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1911 S.C.A.T. 15hp Open Tourer. Coachwork Munroe and Sons of…
Sale Title:
Auction House:
Auction Location:
Melbourne
Date:
2-Dec-2007
Lot No.
***
Description:
1911 S.C.A.T. 15hp Open Tourer. Coachwork Munroe and Sons of Melbourne . Chassis no.TBC . Engine no. N67 . Reg no. VIC club registered N/T . Stà Ceirano Automobili Torino (S.C.A.T.) was a product of the Ceirano family, more precisely Giovanni the younger. Under the banner of S.C.A.T. a range of T and L-head four cylinder cars were produced prior to the First World War. Initially engines were quite small by contemporary Italian standards, the largest example available by 1910 had a capacity of circa 4.4 litres. In 1910 the first monobloc four was introduced and the old T-head designs gave way to the L-heads. By 1909 Ceirano had produced 200 cars and by 1912 production was running at 400 per year. The immediate pre-war range consisted of 4 cylinder cars of 15, 18, 25 and 60/70hp variants.S.C.A.T. had enjoyed more than a little success in motorsport perhaps the most significant of all their victories in the Targa Florio in 1911, 1912 and 1914. The competition successes kept S.C.A.T. in the limelight and ensured the desirability of the marque during the pioneer years. As was so often the case with motor car companies of the period the war intervened and in the case of Ceirano this meant a move away from the manufacture of his cars to making trucks and Hispano Suiza Aero engines to support the war effort. In 1917 the company was sold to a Hispano-Suiza controlled group which continued the production of 15hp and 25hp cars. The following year Ceirano re-gained control of the company and produced a 2296cc model under his own name until production finally came to a halt in 1923. While S.C.A.T. is by no means a household name, in a relatively short time Giovanni Ceirano had managed to earn the respect of the early motor racing community and had produced high quality motor cars that are still highly sought after by Veteran and Edwardian motor car enthusiasts to this day. A 15hp (2722cc) example, this car was delivered in chassis form to coachbuilders Munroe and Sons in Melbourne to be fitted with a touring body in 1911. The name of the original owner is unknown but it is known that the car was put on blocks during the First World War and remained there right up until the early 1950s. The car was purchased in the 1950s by a local car dealer in Melbourne named Howard Kiel who was one of the earliest members of the Veteran Car Club of Victoria and he used the car on many of their early events. Sometime later it is not know exactly when, the car was purchased by Cliff Heard who used it later sold it to the current vendor in 1990 through an auction. It is believed that Mr Heard had some early photographs of the car but sadly he has passed away meaning there is little chance of viewing the photographs. Remarkably the car has had just four owners from new and remains in almost totally original condition. While the wings were repainted the rest of the paintwork is the original as is the upholstery. It is perhaps worth mentioning that this model S.C.A.T. was the first type of car in the world to carry a self starter which was run by means of an air compressor fitted to the front of the engine. This car still uses the same system to start, an example the originality of this car that makes it so hugely appealing
Estimate:
***
Price:
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Category:
Unclassified