Topic: Solved ropat#64: 1919/20 Marmon 34 Limousine Spanish President Eduardo Dato murder

[ropat53]

What car is this and what happened?

[ropat53]

Up

[4popoid]

The black Hudson in which the Spanish President of the Council of Ministers,  Eduardo Dato, was assassinated in Madrid on March 8, 1921 by anarchists.  It was claimed to be the first assassination where both the assassins (riding in a motorcycle sidecar) and the victim were using motor vehicles.

[ropat53]

Almost you've got the wrong car, locked for you to find it, easy.

[4popoid]

All of the numerous references that I have found indicate that the car in which Eduardo Dato was riding, when assassinated by three anarchists (traveling on/in an Indian motorcycle with sidecar), was a black Hudson.  It is variously referred to as a: black Hudson with license ARM-121, a black Army Hudson, and a military Hudson with registration ARM-121.  The car's driver, who was injured, was one Sargent of Engineers Manuel Ros, which would seem to indicate that the car was a military vehicle, as it was being driven by a soldier.  One reference gives this account:
 
The March 8, 1921 murder occurs D. Eduardo Dato, president of Government at the time. Magnicidio is first taking place in Spain using cars. Mr. Dato journeyed in his official car a Hudson army, when he was shot from an Indian motorcycle with sidecar that was placed at its height, and in which three gunmen traveling involved. The Hudson turned gunned down in the back. The President resulted fatally shooting three of the fourteen he received the car. Following police investigations, two of the murderers were arrested, tried and convicted. The death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment by King Alfonso XIII. The car Hudson is deposited at the offices of the Army museum.

Although the translation is a bit rough, it clearly indicates that the car was a Hudson.

[ropat53]

The car Dato was murdered in is not a Hudson, amazingly even back when the news was first published the car was mistakenly referred to as a black Hudson.
Still locked for you to find the right car
Here's a another view

[4popoid]

The only information that I can locate on the car involved in the Dato assassination says it was a Hudson, so I guess that I will have to try to solve this mystery by trying to identify the car apart from the event.  The second picture is of some help.  Because Dato was a high government official, riding in a government (military) car, it would seem logical that the car would be of Spanish manufacture, rather than US (Hudson).  In some articles it is referred to as a limousine,  which implies a luxury car, befitting one of such high office.  A Spanish luxury car brings to mind Hispano-Suiza, but the picture doesn't resemble a typical Hispano.  The other Spanish luxury car of the time, that comes to mind is an Elizalde, and the picture does resemble an Elizalde.  The hood looks too short for the big straight eight of a Type 48, but from what I can see the puzzle car could be an: Elizalde Type 29 from about 1920. 

[ropat53]

The car is American but not Hudson it is from a relatively well known maker and even though some sources say it has a Spanish body I believe it is a standard body. I have not found a current picture of the car but I have found reference about it been in the Spanish Army Museum (Museo del Ejército)
Below is a similar car and called "Limousine" according to the ad.

[Bill Murray]

Looks to me like a Locomobile.
bill

[Bill Murray]

I am probably wrong on the vehicle ID, but a further question for Ropat.

The initials on the registration plate, "ARM" I don't think represent the "Army" of Argentina.
ARM, at least in Andino countries where I lived for a while, represented the Navy, "Armada".

The word for Army is Ejercito and I have lots of photos of vehicles with the letters "EP", "EE", (Spain) etc. etc.

I think I have some photos of Argentinian vehicles from the 1930's somewhere in my documents and I will try to post an example.  Well, so far no good, none of my photos seem to show the registration plate in such a way as you can read it.

In any case, you opinion would be of value.

Bill

[ropat53]

Bill it's still locked for 4popoid but

Looks to me like a Locomobile.
bill

Not Locomobile

The black Hudson in which the Spanish President of the Council of Ministers,  Eduardo Dato, was assassinated in Madrid on March 8, 1921 by anarchists.  It was claimed to be the first assassination where both the assassins (riding in a motorcycle sidecar) and the victim were using motor vehicles.

It has no relation with Argentina, it was the President of Spain that was murdered in Spain in his official limousine, the answer above is correct except for the Hudson part.

I am probably wrong on the vehicle ID, but a further question for Ropat.

The initials on the registration plate, "ARM" I don't think represent the "Army" of Argentina.
ARM, at least in Andino countries where I lived for a while, represented the Navy, "Armada".

