Lot 216: 1916 Paterson 6-45 Torpedo 7 Seater Tourer

Greenfield in Ohio holds a special place in the annals of automobile manufacturing, thanks to an ex-slave and his family. During the early part of this century, the Greene Countrie Towne was home to the only black-owned and operated automobile manufacturing enterprise known to have existed. The head of this remarkable family was Charles (Rich) Patterson. He was born a slave on a West Virginia plantation and learned black smithing skills that would prove useful through-out his life. In 1873 he went into partnership with a white man, J.P. Lowe. Patterson assumed sole ownership a decade later upon the death of his partner. The touring cars and roadsters were said to be mechanically superior to the "Tin Lizzie" Model T produced by Henry Ford. Special features advertised by the firm included full floating rear axle, cantilever spring, de-mountable rims, left-hand drive, centre control, electric starting and lighting system, one-man top, and ventilating windshield. "Our special motor has that surplus power and greatest pull," an ad boasted. "Try it on your test hill." The autos were powered by four-cylinder Continental engines and were said to be capable of speeds of 50 mph. The buses and trucks had wood framing with metal skins. They were mounted on Ford, Dodge and Chevrolet chassis until the company shifted to an all-steel body around 1930. The combination of Detroit's mass production and the Depression dealt a fatal blow to the company in the 1930's, in 1939 the company finally closed. Unfortunately, few examples of the company's craftsmanship have survived to the present day. The 1916 Paterson 6-45 tourer you see here arrived in Turin from Holland. The current owner purchased the car in 1996 and immediately embarked upon a comprehensive restoration. Under the supervision of renowned specialist restorer Mario Vannozzi, the body was stripped and restored by Firmino Diaz Nichelino. The original blue/black paint was discovered under the incorrect red paint finish. Original pattern Michelin tyres were obtained from re manufacturer Coker. The engine, drive train and ancillaries were rebuilt by specialist Gervasio Bottero who was responsible for maintaining the Italia on the Paris to Peking Revival. Thanks to his experience Bottero managed to obtain copies of original working drawings for the model which allowed him to restore the car as accurately as possible. Beautifully restored and very rare (it is believed this is the only example existing in Europe) this fascinating piece of motoring history is ready to grace any serious collection of early American cars. The car is accompanied by numerous magazine articles, and is supplied with the original Ohio vehicle registration document, although all EU taxes have been paid. It also has ASI Italian Historic papers. Le 'Paterson' est une pice de l'histoire d'automobile peu connu mais fascinant: est la seule usine fondée par un ex-esclave a Ohio. Probablement le seul exemplaire en Europe, les bien connues spécialistes italiens ont restaurée la voiture depuis 1996, quand elle était comprise par le vendeur italien.