1913 Pathfinder Series XIII

1331roadUnited States

Engine: 4.6L (280.6 cu in) Continental L-head inline-four, 40 hp

The 1913 Pathfinder Series XIII is believed to be the sole surviving example of its model year, built by the Motor Car Manufacturing Company of Indianapolis and priced new at $1,750. Originally purchased by Clark and Laura Rice of LaHarpe, Illinois, it remained in continuous family use for decades before a comprehensive nut-and-bolt restoration in the early 1980s. Equipped with the factory 'Option #1' electrical package, it represents a rare intact example of an Indiana brass-era marque that ceased production in 1917.

Ownership

—Auction sale
Sold US$121,000
RM Sotheby's catalogue lot →
1913 →Factory delivery
Clark and Laura Rice
partial documentation
Original purchasers from LaHarpe, Illinois; a copy of the 1916 Illinois registration is preserved with the car's history file.
→ 2006Inheritance
Rice family, third generation
partial documentation
Third-generation family members retained the car until 2006; during the early 1980s they arranged a comprehensive restoration at MemoryVille USA in Rolla, Missouri, overseen by restorer George Carney.
2006 →Private sale
Illinois collector
partial documentation
Purchased from the Rice family; subsequently had the car mechanically refreshed, including engine work, transmission leak repair, and steering wheel rebuilding.
Date unknownInheritance
Earl B. Rice
partial documentation
Son of the original owners; photographic evidence from 1969 shows him regularly driving the vehicle to conduct farm tours for guests.

Competition

No competition history extracted from the catalogue.

Maintenance & restoration

1980Restoration
MemoryVille USA
Complete nut-and-bolt restoration undertaken over approximately three years, encompassing disassembly, sandblasting, and refinishing of the original chassis and drivetrain, restoration of the original body woodwork, installation of aluminum pistons in a fully rebuilt engine, and re-plating of all bright trim in nickel.
Work carried out in Rolla, Missouri, by restorer George Carney; photographic and written documentation of the process is included with the car.
—
Mechanical
Pre-sale mechanical recommissioning including returning the engine to running order, repairing a significant transmission oil leak, and rebuilding the steering wheel with replacement bushings.
Described as recent work performed in preparation for the auction sale.

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