1914 Chevrolet Series H-2 Royal Mail Roadster #64
Please note a video of the engine running has been added to the Video Gallery.
Please note that this 1914 Chevrolet Series H-2 Royal Mail Roadster is the subject of a feature-length Hagerty Media article by Tom Glatch.
Please note this car is titled as model year 1913 and by its engine number 21387D
Video Gallery
1914 Chevrolet Series H-2 Royal Mail Roadster #64 Engine Running Video
Description
OFFERED WITHOUT RESERVE
This 1914 Series H Chevrolet Is a Piece of Rolling History
Could this be the oldest complete Chevrolet in existence? The H Model Register Chapter of the Vintage Chevrolet Club of America believes so. This 1914 Chevrolet Series H-2 Royal Mail Roadster has serial #64 which puts its build date at about mid-August of 1913 after production of the Model Year 1914 Chevys had begun in July. Further evidence is this is the early version of the H-2 with the rounded cowl and zigzag windshield. There is an older Series C in Canada, but it is not complete. There is also the 1914 Series H in the GM Heritage Center known as “Old No. 1” but the H Model Register Chapter states “it was an advertising prop for the company and not actually the first Chevrolet with a serial number of 001.”
A brass tag on #64’s dashboard indicates it may have been sold new by Wisconsin Auto Sales Co. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Braeger Chevrolet (formerly King-Braeger), another Milwaukee dealer, proudly displayed this remarkable Chevrolet in their showroom for decades. Mr. Jones then purchased it in 2003 from the Braeger family. Now this historic 1914 Royal Mail Roadster, the oldest known Chevrolet automobile, is ready to be the crown jewel of any Chevrolet collection or dealership.
Robert A. Jones, a successful businessman and second-generation leader of the still going concern, Jones Brothers Contracting of Mount Juliet, Tennessee, had an innate understanding of the many heavy duty machines that were a part of the family business. Early on, Mr. Jones turned that knowledge into a passion for road cars and acquired his first collector car in 1969, at the age of 35 — the famous Ford Model T. That single and simple pre-war car sparked a passion that never tempered for Mr. Jones and eventually, influenced by the more common Jones family marque of choice, his passions would burn even brighter for early Chevrolets. As his collection grew and changed over the years, his interests were focused on displaying the cars at regional shows and concours, as well as still driving many of his road-worthy classics. Hagerty Marketplace is proud to offer The Jones Collection, entirely without reserve, comprising some long-treasured vehicles from his personal collection.
Highlights
Offered from The Jones Collection
Possibly the oldest complete Chevrolet in existence
Number 64 out of 5,005 Chevrolets built in 1914
Built in August 1913 for Model Year 1914
Believed sold new by Wisconsin Auto Sales Co. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, an early Chevrolet dealer
Owned for decades by Braeger Chevrolet (originally King-Braeger) in Milwaukee
Vintage photograph of Mr. C.J. Hylton, King-Braeger’s Service Manager, standing next to the car (erroneously dated “1912”) after being driven 216,000 miles
Featured in 1951 book “The Oldtime Automobile” by John Bentley
First low-priced, mass-market Chevrolet model
First year of the Series H Royal Mail roadster
First Chevrolet to wear the iconic “Bowtie” logo
This 1914 Chevrolet Series H-2 Royal Mail Roadster is offered with 16,706 miles; however, the true mileage is unknown
Features
Stylish roadster body
171 cu-in overhead valve four-cylinder engine
Zenith carburetor
Three-speed manual transmission
Four-wheel leaf spring suspension
Speedometer
Klaxon Horn
Mohair top
Side curtains
Gas lamps
Wood wheels
Known Imperfections
Please note that all of the lots in The Jones Collection are offered after many years of storage, without operation, in a climate-controlled facility. The Hagerty Marketplace Team endeavored to bring most back to running potential, however, as a result of their extended static display, all lots will benefit from additional mechanical attention before being driven to address any imperfections associated with long-term storage or individual preferences. All lots are sold as is, where is.
Minor delamination in front glass
Minor imperfection on front bulkhead and rear trunk wood and leather hinges
Minor age-related corrosion and scuffs on gas headlamps
Wooden steering wheel fractured at a joint but still operational
Ownership History
This 1914 Chevrolet Series H-2 Royal Mail Roadster has been a much-loved part of The Jones Collection since 2003. It was purchased from Braeger Chevrolet in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who proudly displayed this historic Chevrolet in their showroom for many years.
Additional Notes
A Broad Arrow Group Consignment Specialist is working as an agent on behalf of the owner of this vehicle.
Contact: Ramsey Potts Phone: 912.508.4096 email: rpotts@hagerty.com
