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Auction archive: Lot number 67

Ex-Lindley Bothwell, 1955 Pebble Beach Sports Car Races and "Seabiscuit" Movie 1910 Pope-Hartford Model W 50HP "Racer"

The Quail Auction
19 Aug 2022
Estimate
US$400,000 - US$500,000
Price realised:
US$445,000
Auction archive: Lot number 67

Ex-Lindley Bothwell, 1955 Pebble Beach Sports Car Races and "Seabiscuit" Movie 1910 Pope-Hartford Model W 50HP "Racer"

The Quail Auction
19 Aug 2022
Estimate
US$400,000 - US$500,000
Price realised:
US$445,000
Beschreibung:

389ci OHV Inline 4-Cylinder Engine
Single Pope Hartford Carburetor - Bosch "Twin Spark" Magneto
50bhp
4-Speed Sliding-Gear Transmission
2-Wheel mechanical Brakes (see text)
*Legendary High-Performance Pope-Hartford 50hp
*Formerly in the Lindley Bothwell Collection for more than 6 decades
*Raced in the 1950s at Pebble Beach and South Catalina Island
*Starter Motor Added to aid usability
*One of the ultimate Brass Era Road cars
THE POPE-HARTFORD
Col. Albert Pope was one of the celebrated industrialists of the post-Civil War era, having created a highly successful bicycle empire that benefitted from the enormous bike craze of the late 1800s. By the end of the decade, Pope had consolidated over 40 bicycle manufacturers into his American Bicycle Company. The skill set and manufacturing capability of these companies gave Pope a strong basis to enter automobile manufacturing. Having seen that the bicycle craze would be supplanted by Automobiles, Pope began in the 1890s with the Columbia automobile. Primarily an electric car, it gave Pope a toehold in the new market. The Pope automobile empire would eventually include numerous brands including Pope-Tribune, Pope-Toledo, Pope-Robinson, Pope-Waverley and the most enduring, Pope-Hartford. The Pope-Hartford would be the only Pope brand built in the city of the company's headquarters in Hartford, Ct. Begun in 1904 with a single cylinder car, the brand built its first four in 1906 and the fours would be the engine that ultimately built the brands reputation.
Pope-Hartford gained a reputation for being a reliable, well made and soundly engineered automobile. With the exception of the unusual-for-the-time overhead valve engine the cars were conservatively designed and that was no doubt a key to their reputation for durability. Pope-Hartford did participate in racing and most famously won the San Francisco "free for all" in 1909 with a 40hp model. The event celebrated the 300th anniversary of Don Gaspar de Portola's discovery of the bay. The success at this event gave name to the body style Pope is most famous for the "Portola Roadster".
Today few brass car brands enjoy the status Pope-Hartford does, coveted by brass car enthusiasts for their wonderful touring abilities. They are reliable, powerful, good –looking, and not too big. The late cars have the benefit of a four-speed transmissions and electric starting. Pope-Hartford is one of the only brass era marques that enjoys its own exclusive tour – the Pope Tour.
THE MOTORCAR OFFERED
One of the most long-awaited dispersal collections ever to be held was that of the final sharing of Lindley Bothwell's Collection held on the Bothwell Ranch in 2017, an auction which Bonhams were very proud to have been entrusted with. The Bothwell Collection was a legend from its earliest days in the post war in the car community in California, Lindley carefully accruing exceptionally rare performance cars of the Brass Era in days when they were literally being saved from scrapyards. On his death in 1986, it was perhaps assumed that the cars would be sold, yet it was not until the passing of his wife decades later that the decision was made to finally part with the collection.
