1912 Overland Model 59

1912 Overland 59T Fore Door Touring When Claude Cox was in his senior year at Rose Polytechnic Institute, a small private college with a program in engineering, he made a three wheel vehicle for his senior year thesis. In 1902, Cox met with Charles Minshall, the owner of Standard Wheel Company of Terre Haute, Indiana. Minshall was interested in building an automobile but didnt know how to build one. Cox seemed to have the knowledge so Minshall hired him to head Standard Wheels new automobile department and design the car. In 1903, Cox designed and built a car with an advanced design at the time. The new car was named the Overland and featured a two-cylinder water-cooled engine that was mounted up front under the hood. The car also featured a removable switch plug so that it could not be driven without it. A magnificent machine, despite its cost of approximately $900, twice the cost of a Model T, the Overland was second in sales to only the Model T during the pre-WW1 years. This 59T Fore Door Touring car was used for many shows and tours before undergoing a thorough restoration in 2018. Since that time, it has sat in a climate-controlled garage under a cover. Showing proudly in our Hallowed Halls, with its well-done paint, pristine interior, and wonderful brass appointments this Overland could almost be classified as our shining star of the Brass Era. Exterior Automobiling was in its infancy in 1912 with everyone trying their hand at production. The designers at Overland hit the mark with this Model 59T, while maintaining styling of the era but embellishing the car with many luxuries and niceties not found on lesser models. A fully restored Brass Era car with its simply designed tub this 4-door convertible touring sedan is straight, and the blue paint with cream pinstriping on the body presents nicely. Curvaceous black steel fenders meet with long gray brass framed running boards which adorn each side of this tub before black steel rear fenders take over to cover the rear wheels. The short hood in its cowling style is fronted by a black radiator and highly polished brass surround. 2 simple large can headlights flank the grille in their brass bezels with a central tie bar. A wooden firewall with brass lanterns gives support to the vertical windshield in its 2 piece tilt out format. A massive black vinyl convertible top is on to give passengers shade from the sun and even some protection from an errant storm and looks just great with its many straps and support bows. Out back we see a spare tire mounted to the rear of the car and a simple brass lantern down low. Rounding out this beautiful design are white painted 33-inch wooden spoke wheels wrapped in full white sidewall rubber. Interior Also beautifully restored with black leather in a diamond tufted pattern in very good condition covers the benches and fine textured leather with custom stitching makes up the door panels. A wonderful oak dash holds the ignition system and very little else. A long brass column, on the right side, is finished off with a deeply stained oak steering wheel having various slide controls within. Basic gray wood flooring is upfront, and a pale green carpet is seen in the rear. A body matching blue steel tub divides the front and rear passengers and has a black wrought iron grab bar attached. This interior is definitely all buttoned up, well done, and in very nicely presenting condition. Drivetrain Featuring 226.2ci 4-cylinder L-head engine that features a 1bbl carburetor on the side. This sits in a perfectly restored engine bay, absolutely one of the nicest restorations Ive seen come through the doors here at Classic Auto Mall. Attached to the back is a selective sliding gear 3-speed manual transmission and way in the back is a shaft driven differential with an unknown ratio. Undercarriage A straight total rust-free environment under here with jet black metal, even the wood running boards are stained black and are solid oak with no rot. This car was a pre 4-wheel braked car, only sporting 2 rear drum brakes. All leaf spring suspension, and all amazingly shiny. Im even in love with the industrial exposed clutch/flywheel assembly out in the open for all to see. Drive-Ability Following our consignors detailed instructions I got this Overland to spring to life. Although its a tight fit behind the luxurious wood wheel I became more comfortable and confident during my drive. All went well but as with most of the Brass Era cars braking must be planned thanks in part to the rear axle only mechanical drum brakes. A beautifully restored automobile, and a rare bird to boot, one can only surmise how many are left and in restored condition nonetheless. More expensive than its closest competitor but with much more luxury and a bit easier to drive. Be the only one in your area to parade up and down Main Street in this Tourer and be prepared to be the talk of the town.