Topic: Near the Eastern Front 1915

[Allan L]

This is not so much a quiz question as a request for information via someone in another Forum who had been asked what car it. is.
 The photo was taken on the eastern front c1915/1916 and the couple in the back are the grandparents of the enquirer. They were Russian I am told, but there seems to be no more information yet.



I'm trying to get a better resolution photo and will post it when I do

Here it is then:
.

[Allan L]

84 views and nobody has suggested anything: do any of you from the east have any idea which cars were used as staff cars in 1915 or thereabouts?

[pnegyesi]

Yes, a lot of different brands. E.g. in Hungary all private cars were confiscated and distributed among military personnel during the 1st World War....

[Tom_I]

It's difficult to get an idea of the shape of the radiator, which would be the main identifying feature.

It has the sort of concave-sided bodywork that you associate with Austrian cars of the period, like Puch and Austro-Daimler. Puchs usually have artillery wheels though, not wires.

I can't help feeling that what appears to be a small electric sidelamp on the scuttle might be a significant clue, but I haven't really got anywhere with this one yet.

[DeAutogids]

Well, as Austria and Hungary were more or less the same country, maybe a Hungarian car, like the MAG?

[Allan L]

Elsewhere it has been suggested it's a Horch, but again they were not normally on wire wheels.

[pnegyesi]

It is definitely not a MAG or a MARTA. Let me check contemporary Graft-Stift cars, these were quite popular during WW1

[Paul Jaray]

What abut a Raba?

[Paul Jaray]

This pic comes from Istvan's book "A magyar auto", pag43.

[pnegyesi]

More like the original, Czech, Praga Grand then a Hungarian licence version - but PJ may be right

[Allan L]

Praga Grand or RABA may be the one!
Here's one on different wheels:

[faksta]

If there's a supposition about the Russian origins of the picture, I know where I can try to ask, if the aim is to identify the car by any means, and not to bring up a nice puzzle.

P.S. I'm not good in this, but the man on the rear seat's cap indeed looks like Russian officer's cap to me judging by the pictures I could find.

[Allan L]

If there's a supposition about the Russian origins of the picture, I know where I can try to ask, if the aim is to identify the car by any means, and not to bring up a nice puzzle.

P.S. I'm not good in this, but the man on the rear seat's cap indeed looks like Russian officer's cap to me judging by the pictures I could find.

Yes please, it is a request for information not a puzzle!
We were told the couple were Russian, so I hoped you or one of our other eastern European friends would know who to ask, if you didn't know yourself.

[faksta]

OK, I have sent an e-mail, will wait for the reply.

If it returns some positive results, I can post the outcome here or PM it to you so that the puzzle could be still open.

[faksta]

Well, I have received a reply from Stanislav Kiriletz (http://www.autopuzzles.com/forum/index.php?topic=9619.0 and another one on the same period military cars). Sadly, the make is still unknown, but he has supposed it could have been Laurin & Klement, while he is doubtful about Praga or Raba - there have been almost none in Russia. He has also told me that the vehicle is indeed from Russian army and is a mobilised one, as the army has almost never ordered cars on wire wheels. The men are probably from air forces judging by the flag on a bonnet. There is also a Russian tyre called Provodnik on a spare wheel.

If it is possible to get a bigger scan, it would be easier to identify the car, as the wheels may have a clue.

[Allan L]

Faksta, thank you for that so far.
The scan I have is rather bigger but was too big to post here and I can't attach it to a PM but if I have your e-mail address I can send it.

[faksta]

I have an e-mail, check your PM.

[Allan L]

I have an e-mail, check your PM.

Yes, done that and I've sent the scan.

[faksta]

Thank you for a bigger scan, but sadly no details we counted on appeared on a car 
Still, Stanislav is now sure about the men being aviators, if this helps somehow.

[Allan L]

Well thank you (and Stanislav) for trying to help.
That they are aviators is perhaps of interest to the original questioner.

[Oguerrerob]

I've found this info:
IDENTIFICATION AND DATING:Possibly cca 1913 Benz Tourer
Two photos sent in by Tom Hope,Toronto (Canada) of grandparents in a WW1 staff car. He was a colonel in the pre revolution Russian army fighting on the Eastern Front circa 1915-1918. Enquiry to Crossley website asking if Crossley. They said no and reticenced on suggesting others because of the blanket on the bonnet.   --  I am going out on a limb and think that the car is a cca 1912-14 Benz. Side light windscreen chain cover etc. Tyres support the Russian connection being Treugolnik.

[Allan L]

Interesting ideas Oguerrerob - where did you find that?
The original (to me) question was on <<< link removed >>> and I relayed the suggestions in this thread back there.

[Oguerrerob]

SVVS in Help wanted page 31

[Allan L]

SVVS in Help wanted page 31

Thanks - they sometimes come up with good ideas, but in this case I'm not sure. Compare with  faksta's (& Stanislav's) comments above.

[Oguerrerob]

I don't know russian language, if someone could translate the bottom of this photo (I have no clue). Thank you. but I have to remove it