and indication plates are intact, and an array of period brass lights are in place, along with a lovely 8-day New Haven Clock Company clock. A Bosch magneto delivered a strong spark to the four-cylinder engine.
The car was discovered after a long slumber in Boston garage where it had been parked for many years by Connecticut collector Ralph De Angelis. It would later enter the collection of fellow East Coast enthusiast Joel Finn before making its way out West. Offered from the Petersen Automotive Museum Vault Collection, this lovely motorcar is a feast of patina and originality, and one of only two known survivors of the marque. It is the perfect candidate to restore mechanically and keep the exciting cosmetic patina and age intact, and then enter it into Concours judging.
Additional information
Looking for a similar item?
Our Cars specialists can help you find a similar item at an auction or via a private sale.
Find your local specialistSpecialist section
Auction Viewings
- 10 October 2020, 09:00 - 17:00 EDT
- 11 October 2020, 09:00 - 13:00 EDT
