Gardner 5-Seat Tourer

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Russell Gardner started out making horse-drawn carriages in St. Louis, Missouri in 1882, but made the switch to car production in 1915 when his company produced bodies for Chevrolet cars and “controlled all Chevrolet trade west of the Mississippi”. By 1919 Gardner and his threes sons had dropped the link with Chevrolet and were producing a brand new car under their own name.

Most of the mechanical components for the Gardner were bought-in, but they made a point of buying quality components: Timken axles, Spicer prop-shafts, Borg & Beck clutches, Carter carburettors and Lycoming engines.

This 1923 Gardner Tourer has its original 3,400cc five main-bearing Lycoming engine, with forged and balanced crank, which was claimed to be the most powerful four-cylinder car engine on the market – 43bhp at 2,150 rpm. By comparison the Model T Ford turned out around 23bhp. However, the Gardner cost $964 in 1923 - the Ford $364. Gardner produced around 8,300 cars in 1923 but there are probably only around a dozen Gardners of all types remaining worldwide.

There is very little history with this car, although it is believed that it was imported from New York in the early 1990s and spent some time in the Isle of Man before crossing to the mainland in 1995.

BF 4879 has had some restoration work but is substantially original. It has had little use in the last ten years and its last MOT certificate expired in June 2009. It has covered a little over 1,000 miles since 1994 and is offered for sale following the death of its most recent owner.

The car runs and drives although it will need some attention. Getting it back on the road should not be difficult as the car appears to be in sound condition and is well-built without being over-complicated. The hood is in good condition and there is a set of side-screens with the car. It is left-hand drive and is blessed with a conventional accelerator pedal.