LOT 66
1907 Mitchell Model E 20hp Runabout Chassis no. 1423
Sold for US$33,600 inc. premiumLot to be sold without reserve
Lot 66
From the Clive and Janet Cussler Car Collection of Scottsdale
1907 Mitchell Model E 20hp Runabout
1907 Mitchell Model E 20hp Runabout
1907 Mitchell Model E 20hp Runabout
Chassis no. 1423
Chassis no. 1423
177ci F-head Inline 4-Cylinder Engine
Single updraft carburetor
20hp
3-Speed Manual Transmission
Leaf Spring Suspension
2-Wheel Mechanical Rear Drum Brakes
*Rare Wisconsin auto maker
* Ideal entry for Brass Tours
*Reportedly one of 5 known by the Mitchell Club
*Finely maintained restoration and eminently charming
THE CAR OFFERED
The Mitchell automobile was built in Racine, Wisconsin in what was initially known as the Wisconsin Wheel Works, a bicycle manufacturer. They soon developed a reputation for high quality, mid-priced cars which were good looking and often incorporated innovative features.
The company became the Mitchell Motor Car Company in 1904, and its first cars were two-cylinder, chain-drive runabouts. They were an early adopter of sliding gear transmissions introducing them in all models in 1904. After experimenting with air-cooling and two-stroke engine designs, Mitchell began production of four-cylinder, shaft-drive and water-cooled cars by 1907.
Mitchell's Model E debuted in 1907 as their lightweight runabout, a sporting genre which was becoming increasingly popular in this time period. Built on a 90-inch wheelbase and with only a modest incumbrance of bodywork, its 20hp four-cylinder engine could amply provide for fun motoring and all for $1,000, a fraction of some of its competitors.
The model E here is understood to have been restored in 2000, and the high standard of quality it received then means that it remains in tidy order still. The bodywork was finished in the correct period Holland blue paint scheme over a 'straw' colored frame. This is accented with a nice set of brass accoutrements including its windshield and trim, large headlamps, scuttle-mounted Corcoran side lamps and an E&J tail lamp, as well as a Prestolite acetylene tank.
Clive and Janet Cussler acquired the Mitchell during a trip to the AACA Hershey Fall Meet in 2018, it being brought back to the collection and enjoyed ever since. Surviving examples of the Model E are rare, sources suggest as few as a mere five being known in collecting circles, and yet as they did in the day, they hold their own among other contemporary brass era cars, enabling owners to participate in a variety of events offered by the Horseless Carriage Club of America and other such clubs.
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
Eric Minoff
Vice President, Head of Department - US
Mark Osborne
Global Director of Motorsport
Auction Viewings
- 23 January 2024, 09:00 - 18:00 MST
- 24 January 2024, 09:00 - 18:00 MST
- 25 January 2024, 09:00 - 10:00 MST
