The cars of Harold Coker at Hershey

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

The auction held by RM Sotheby's at Hershey on 8-9 October includes the collection of cars that belonged to the late Harold Coker. We should all know that name because he started the Coker tyre company in 1958 and made it grow into the world's largest supplier of tyres for our old cars. His life-long passion for antique automobiles enabled him to form an impressive collection.

Let's start with the Thomas Flyers, not one but TWO!  The 1907 Four-Passenger Runabout has a powerful 60HP T-Head 4-cylinder engine with 4-speed gearbox and double chain drive to the rear wheels and a guarantee to transport the driver back to the days when Paris was the destination for such cars, whether it be from Peking in 1907 or New York in 1908. The 1905 Thomas Flyer Model 25 has seating for five is said to be the car Harrah most coveted but was unable to buy. This Model 25 is the most authentic known and is the car collectors come to inspect when restoring their own Flyers. The 1911 National Model 40 Speedway Roadster is described as 'a veritable twin'  to the car that won the 1912 Indianapolis 500. It looks fast and it is fast.

We had not heard of a Petrel, but Harold Coker found one from 1909 and is said to be the sole survivor. Before you say anything about the colour, which we would innocently call purple, let us praise the previous owner for his diligent research whilst rebuilding the car and his success at discovering Petrel's 'standard colour' known as 'English Violet with Black and Gold Striping' and matching the paint to a chip found on a flange during restoration.

(Text Robin Batchelor, pictures courtesy RM Sotheby's)

Ajoutez un commentaire...