Vehicle Description
Roamer Motor Car Company was founded in Kalamazoo, Michigan, in
1917 as the result of a collaboration between industry veterans
Cloyd Kenworthy, a New York City distributor of Rauch & Lang
electric cars, and Albert C. Barley, an automaker who built the
Barley and Halladay automobiles in Streator, Illinois. Barley
brought Karl H. Martin into the project, a New York body
constructor and designer of the Halladay. Kenworthy's motivation
was to offer a petrol-powered automobile of sufficient quality to
sell alongside his Rauch & Lang Electrics. Dissatisfied with the
cars available, he set out to build his own. The Roamer was an
"assembled car" utilizing major components from outside suppliers,
yet it was well-built and expensive, each produced to individual
specifications. The very deliberate and rather shameless imitation
of the Rolls-Royce radiator shell (the "RoameR" logo was no
coincidence) seemed to work as intended, attracting a respectable
number of buyers during their 13-year tenure, including prominent
stars like Mary Pickford and Buster Keaton. Since it was a
component car, Roamer could offer buyers various engines throughout
production. The vast majority of vehicles hit the road with
conventional Rutenber or Continental six-cylinder units. However, a
handful of buyers opted for the costly yet magnificent
Rochester-DuesenbergWalking BeamFour, one of the most potent and
advanced road car engines of the time. It was designed by the
Duesenberg brothers as a racing engine, then refined for road use
and manufactured under license by Rochester Engines. The
Continental was rated at a respectable 54 horsepower: however, the
Rochester-Duesenberg four made 75hp-100hp-plus depending on the
tune. This kind of power made the Roamer a formidable performance
car, and several speed records for Roamer-Duesenberg helped justify
the exclusive price. Experts believe that of the 11,800 Roamers
produced, fewer than 1,000 were equipped with this marvelous and
exotic race-bred engine. It is with pleasure that we offer this
rare and intriguing Roamer 4-75 rumble-seat Roadster featuring the
magnificent Rochester-Duesenberg engine. This fabulous motorcar is
rich with character and charm, worn with pride via its well-earned
patina. The body and chassis are finished in an appropriately
sporty red, accented with black fenders and sills. The red finish
on the inside of the fenders and red/black painted disc wheels tie
in brilliantly with the distinct angular body. Period fittings and
accessories include an Ideal Rode-Lite on the right fender, alloy
step plates in lieu of running boards, a winged Moto Meter, and
nickel drum headlamps. It wears three spare disc wheels - two
side-mount and one rear mounted, perhaps in anticipation of it
being "driven as intended." The body shows signs of a cosmetic
refurbishment from earlier in its life, and it remains in
respectably good condition, with an age-appropriate careworn
appearance. The cabin presents well, and the red leather seat,
leather panels, and cast alloy floor panels are all in good order
and align with the car's charming, well-preserved nature. It
appears that the seat has been reupholstered at some point, though
the door and kick panels may be original. The instruments and
controls all appear as period-correct items, including the
fat-rimmed four-spoke steering wheel. There's a matching rumble
seat in the back, and the canvas top is sound and functional. Of
course, the highlight of this remarkable Roamer sits under the
hood. At approximately 340 cubic inches, the Rochester-Duesenberg
engine is by no means small, but it was respectably compact for its
displacement. Horizontal valves are operated by long "walking beam"
rockers hidden behind a polished alloy cover. The layout
contributes to its remarkable efficiency, and the distinct
high-mounted exhaust manifold betrays its motorsport heritage. The
engine shows signs of recent maintenance and is both clean and
appropriately detailed, with period-style braided ignition wires
and a rebuilt Scintilla magneto. It runs very well, feeling
remarkably smooth and emitting a deep bellow that hints at its
impressive output. While Roamer was a relatively short-lived
company, the firm made a lasting impression on the automotive
landscape with its distinctly stylish, high-performance
automobiles. This fabulous example is rich with character, and as a
CCCA Full Classic, it would be a superb entry into a wide range of
driving events where its next caretaker can enjoy the exceptional
performance to the fullest. Offers welcome and trades considered
For additional details please view this listing directly on our
website
https://hymanltd.com/vehicles/7040-1922-roamer-4-75-roadster/