The word for Army is Ejercito and I have lots of photos of vehicles with the letters "EP", "EE", (Spain) etc. etc.

I think I have some photos of Argentinian vehicles from the 1930's somewhere in my documents and I will try to post an example.  Well, so far no good, none of my photos seem to show the registration plate in such a way as you can read it.

In any case, you opinion would be of value.

Bill

I don't know anything about Spanish license plates.
In Argentina the armed forces' license plates read "Ejercito Argentino" (Army) and "Armada Argentina"(Navy) but vehicle numbers would be EA (Ejercito Argentino) and the Navy would be AR(Armada Argentina), it is still used today, I don't know when it started. No Government license plates exist today.
See motorcycle below from 1941

[4popoid]

Well my last theory of a Spanish marque proved incorrect, but I now know it is, in fact, a US marque, and that, along with the additional photograph, helps. 

The statement that the car "is from a relatively well known maker" leads me to believe that, although the marque isn't obscure, it also isn't from the really big names.  The thing that keeps bugging me is that the puzzle car has wire wheels.  It must be a pre-1921 model, when the assassination occurred, but at that time the majority of US marques used wooden artillery wheels.  Also, I find it rather incredible that news reports of the day all refer to the car as a Hudson, when it isn't.

I still think that the President would be riding in a prestige marque, so the question is: What US prestige marque, from the correct time frame, has wire wheels and a name that might be confused, by a harried non-English speaking reporter, with Hudson?  The result of this line of thought is a: Jordan from about 1919.   

[ropat53]

Well my last theory of a Spanish marque proved incorrect, but I now know it is, in fact, a US marque, and that, along with the additional photograph, helps. 

The statement that the car "is from a relatively well known maker" leads me to believe that, although the marque isn't obscure, it also isn't from the really big names.  The thing that keeps bugging me is that the puzzle car has wire wheels.  It must be a pre-1921 model, when the assassination occurred, but at that time the majority of US marques used wooden artillery wheels.  Also, I find it rather incredible that news reports of the day all refer to the car as a Hudson, when it isn't.

I still think that the President would be riding in a prestige marque, so the question is: What US prestige marque, from the correct time frame, has wire wheels and a name that might be confused, by a harried non-English speaking reporter, with Hudson?  The result of this line of thought is a: Jordan from about 1919.   

Not Jordan, more prestigious. You made me think why the name may have been changed, it is somewhat similar in pronunciation, at least one part.
All the pictures I have found of cars of this make and model have wire wheels, right from 1916 when the model was introduced. It lasted until 1924 with no visible changes, but the puzzle car is obviously pre 1921, I don't know the exact year but I'd say 1919 or 1920 is about right.
According to some sources the license plate ARM-121 is from the Spanish Army's "Automovilísmo Rápido Militar" (Light Military Vehicle)
I'll leave locked for you for one more try.

[fyreline]

I think I may have found it, and it's not difficult to see how it could have been misidentified as a Hudson. Waiting for the unlock.

[Bill Murray]

Ropat/4popoid:

I owe both of you an apology.  I rarely hit the reply button at the beginning of a thread but I was in a hurry and did not look to see the thread was locked.

In the event, my answer was not correct, a good thing.  And...even if I could answer it I would not now as "self discipline".

As for the registration plate, Ropat, I thank you for adding to my knowledge of military vehicle history.  I was not aware of that type of plate being used in Spain.

I also apologize for jumping from Spain to Argentina.  I was still in a hurry and got distracted in mid reply and just looked at your national flag and typed in Argentina instead of Spain.  It is a Spanish speaking country after all

Regarding the designation of the plate, the word automovilismo is a little harder to translate exactly compared to automovil, but I would have translated it as "Fast/High Speed Military Car" and I found that translation on Google as well.

Later, they simplified the plates to EE "Ejercito Espanol", which I believe is still in use today.

Just some little extra trivia.

Bill

[4popoid]

Thanks for the lock extension.  I think I may have located the mysterious American wire wheeled luxury car, with a name that could be mistaken for Hudson.  For my last shot, is it a Marmon 34 limousine from about 1919/1920?

[fyreline]

Yes, that's it (or at least that was my answer as well) . . . the Marmon 34, 1919 or so.

[ropat53]

Yes 1919/20 Marmon 34 Limousine, even though most sources, even back when the murder occurred, say it's a Hudson.