1912 Flanders Model 20

1912 Flanders 20 Series Roadster

For consignment, a 1912 Flanders 20 Series roadster with 2,938 miles on the odometer, but the true miles are unknown. Nearly 31,000 Model 20s were made over a three year run with the roadster body style offered in 1912 at a cost of $750, the least expensive Flanders in the line. That might sound like a lot of cars, but when was the last time you saw one?

Exterior
This brass era beauty combines white with the shiny alloy, and is further augmented esthetically by 30-inch wooden spoke wheels that are also painted white. Its resemblance to a Ford is not unsurprising as many cars of the era were configured similarly with a barrel shaped hood, elongated fenders, and an upright cabin. Both the gas tank and wooden trunk are emblazoned with the Flanders 20 logo, a graphic representation of the metal version on the grille. Brass consumes the headlight housing, cowl lights and singular tail light, side mirror and windscreen frame which is positioned under, but not connected to the black canvas top which presents in nice shape. This is more driver quality than concours level with imperfections that include chipped paint replaced by surface rust, cracking and crazing throughout, edge chips, different shades of white, and just some general overall patina.

Interior
Black vinyl door panels show some age but are otherwise intact and open up to a Chesterfield tufted black bench, soft and inviting and showing some wear on the upper section. A rich wood rimmed steering wheel on the right hand side fronts a simple wooden dashboard housing a brass clock and temperature gauge while the speedometer is perched on a flexible post near the hand brake. Wood headers dress the windowless doors and carpet covers the floor.

Drivetrain
Under the engine covers is a presentable 154.8ci L-head inline 4 cylinder rated at 20.3 horsepower and fueled via a 1-barrel carburetor. A 3-speed manual transmission routes power to the rear axle and 4.10 gears.

Undercarriage
Here we have driver quality conditions on a fully exposed underside, right up to the wood construction. A single exhaust enters a stock style muffler and immediately dumps under the middle of the car and mechanical drum brakes are on the rear wheels only. Suspension consists of semi elliptical springs in front and full elliptical springs in back, a holdover from the recent past when carriages were pulled by horses. Theres some oil underneath both on the pan and on the rear differential.

Drive-Ability
With starting procedures similar to other brass era cars, we were able to get the four cans humming along and find a fine running antique that makes quite a presence dressed in brass and white. Theres not much in the way of bells and whistles, but everything we were able to test worked as intended. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the time of your purchase.

As exotic as a Pagani Huayra is to us today, so too must have cars been to pedestrians of yesteryear. When the occasional offshoot or small shop started putting out cars, it must have been big news with much anticipation. Heres a fine example of a relatively rare and obscure car from the early 1900s, built by the mind that essentially created the production line.

Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (thats more than 8 acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person. There is no guarantee of mileage. A $299 Dealer Administrative fee is not included in the advertised price. All prices are before state, city and county tax, tag, title and license fees. Out of state buyers are responsible for all state, county, city taxes and fees, as well as title/registration fees in the state that the vehicle will be registered. Classic Auto Mall is not responsible for errors and omissions. Please verify listings with dealer. Vehicles may require VIN verification and/or safety and emissions inspections to transfer ownership and register the vehicle in the declared state of residence. Please check with your local DMV office to ensure compliance with your states titling and registration process.

With so many great cars, you know we have a lot to talk about, and we do that each week on the Classic Auto Mall Podcast with host Stewart Howden. Stewart discusses new inventory as well as trends in consignments and car prices, while interviewing celebrities and automotive professionals about amazing cars and their history. Tune in each week to the Classic Auto Mall Podcast wherever you enjoy listening. You can also watch on YouTube!