A friend of mine sent me this image of his grandfather (2nd from right) on a trip to the west coast in 1923. We’re trying to identify the car in the photo and I’m turning to you knowledgeable people for help. I don’t know much about antique cars but I’m pretty sure it’s not a Model T. The radiator and hood don’t look right.
Thanks in advance.
A Cadillac maybe? Google 1923 Cadillac and compare pics.
That looks really close, with a few differences. On the Cadillac, where the windshield meets the hood it is curved to match the contour of the hood. On the mystery car the windshield is squared off at the bottom.
The storage box on the driver’s side running board doesn’t help; I can’t tell if it’s a two-door or a four-door.
Definitely not a Model T.
My guess is a 1920-ish Buick Touring Car.
ETA: Damn ninjas.
I think that’s it! The rod connecting the headlights is higher up, just like the mystery car.
Yep, im changing my answer to Buick.
Everything I can see is a perfect match. Thanks, Just Asking Questions ( and ecg and snfaulkner too). I’ll bet that trip was quite an adventure, from Ft. Wayne IN to the west coast.
I don’t know, but you might want to ask this question of the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, MI. If anyone would know, they would.
Thanks for the suggestion, but I’m convinced it’s a '21 Buick.
I don’t think that you can narrow it down to exactly 1921. They made a very similar car for several years. That’s why I said 1920-ish.
Well, I was convinced it was a '21 Buick!
Looks like they made that style from 1920-1929. So it could be a 1920, 1921, 1922 or 1923.
Got a follow-up email from my friend with another photo. He said his grandfather kept a written journal which is now in his sister’s possession. Apparently they made it all the way to California and up into Canada. His grandfather said that they took turns cooking and anyone that complained about the food got the next turn.
As awful a way of deciding who has to cook that is, I’d love to read that journal. The trip must’ve been quite a feat in those days.
“This tastes like moose shit, but it’s good!”
“Best moose shit I’ve had since… breakfast!”
I couldn’t agree more, that journal must be very interesting. One thing caught my eye- in the first photo there are four guys relaxing by the car. A fifth guy could have taken the picture, but in the second photo there are three guys in the car. It doesn’t look like there’s room for a fifth guy. So who took the first picture? Did the camera have a self-timer? I started a new thread to find out when self-timers were invented.
Um… why? The Ford museum doesn’t even have a particularly large collection of automobiles. It’s a general interest museum.
I’m guessing from the second photo that car tires didn’t last very long in those days. 
