LOT 341
1913 Rauch & Lang Model J Electric Coach Chassis no. 29001
Sold for US$80,640 inc. premiumLot to be sold without reserve
Lot 341
Beautifully preserved and in single family ownership since 1957
1913 Rauch & Lang Model J Electric Coach
Collectors' Motorcars and Automobilia Auction|11 October 2020, 13:00 EDT|Philadelphia, Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum
1913 Rauch & Lang Model J Electric Coach
Chassis no. 29001
Chassis no. 29001
80 Volt Hertner Electric Motor
Electric Speed Control
4-Wheel Semi-Elliptic Leaf Springs
Rear Mechanical Drum Brakes
*Reported to have been delivered new to Bertha Palmer
*In the current ownership since 1957
*A Midwest car from new
*Lovingly unrestored and original
THE RAUCH & LANG
Rauch & Lang of Cleveland was a prestigious name in the electric car field and, before that, in the carriage trade. The company dated from 1884, when wagon builder Jacob Rauch and real estate magnate Charles E. J. Lang formed a partnership to manufacture high-end carriages. By the dawn of the 20th century, Rauch & Lang carriages were among the more prestigious—and costly—horse-drawn conveyances available in their area. In 1903, the company opened a Buffalo Electric dealership, and in 1905 began to build and sell electric vehicles under the Rauch & Lang name.
By 1916, the typical electric car was an enclosed Brougham such as the example offered here. These were favored by wealthy urban women, as they were easy to drive and operated quietly. The high-torque electric motors powering these "drawing rooms on wheels" enabled them to carry heavy closed coachwork, even with several passengers aboard.
THE MOTORCAR OFFERED
This machine is the very finest owner-driven electric vehicle offered for '13. Costing $3,100 when new, the Model J Coach sat on a long 105" wheelbase (shared with the Model TC Towncar) and featured luxury appointments inside and the option of Dual Control tillers or a steering wheel. It is reported that this Model J was purchased by grandest matron of the city of Chicago, Bertha Honoré Palmer. Originally from Louisville, Kentucky, Bertha married millionaire Potter Palmer of Chicago in 1870. Potter founded a thriving dry goods business and real estate holdings that included the luxurious Palmer House hotel. When the Chicago Fire in 1871 wiped out much of their holdings, it was Bertha's quick wits and business acumen that helped rebuild their fortune.
Bertha was known for her spendthrift, luxurious ways and her Rauch & Lang was indicative of just that. Finished in maroon with black and magnificently trimmed in matching maroon tufted broadcloth with ivory woven piping, her Coach featured dual forward-facing bucket front seats and a rear bench with pull-down curtains for each window. It is unknown for how long the car remained in Mrs. Palmer's care, but it would remain in Chicago for at least the first 44 years of its life. Understood to have been displayed at some point at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, a sticker on the window attests to its attendance at the 1948 Chicago Railroad Fair.
The Rauch entered the current, Midwestern ownership on April 4, 1957—likely from the collection of Chicago collector and Museum of Science and Industry Trustee D. Cameron Peck. Since acquiring the car, it has been kept in careful, enclosed, static storage. While the original batteries have long since been removed, virtually every other element of the vehicle appears to be beautifully preserved and original. Showing just 10,651 miles on the odometer, a figure believed to be from new, the gorgeously presented interior and well-kept exterior paint speak to a lifetime of careful display.
Ready to enter into the garage of a new owner for the first time in over 60 years, it represents an opportunity to acquire a vehicle that was at the forefront of the electric car revolution some 100 years before that revolution began in earnest to displace the internal combustion engine. Save on congestion charges and gas with your over century old Rauch & Lang.
Footnotes
This vehicle is titled as a model year 1912.
Saleroom notices
Further research indicates that this Rauch & Lang appears to be a unique one-off Model CC -- 'Chicago Coach', built especially for Bertha Palmer. Completed in the latter half of 1912, it could be considered a prototype for the Model J. It is one of two Rauch & Langs built in 1912 with a steering wheel, the other being a Model TC3 open drive Town Car that was extensively used by Thomas Edison. The chassis number listed in the catalog is in fact the motor number, and the vehicle is titled with its motor number. The body number is 36K.
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Additional information
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