Name/Title
Pope-Hartford 1904 (Model B Tonneau)Description
Although described as a 1902 by Scher the Standard Catalogue of American Cars noted that prototypes were produced in 1903 and sales began in 1904.
The 1904 Pope-Hartford: Automotive history in the making
In July 1904, Edith and Teddy Wharton purchased their first motorcar in the U.S., a new Pope-Hartford touring car produced by the Pope Motor Car Company in nearby Hartford, Conn. At the turn of the century, Hartford was considered the automobile capital of the world, turning out more than half of all motorized vehicles manufactured in the U.S.
Founded by Colonel Albert Pope in 1877, the Pope Manufacturing Company successfully built the Columbia bicycle, making Pope one of the country's most prosperous industrialists. His production techniques, developed for bicycles then adapted for autos, were critical to America's manufacturing legacy. In his 2000 biography of Pope, Stephen B. Goddard explains, "Historians list him in the first rank of contributors to modern industry based on his refinement of mass production and the use of interchangeable parts. Indeed, he was the first manufacturer to mass-produce automobiles." Pope also was the nation's leading champion of the "Good Roads" movement, which paved the way for the interconnected federal highway system.
The Wharton's 1904 car was the Pope Motor Car Company's first for sale. It also became the most successful of four lines, continuing in production through 1914, when the firm folded.
Red over black fenders rear entrance tonneau with black belting, gold pin striping, red wood spoked wheels, and brass lighting and trim