Bothwell had pension for the 'raceabout' two seaters, the sportier and more powerful so much the better. In an article in Sports Illustrated in the 1950s he can be seen at the front of a line-up of mouthwatering cars, virtually all in this format.
There in the foreground is this Pope, a car which was clearly prized by him and had certainly been in his stable since the 1950s, if not earlier. The brazen car is an example of one of the biggest models that they produced, the 'W' which provided a true 50hp from is 389 cubes, with the performance benefit of overhead valves and this one was unusually spec'd with a four speed transmission. Although it is unknown what the original coachwork format would have been, quite wisely and we believe even prior to WW2 the car had been converted to its present racer form. It is in this guise that it has always been known, and by math 70% of its life and all of its fame came this way, interestingly under close inspection the bucket seats are clearly very old and are numbered.
In the early 1950s Bothwell campaigned the car at the South Catalina Island races, and as featured on these pages it was exercised by him at the 6th Annual Pebble Beach Sports Car Races in April 1955.
Ever resourceful and owing to its proximity to the Los Angeles movie studios, Bothwell routinely rented his cars for film use, frequently receiving quick 'blow-over' paint jobs to satisfy the visuals required for a scene, a tradition that continued long after his death. This provided another notable highlight in the car's career when it was one of a group of cars used in the opening sequences of the movie Seabiscuit. For this role, or perhaps earlier film use, the car had been painted from its long-standing white livery to an apple green hue, all the while retaining its Number 8 badging.
Emerging from its latter period of storage on the Bothwell Ranch, it was found to be in running order at the time of its departure from those stables, providing memorable sounds as it was tested around the orange groves for one last time.
At the auction it was purchased by the current owner, a truly passionate owner of pre-war and particularly brass period cars. In his hands over the course of the last five years it was carefully checked over and attended to where work was required. To aid its usability a starter motor was fitted also.
As the car stands today it represents one of the still rare opportunities to purchase a car that had spent its formative years in the hallowed Bothwell garage, very few having re-appeared for sale since then. In the custody of Bonhams for the past few weeks, it has been road tested by a number of our staff and found to be an exhilarating drive, with masses of power, a full four speeds which give it great 'legs' and a workable 'box for all road conditions. One of its key features is that it retains its extremely rare correct carburetor which must also contribute to its breathtaking performance.
Cars such as this epitomize the retrospective view of how one had fun in the teen era, and remain incredibly popular mounts for club and private tours for the earliest machinery.
Pope, 50hp, 4-Speed, "Racer", ex-Bothwell – need we say more?!

