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A big thank you to West Peterson who assisted in putting me in touch with other Crane Simplex owners. Here is a picture of my car taken this morning and the info I have received to date.
Hi Kirk,
Thanks for your phone call. I hope you really enjoy your new beautiful car! Remember the fun is driving them.
I have little history of your 1917, Simplex #2315; but believe I do have the original owner. Here's what I know to date:
The chassis was tested 3/6/1917, on snow & ice covered roads of New Brunswick, NJ, using a "light enclosed drive test body" and chains on the rear wheels, by a Simplex test driver and delivered 3/10/1917, by Gladen [a Simplex employee]. This info is from a test book in my possession, author unknown. Don't know who or where it was delivered to. Based on the 2315 car number and the test date I believe its a 1917, and the 1915 designation incorrect; 1915 car numbers stopped around #2100 or so.
It was registered in CA by Carlton Earl Miller, San Mateo in Nov. 1917, #308132, & Flatiron Bldg, San Francisco in 1921, #310450. This from CA registration data received recently.
I have no other owners prior to Al Johnson in 1996.
Your car's body is believed to be its original Healey body. Also it had the wire wheels when tested.
So out of the blue a car friend sends me a link for a picture that showed up in his email inbox from a vintage picture blog he subscribes to. He forwarded it to me knowing i also have a Crane-Simplex. It was taken in San Fransisco in about 1919 to 1920. I was shocked to find out it was my car. The rear cowl always looked a little awkward to me with the placement of the cowl vs doors and the rear windshield being so far back. it is very difficult to raise the cowl with the top on. I always assumed the cowl was added when the car was restored in the 70's. I was very surprised to see it in this early picture. I still wonder if it was a afterthought. maybe by the original owner. if you look at the old picture the rear door handles are removed?
Now that was your lucky day Kirk. I notice the original tires seem darker than the current ones.
Kirk, was the new Simplex roster keeper of assistance to you?
Sep 14, 2016I am not sure who that is. The only person i have spoken to that i would refer to as a sort of roster keeper was William Bell.
Bill Bell died at least a year ago and he was the extremely dedicated Simplex roster keeper. His records were incredibility detailed and included total production and not just survivors. He was not always popular with those who shall we say manufactured huge Simplex Speed Cars out of cars that had started life in a very different form. Sounds as though you were able to come up with excellent history on your own.
You wouldn't write the Packard photo story into a fiction novel. It's amazing what one can find on the World Wide Web......... hope no one thinks I'm old because of the WWW reference!
Thought you would be interested in seeing the Seal Cove Auto Museum's Crane-Simplex #2308 with coachwork by C.P. Kimball. Thanks to Bill Bell, the Internet and the CCCA Forum, I have been able to trace the car back to its original owner, Evaline Kimball Salisbury. From Mrs. Salisbury, the car went to Gordon Snook for his wife, Pauline where it became a fixture at car shows and events around the Upper Hudson Valley. After Mrs. Snook's passing the car went to Richard C. Paine Jr., and remains in the Seal Cove Auto Museum that he founded. The car is in amazing unrestored, original, condition... You can still see the initials E. K. S. on the back doors for its original owner, Evaline Kimball Salisbury.
