Eric Minoff
Vice President, Head of Department - US
LOT 3 ¤
1915 Briscoe B-15 Cloverleaf Roadster Chassis no. 1639 Engine no. 1664
Sold for US$39,200 inc. premiumLot to be sold without reserve
Lot 3¤
1915 Briscoe B-15 Cloverleaf Roadster
1915 Briscoe B-15 Cloverleaf Roadster
Chassis no. 1639
Engine no. 1664
Chassis no. 1639
Engine no. 1664
157.2ci L-Head Four-Cylinder
Single carburetor
33bhp (24 ALAM hp)
Three Speed Sliding Gear Transmission with Reverse
Live Axles with Semi-Elliptical Leaf Springs
Rear Wheel Mechanical Drum Brakes
* Single year "Cyclops" radiator-mounted electric headlight
* Unusual "Cloverleaf" 3-seat body
* Lightweight papier-mache body construction
* Sound basis for recommissioning
* Rare eponymous product from one of the founders of the American auto industry
THE BRISCOE Model B
The Briscoe Model B was offered in two body styles both sharing the same 157.2 cubic inch water cooled four-cylinder engine making 33 brake horsepower (24 ALAM calculated horsepower), sliding gear 3-speed transmission, electric starter and chassis design with semi-elliptical leaf spring suspension. Briscoe brought some ideas back from France, at the time respected as the most creative and successful car design and manufacturing country in the world. One is the B-15's single "Cyclops" radiator-mounted headlight, a worthy idea but one that was not legal in all U.S. states. The other was making the body from a papier-mache material that avoided the limitations of metal forming at the time.
With a conventional 5-passenger touring car anchoring the Briscoe line some 7,000 B-15s were built in 1915. The other model was the lighter and more sporting "Cloverleaf" roadster as offered here. It takes its name from the unusual seating layout with two seats in front and a single centrally located seat behind, an unusually comfortable three-seater.
THE CAR OFFERED
This is an older restoration with a single rear-mounted spare, the characteristic Cyclops headlight, electric sidelights and body color wood spoke wheels with 30x3 ½ tires.
It is finished in attractive dark green with black fenders, black leather upholstery and a black cloth top. Although the paint and upholstery are aged this Briscoe Cloverleaf shows little use and has been displayed at Harrah's and the National Automobile Museum, as recounted, without fuel or coolant for years. It is a good reminder of the singular but now largely overlooked contribution of Ben Briscoe to the development of the automobile industry in America.
Saleroom notices
Title in transit.
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