1906 Pope-Toledo Model XII 35/40HP Roi Des Belges Engine no. 35-40-1821352.8ci 4-Cylinder Engine35/40bhp3-Speed Sliding-Gear Manual Transmission with Double Chain DriveFront and Rear Semi-Elliptic Leaf SpringsRear-Wheel Drum Brakes*A well-known, largely original example with 1950s cosmetic restoration*Exceptionally beautiful, handsomely designed coachwork*Offered with a significant history and maintenance file*An outstanding early Brass Era car with power, quality, style and character'DON'T TAKE 'THE OTHER FELLOW'S' DUST''Buy a...Pope-Toledo, and your 'right of way' on any road, anywhere, will be absolute, supreme and acknowledged. It matters not what make 'the other fellow' drives, nor what price he paid, you can pass him if you want to. Isn't it a great satisfaction to know that your car has this quality – even though you do not want extreme speed? It is positive assurance of Power, Power at the Wheels, Power for Emergencies, Power for Hills, for Sand and Heavy Roads; Reserve Power, so that your engine is exerting itself scarcely more than idling when bowling along at a 30 mile clip.' There can be little doubt that the advertising copywriters knew how to summarize the essence of these majestic cars. Produced in Ohio from 1903 to 1909, the Pope-Toledo was in its time the peak of Colonel Albert Pope's Brass Era automotive empire, which produced fine cars in most all the major cities of the United States. It was noted for grand, almost baroque styling, with the largest models boasting ornate 'Roi-des-Belges' bodywork, quite literally a translation of 'King of Belgium' since this monarch was noted to favor this style of coachwork with tulip-like complex curves and dramatic swaging, atypical for this period. A particular aspect being that he preferred there to be a partition between the front seats, where many cars of this period simply carried a bench front seat, it was a characteristic that no doubt suggest that he liked to be firmly held in his seat when driving. And, given the sturdy, durable engineering and no small measure of power, that would have stopped him being 'thrown about' at speed!The 1906 Model XII was, in fact, among the most powerful automobiles then on the American road, challenging the famous offerings of Packard, Peerless, and even Thomas, with a 35hp four-cylinder engine and a three-speed sliding gear transmission, with a direct-drive 'speed gear' and double chain drive. It combined brawn and elegance as did few others of its time, and became one of the most respected and, today, sought-after early American automobiles.THE MOTORCAR OFFEREDIn 1951, Bob and Herb Horn, recent emigres from Iowa, opened Horn Bros. Cars of Yesteryear in Sarasota, Florida. In an era when roadside car museums were the norm, the Horns filled their facility with some truly exceptional early automobiles. The museum was sold in the mid-1960s to Walter Bellm, who continued to operate it until the mid-1990s. In its heyday, Cars of Yesteryear was a fabulous, weird and wonderful place, with the great cars of the Brass and Classic Eras complemented by Bantams, a Lincoln designed for Jacqueline Kennedy, and microcars hung off the walls and ceiling.The Horns brought this Model XII with them from Iowa, based on the period Hawkeye State registration no. 4639 still attached, as well as the Iowa license plates with which it was photographed in the museum in-period, including an appearance on the cover of the December 1954 issue of Car Life. After nearly forty years in the museum, the car was sold by Mr. Bellm to Fred Weber of St. Louis, from whom it was acquired by Don C. Boulton in 1991.The car's present restoration hails from the Horn ownership and it maintains a good look for a car of its age. The red and black color scheme is well-suited to the ornate curves of the original body and bell-shaped radiator and is picked up by elaborate hand-laid striping. Clearly the work was largely cosmetic and the car beneath remains well-preserved, as it retains all of its gorgeous original trim and such often-lost original features as storage drawers under the driver's seats and additional compartments within the running boards. Leather aprons are mounted between the fenders and the body. The Selden plate is still attached, and the car carries its matching set of brass Solar model 626 cowl lamps, model 684 headlamps, model 404 tail lamp, and acetylene generator with pride. The dashboard boasts a Junghans 8-day clock, made in Germany, and a Jones 100 mph speedometer.Even the engine of this car is a work of mechanical art, with external overhead valve gear that is a joy to watch in operation. Certainly Mr. Boulton thought so, as after acquiring the Pope-Toledo he invested considerable time and money in returning it to operational condition. A significant file of restoration and repair receipts attests to this fact, and accompanies the Model XII along with two Pope-Toledo instruction manuals, many other documents and articles, and artifacts of its Horn Brothers and subsequently Bellm's ownership.The Pope-Toledo was one of the highlights of the Donald C. Boulton Collection at Bonhams dispersal sale in 2019 at Amelia Island. Father and son were enthusiastic attendees of the auction, they may well have been the first through the door of the first day of preview if memory serves the cataloguer right and were clearly determined to secure a car from that group. Ultimately, they settled on this fabulous Pope-Toledo as their souvenir of the day. Its transition would no doubt have been one that Mr. Boulton approved of, and as evidenced from the cars on offer today, it was a natural fit for the collection, where it sat alongside the later roadster of its same maker. In preparation for the sale, the car has received the care and attention that latterly had alluded its past two owners, the car has been sympathetically and carefully cleaned. The comprehensive set of brass work has been laboriously polished, and the car was checked over and made to run once again. The 1906 Pope is a remarkably original and certainly very rare survivor of this period of production. Its mechanical aspect is extremely powerful for its day, while atop the running gear is one of the most beautifully sculpted examples of coachwork of this period, with not a flat surface anywhere on the body. The Two Generations, Boulton Pope is as richly rewarding on the road as to look at. Its appearance on the market is only owing to the sad and untimely passing of its owners and it deserves to return to long term appreciative custody where it will unquestionably grace any collection.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