Auction archive: Lot number 67
Auction:
Datum:
19 Aug 2022
Auction house:
Bonhams London
19 August 2022 | Carmel, Quail Lodge & Golf Club
Beschreibung:

389ci OHV Inline 4-Cylinder Engine
Single Pope Hartford Carburetor - Bosch "Twin Spark" Magneto
50bhp
4-Speed Sliding-Gear Transmission
2-Wheel mechanical Brakes (see text)
*Legendary High-Performance Pope-Hartford 50hp
*Formerly in the Lindley Bothwell Collection for more than 6 decades
*Raced in the 1950s at Pebble Beach and South Catalina Island
*Starter Motor Added to aid usability
*One of the ultimate Brass Era Road cars
THE POPE-HARTFORD
Col. Albert Pope was one of the celebrated industrialists of the post-Civil War era, having created a highly successful bicycle empire that benefitted from the enormous bike craze of the late 1800s. By the end of the decade, Pope had consolidated over 40 bicycle manufacturers into his American Bicycle Company. The skill set and manufacturing capability of these companies gave Pope a strong basis to enter automobile manufacturing. Having seen that the bicycle craze would be supplanted by Automobiles, Pope began in the 1890s with the Columbia automobile. Primarily an electric car, it gave Pope a toehold in the new market. The Pope automobile empire would eventually include numerous brands including Pope-Tribune, Pope-Toledo, Pope-Robinson, Pope-Waverley and the most enduring, Pope-Hartford. The Pope-Hartford would be the only Pope brand built in the city of the company's headquarters in Hartford, Ct. Begun in 1904 with a single cylinder car, the brand built its first four in 1906 and the fours would be the engine that ultimately built the brands reputation.
Pope-Hartford gained a reputation for being a reliable, well made and soundly engineered automobile. With the exception of the unusual-for-the-time overhead valve engine the cars were conservatively designed and that was no doubt a key to their reputation for durability. Pope-Hartford did participate in racing and most famously won the San Francisco "free for all" in 1909 with a 40hp model. The event celebrated the 300th anniversary of Don Gaspar de Portola's discovery of the bay. The success at this event gave name to the body style Pope is most famous for the "Portola Roadster".
Today few brass car brands enjoy the status Pope-Hartford does, coveted by brass car enthusiasts for their wonderful touring abilities. They are reliable, powerful, good –looking, and not too big. The late cars have the benefit of a four-speed transmissions and electric starting. Pope-Hartford is one of the only brass era marques that enjoys its own exclusive tour – the Pope Tour.
THE MOTORCAR OFFERED
One of the most long-awaited dispersal collections ever to be held was that of the final sharing of Lindley Bothwell's Collection held on the Bothwell Ranch in 2017, an auction which Bonhams were very proud to have been entrusted with. The Bothwell Collection was a legend from its earliest days in the post war in the car community in California, Lindley carefully accruing exceptionally rare performance cars of the Brass Era in days when they were literally being saved from scrapyards. On his death in 1986, it was perhaps assumed that the cars would be sold, yet it was not until the passing of his wife decades later that the decision was made to finally part with the collection.
Bothwell had pension for the 'raceabout' two seaters, the sportier and more powerful so much the better. In an article in Sports Illustrated in the 1950s he can be seen at the front of a line-up of mouthwatering cars, virtually all in this format.
There in the foreground is this Pope, a car which was clearly prized by him and had certainly been in his stable since the 1950s, if not earlier. The brazen car is an example of one of the biggest models that they produced, the 'W' which provided a true 50hp from is 389 cubes, with the performance benefit of overhead valves and this one was unusually spec'd with a four speed transmission. Although it is unknown what the original coachwork format would have been, quite wisely and we believe even prior to WW2 the car had been converted to its present racer form. It is in this guise that it has always been known, and by math 70% of its life and all of its fame came this way, interestingly under close inspection the bucket seats are clearly very old and are numbered.
In the early 1950s Bothwell campaigned the car at the South Catalina Island races, and as featured on these pages it was exercised by him at the 6th Annual Pebble Beach Sports Car Races in April 1955.
Ever resourceful and owing to its proximity to the Los Angeles movie studios, Bothwell routinely rented his cars for film use, frequently receiving quick 'blow-over' paint jobs to satisfy the visuals required for a scene, a tradition that continued long after his death. This provided another notable highlight in the car's career when it was one of a group of cars used in the opening sequences of the movie Seabiscuit. For this role, or perhaps earlier film use, the car had been painted from its long-standing white livery to an apple green hue, all the while retaining its Number 8 badging.
Emerging from its latter period of storage on the Bothwell Ranch, it was found to be in running order at the time of its departure from those stables, providing memorable sounds as it was tested around the orange groves for one last time.
At the auction it was purchased by the current owner, a truly passionate owner of pre-war and particularly brass period cars. In his hands over the course of the last five years it was carefully checked over and attended to where work was required. To aid its usability a starter motor was fitted also.
As the car stands today it represents one of the still rare opportunities to purchase a car that had spent its formative years in the hallowed Bothwell garage, very few having re-appeared for sale since then. In the custody of Bonhams for the past few weeks, it has been road tested by a number of our staff and found to be an exhilarating drive, with masses of power, a full four speeds which give it great 'legs' and a workable 'box for all road conditions. One of its key features is that it retains its extremely rare correct carburetor which must also contribute to its breathtaking performance.
Cars such as this epitomize the retrospective view of how one had fun in the teen era, and remain incredibly popular mounts for club and private tours for the earliest machinery.
Pope, 50hp, 4-Speed, "Racer", ex-Bothwell – need we say more?!

Auction archive: Lot number 67
Auction:
Datum:
19 Aug 2022
Auction house:
Bonhams London
19 August 2022 | Carmel, Quail Lodge & Golf Club
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