A1-05 1909 Alco 40 HP Runabout
Bruce McCaw, Redmond Washington
From the 2024 Pebble Beach Field Guided:
“The America Locomotive Company, founded in 1901, made massive steam trains to transverse America. On the back of its success in locomotives, the company began to build automobiles in 1905. They boasted that their vehicles were so well built that each one took 19 months to complete. Alco’s outstanding quality came at an astounding price: between $5,500 and $9,000 per car. In 1909 and 1910, Alco won the Vanderbilt Cup. and it compete in the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911. This car(Chassis 3634013) is one of 12 surviving Alcos and one of still fewer propelled by a 487 cubic inch four cylinder engine with dual-chain drive to the rear wheels. It resided at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from 1961 through 2011, when it was purchased by the current owner.”
From the serial number, this car seems to be the one that was sold for $280,500 at the Amelia Island Auction in 2014. This ALCO’s original town car body was reportedly replaced with its current runabout body under Mr. Webster Knight’s ownership in the late 1940s or early 1950s.
Technical Specs
487 CID 4-Cylinder T-Head Engine
Single Updraft Carburetor
42 HP
4-Speed Manual Transmission with Double Chain Drive
Rear Wheel Drum Brakes
Solid Front Suspension with Rear Drive Axle Suspension
The history of ALCO starts in 1906 with The America Locomotive Company making cars under French license from Berliet at the ALCO, Providence, Rhode Island Locomotive works. Two years later ALCO built their own designs. Harry Grant was the driver who won the Vanderbilt cups for them and competed in the 1911 Indy 500. Being financially unviable the car division was abandoned in 1913. Walter P. Chrysler worked as the plant manager and left in 1911 for Buick in Detroit, before founding the Chrysler Corporation in 1925.
