Esther's photos with the keyword: Heritage Museum

"The Mercer Raceabout is considered the most-prized original American sports car. Known for its advanced design, magnificent handling, and high speed, these cars won five of six races they entered in 1911. Mercers came with the unheard of guarantee that each Raceabout would achieve a minimum of 70 miles per hour without modification on public roads, at a time when most cars had trouble reaching the 45-50 mile per hour range! It is believed that this Mercer was originally owned by Barney Oldfield, America’s best-known early racecar driver. He was always photographed with a cigar in his mouth while he was racing, not because he was smoking it, but because he used the cigar as cushioning for his teeth. Fierce competition existed among the early American sports car producers, especially between Mercer and another early sports car, the Stutz Bearcat. Mercer owners would taunt “You must be nuts to drive a Stutz,” while Stutz owners would retort, “Nothing’s worser than driving a Mercer.”" heritagemuseumsandgardens.org/hmg/1912-mercer-raceabout Antique car collection Heritage Museum Sandwich Massachusetts Many of the vehicles in the collection are still operational. AP1023457

"When E.L. Cord purchased Duesenberg in 1926, he challenged mechanical engineer Fred Duesenberg to design the best car in the world. Fred set out to build an automotive masterpiece. The resulting Model J had superlative engineering and custom body styling. Duesenbergs are one of the costliest and most coveted cars ever produced in America. They inspired the saying “It’s a duesie”! Restored to its original color scheme of Primrose Yellow and Parkway Green, this car appears just as it did when it was purchased by actor Gary Cooper. From the 1920s to the 1950s, he was one of Hollywood’s most consistently popular and beloved stars. Cooper owned this car for at least five years, and raced it often. It is fitted with a custom tourster-style body by the famed coachbuilder Derham. Among its high-end, unusual features is an instrument panel with an altimeter and service reminder lights!" heritagemuseumsandgardens.org/hmg/1930-duesenberg-model-j-derham-tourster Antique car collection Heritage Museum Sandwich Massachusetts Many of the vehicles in the collection are still operational. AP1023460

"In the 1920s Packard and Cadillac were locked in fierce competition to make the largest engine possible. Packard had released a V-12, prompting Cadillac to work in secrecy to develop a V-16. The final design called for two V-8s fused together with separate fuel and ignition systems for each side. Cadillac debuted their new, powerful engine at the New York Auto Show on January 4, 1930, just a few months after the stock market crash that brought on the Great Depression. The car was a hit with the press and the public. People described the engine as a work of art in itself. With an elegant engine and quality coachwork, this car is now considered one of the finest autos produced in the pre-war era. The small square doors located at the back of each side open to a compartment often used to store golf clubs!" heritagemuseumsandgardens.org/hmg/1930-cadillac-v-16-convertible-coupe-2 Antique car collection Heritage Museum Sandwich Massachusetts Many of the vehicles in the collection are still operational. AP1023466

"The 1936 Cord is counted as the most striking and innovative car of its time. Mechanically it was way ahead of its peers. Cord was the first mass-production auto offered with front-wheel drive. The elimination of the rear drive train allowed the car to be so low, running boards were unnecessary. It also featured an “alligator” style hood hinged at the rear, “coffin” front-end styling, concealed door hinges, and teardrop shaped fenders. The disappearing headlights are individually raised and lowered by hand-cranks located on the dash in front of the driver and passenger. Many of these features influenced other manufacturers’ designs in the years ahead. When it was unveiled at the New York Auto Show in November 1935, this car caused a sensation. Unfortunately, with so many new features that had not been adequately tested in advance, the Cord gained a reputation for being gorgeous, but unreliable." heritagemuseumsandgardens.org/hmg/1936-cord-810-westchester Antique car collection Heritage Museum Sandwich Massachusetts Many of the vehicles in the collection are still operational. AP1023459

"For many rural Americans in the early 1900s, the mail order catalog was their lifeline to the outside world. With this in mind, Sears, Roebuck & Company marketed this car by special catalog from 1909-1912. Buyers could pick it up in Chicago or have it delivered by train to the closest depot. All they had to do was uncrate the car, do some minor assembly, add oil (included in the shipment) and gasoline and drive it home. Rural residents were not automobile fans at first. Wealthy drivers roared through the countryside in their “devil wagons,” raising dust and spooking horses. But many rural minds were changed when “high-wheelers” like the Sears Surrey came along. It had an antiquated design for the time, but its high body and puncture-proof hard rubber tires could easily travel over the badly rutted roads of the day." heritagemuseumsandgardens.org/hmg/1910-sears-model-p-surrey Antique car collection Heritage Museum Sandwich Massachusetts Many of the vehicles in the collection are still operational. AP1023455

"Ransom Eli Olds experimented with steam, electric, and gasoline automobiles early in his career. He built a new factory in 1900, with as many as six different models in the prototype stage. A fire at the plant in March 1901 destroyed all but one which was saved by fleeing workers. With his hand forced by fate, Olds began production of the only one left, the Runabout. The auto, nicknamed the “Curved-dash Olds,” was an immediate success. It had a one-cylinder gas engine, tiller steering, brass lamps, a graceful body, and a snappy black and red paint job. The curved-dash was simple, inexpensive, and cute, but still provided a nice ride and good performance. From 1903 through 1905, the curved-dash Olds was the best-selling car in America. At that time, Oldsmobile produced more cars than any other U.S. manufacturer – 5,508 in 1904 alone, more than triple Ford’s production that year." heritagemuseumsandgardens.org/hmg/1904-oldsmobile-runabout Antique car collection Heritage Museum Sandwich Massachusetts Many of the vehicles in the collection are still operational. AP1023454

"Brothers J. Frank and Charles Duryea were the first to build a successful gasoline-powered car in 1893. To prove their new invention could work, they entered the first auto race in America, which was sponsored by the Chicago Times-Herald on Thanksgiving Day, 1895. Six vehicles competed but none could come close to matching the performance of driver Frank Duryea who covered the 54 mile course in ten hours, 23 minutes. Newspapers across the country announced the feat and predicted a bright future for the horseless carriage. Full of enthusiasm following the race, the Duryea brothers started the Duryea Motor Wagon Company, building and selling thirteen of their motor wagons in their first year of business in 1896. Note that there is no starting crank for the car in the usual front-end location. Sales literature touted that “it starts from the seat” by means of a short crank attached to the tiller steering post. Another unusual feature of this car is that the driver sits in the back seat. Passengers sat ahead of the driver, in a special fold-down seat." heritagemuseumsandgardens.org/hmg/1903-stevens-duryea-runabout Antique car collection Heritage Museum Sandwich Massachusetts Many of the vehicles in the collection are still operational. AP1023453

At the Heritage Museum and Gardens in Sandwich, Massachusetts. AIMG 9696