1924 Locomobile Model 48 Open Drive Limousine
Designed by Andrew Riker and introduced in 1911 as the “Model 48” (initially the Model M), the Locomobile 48 was marketed with characteristic self-assurance as “The Exclusive Car for Exclusive People.”
By the later years of production, a typical open-body Model 48 could approach $10,000, while an average Ford Model T Phaeton sold for about $300, a gap that tells you something about the intended buyer.
The 142-inch wheelbase chassis members were pressed from chrome-nickel steel, heat-treated, and hot-riveted together. The T-head iron cylinders were cast in pairs and bolted to a bronze crankcase housing a drop-forged alloy steel crankshaft that was both statically and dynamically balanced.
The 525 cubic inch T-head inline six produced 103 horsepower, and while many competitors relied on three-speed gearboxes, Locomobile fitted a four-speed selective-sliding unit throughout the model’s run.
Body designs came from Locomobile’s Custom Body Department under the direction of former Kellner designer J. Frank de Causse, who favored simple curves that mirrored the wheels’ radius and avoided compound bends.
The Open Drive Limousine configuration (enclosed rear compartment for passengers, open or semi-open forward station for the chauffeur) suited the formal, chauffeur-driven character the 48’s clientele expected. Approximately 160 to 170 examples are believed to survive today.
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