1921 Locomobile Model 48

Locomobile automobiles were produced in Bridgeport, Connecticut, from 1899 to 1929. They were one of the earliest car manufacturers in the advent of the automobile age, and their Model 48 was one of the few automobiles whose engineering survived virtually unchanged from the Brass through the Nickel and Classic Eras. Initially introduced in 1911 as the Model 'M,' it received only minor mechanical changes for the next eighteen years. Catering to the wealthy, the Model 48 enjoyed a faultless reputation for its time-tested engineering, durable T-head six-cylinder engine, meticulous construction, and use of the best materials. Priced well above the competition, the company prided itself on quality over quantity, assembling a mere four cars per day. During the depression of the early 1920s, Lcomobile suffered financially, and it was unsuccessfully merged with Mercer and Simplex before being bought by Durant in 1922, with limited production continuing until 1929.

The Locomobile Company of America
Cosmopolitan publisher John Brisben Walker acquired plans for an early steam-powered vehicle produced by Francis and Freelan Stanley. The Stanley brothers had been reluctant to sell, but when prompted with a price they could not resist of $250,000 (USD), they promptly obliged with the sale. At the time, they had orders for 199 cars but had only built one.

Walker quickly formed an alliance with Asphalt paving magnate Amzi Lorenzo Barber, selling half of his interest in the company for the same price as he had purchased the entire company. The longevity of the partnership was brief, lasting a mere two weeks. Following a disagreement, Walker left and formed the Mobile Company of America at the Stanley Works in Tarrytown, New York. Barber relocated the business operations to Bridgeport, Connecticut, bringing the Stanley twins along with him as general managers.

By 1902, the Locomobile had built 4,000 cars and was gaining popularity despite the thirst of the double-acting steam-powered engines limiting their range to about twenty miles. By 1904, the company had converted to gasoline power exclusively, but their steam-powered cars allowed the company to get a foothold in the fledgling motorcar market. Andrew Lawrence Riker was hired to assist in the transition from steam to gasoline-powered automobiles. He had built his first electric car in his family's basement at 40 years old, and by 1889, he had established the Riker Electric Vehicle Company, which became one of America's largest manufacturers of electric automobiles and trucks.

Riker designed and developed both a two- and four-cylinder automobile for Locomobile, with both having a strong manganese bronze block and gear case and a chassis made of heat-treated steel. Before the engine was placed on a chassis, it underwent rigorous testing, and every chassis was tested for several hundred miles before being delivered to customers.

Motorsports
Joe Tracy drove a Locomobile in the 1905 Gordon Bennett Cup race in France and contested the 1905 and 1906 Vanderbilt Cup races at Long Island, finishing third there in 1905. The 1906 Vanderbilt Cup car, 'Old 16,' was driven to victory in the 1908 Vanderbilt race by George Robertson, with the car setting a new speed record and gaining fame as the first American-built car to win the prestigious event. Robertson won several more races in 1908. Having proven its mechanical prowess and ability to compete in the United States and abroad, Locomobile abandoned racing by 1909.

A Focus on Perfection
Locomobile's 1909 model line included the 32-horsepower Model 30 on a 120-inch wheelbase chassis and the 40-horsepower Model 40 on a 123-inch wheelbase. Beneath the long and graceful hoods were 'T-head' four-cylinder engines. The new six-cylinder Model M (later rechristened the Model 48 for its taxable horsepower rating) arrived in 1911, accompanied by the Model 38, which by 1912 was available in six body styles. It featured demountable wheels, a modern shaft drive, weather gear, and road accessories, and would remain in production through 1918. Many Locomobiles of this era often received lamps and metalwork designed by Tiffany & Co., and Elsie De Wolf, the noted actress and interior decorator, helped design interiors for the closed models.

The Model 48
The Model 48 was in production from 1911 to 1929. The 143-inch wheelbase chassis was powered by a straight six-engine with cylinders cast in pairs, a nonremovable cylinder head, and side valves. It had a 4.5-inch bore and stroke, a displacement of 429.4 cubic inches, and produced 48.6 hp (tax horsepower). Around 1919, engine displacement grew to 525 cubic inches when the stroke grew to 5.5 inches. Engine output eventually exceeded 100 hp.

The 1921 Locomobile Model 48
The 1921 Locomobile Model 48 rested on a 142-inch wheelbase, and its six-cylinder engine was rated at 95 hp. The seven-passenger tourer listed at $7,550, the Sportif at $7,650, and the seven-passenger Landaulet and limousine at $9,150. Braking was at all four wheels with contracting brakes on the rear and internal expanding on the front.

The six-cylinder engine had a 4.5-inch bore and 5.5-inch stroke, a seven-bearing crankshaft, Delco 12-volt ignition, force feed and splash lubrication. The four-speed selective sliding transmission had a dry multiple-disc clutch and spiral bevel drive. Steering was by a worm and gear system, and the rear suspension was via three-quarter elliptic springs and a full floating rear axle.

Locomobile produced approximately 721 vehicles in 1921, lower than the 1,000 units that had been built in 1920 but much higher than the 221 units built in 1922.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2023