Photo: RM Auctions
Are you fed up with modern day transportation and its complex electronic gizmos? Want to downgrade? You can’t go under the stagecoach level and luckily, we found one for you that’s on sale. Beware though, these things don’t come cheap now.
Before the industrial revolution that brought us the steam locomotives, people used to travel between cities by stagecoaches, which carried anyone willing to pay the fare between two or more stops (“stages”). Think of them as today’s busses but being more classy and... well, smelly.
In the US, the Abbot Downing Company was established in 1813 and it built what would become known as the industry standard in stagecoaches and that was usually referred to as the “Concord Coach”.
One such example is currently for sale at RM Auctions. It’s the chassis No.130, which was one of the two stagecoaches ordered by Pattison and Ward, of Kalamazoo, Michigan, finished in red with russet leather upholstery, leather curtains and damask trimmings.
Another interesting feature that came with the Concord Coach was the leather strap braced fitted underneath the cabin. This gave a swinging motion to the vehicle instead of the up and down jolting of a classic spring suspension. These coaches were built so solidly it became known they didn’t break down but just wore out.
However, being one of the few perfectly preserved Concordes on sale, don’t expect it to come cheap. It will go under the hammer on Friday, October 10th this year from the collection of Jeffrey Day. For those who are into the deep details, we'll mention this is part of the Lot 256 in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Still, let's get to the practical matters - the stagecoach is expected to raise between $225,000 and $325,000 (€177,300 - €256,200).
In the US, the Abbot Downing Company was established in 1813 and it built what would become known as the industry standard in stagecoaches and that was usually referred to as the “Concord Coach”.
One such example is currently for sale at RM Auctions. It’s the chassis No.130, which was one of the two stagecoaches ordered by Pattison and Ward, of Kalamazoo, Michigan, finished in red with russet leather upholstery, leather curtains and damask trimmings.
A bit of history
This unit here was acquired by the Day family from Thomas Babb, of Edna, Taxas, in 1972 when it also received a full restoration to the exact specs it had in 1860. It has rooftop seating, original lamps, pole, leader bars and interior strongbox.Another interesting feature that came with the Concord Coach was the leather strap braced fitted underneath the cabin. This gave a swinging motion to the vehicle instead of the up and down jolting of a classic spring suspension. These coaches were built so solidly it became known they didn’t break down but just wore out.
However, being one of the few perfectly preserved Concordes on sale, don’t expect it to come cheap. It will go under the hammer on Friday, October 10th this year from the collection of Jeffrey Day. For those who are into the deep details, we'll mention this is part of the Lot 256 in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Still, let's get to the practical matters - the stagecoach is expected to raise between $225,000 and $325,000 (€177,300 - €256,200).
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