To
Be
OFFERED
AT
AUCTION
WITHOUT
RESERVE
at
RM
Sothebys'
The
Elkhart
Collection
event,
23
-
24
October
2020.
A
significant
style
in
American
automotive
design
historyFormerly
owned
by
D.
Cameron
Peck
and
Lindley
BothwellFeatured
alongside
Robert
Downey
Jr.
in
the
film
ChaplinWonderful
period
accessories,
including
Windbreaks
rear
windshieldClassic
Car
Club
of
America
(CCCA)
Full
Classic
J.
Frank
de
Causse's
Sportif
for
the
Locomobile
Model
48
chassis
was
one
of
the
most
significant
designs
in
early
automaking,
noted
for
its
low,
sleek,
and
dramatic
lines,
inspired
by
European
coachbuilding.
Few
survivors
are
more
lovingly
presented
than
this
Sportif,
which
was
part
of
two
of
this
country's
most
famous
early
automobile
collections.One
of
hundreds
of
cars
preserved
by
D.
Cameron
Peck,
a
Chicago
dairy
heir
and
early
AACA
president,
it
joined
his
stable
in
1940,
when
it
was
only
a
20-year-old
used
car
acquired
from
a
carriage
house
on
Lake
Shore
Drive
in
Chicago.
It
was
eventually
sold
by
him
in
1947
to
California
citrus
rancher
Lindley
Bothwell.
The
Locomobile
resided
at
Bothwell's
legendary
Rancho
Riconada
alongside
many
significant
Brass
Era
racing
cars
until
2004.
It
was
repainted
by
the
Bothwell
family
in
1992
for
a
starring
role
alongside
Robert
Downey
Jr.
in
the
film
Chaplin.
Today
a
wonderful
"Little
Tramp"
radiator
mascot
commemorates
the
car's
turn
before
the
cameras.The
Sportif
has
never
been
fully
restored,
and
it
is
believed
the
body
has
never
been
off
the
chassis,
with
the
only
major
work
performed
being
the
1992
paintwork
and
a
newer
top.
Much
of
the
interior
is
a
replacement
that
is
antique
itself,
with
some
of
the
original
leather
remaining;
the
body
number
is
stamped
both
on
the
structural
body
wood
and
on
the
sills.
Wonderful
accessories
include
a
Windbreaks
rear
windshield,
an
original
California-made
accessory
likely
fitted
by
the
Bothwells.
A
selection
of
tools
is
included,
along
with
a
lighted
Chaplin
film
sign
and
a
1920
Michigan
license
plate.
At
cataloguing
the
car
had
recorded
30,831
miles,
believed
to
be
original.This
is
a
superior
Sportif-meticulously
presented,
very
original,
honest,
and
sure
to
delight
any
enthusiast
of
well-loved
Classics.To
view
this
car
and
others
currently
consigned
to
this
auction,
please
visit
the
RM
website
at