All hail the Queen (the car, not the band or monarch) at Amelia Island

It may not have been the most expensive car that sold at Bonhams’ Amelia Island Auction, but it’s one of the oldest and rarest. And with people finally able to attend a live auction again, it drew a crowd.



a close up of a horse drawn carriage in front of a house


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A 1905 Queen Model E Light Touring, the sole documented Queen Model E survivor, found a new home for $80,640 on Thursday evening. If you’ve never heard of an automobile that carries that royal moniker, you aren’t alone. The bright green Brass-Era Queen received plenty of attention during Bonhams’ preview period, mostly because of its obscurity. As one onlooker admitted, “I’ve heard of the band Queen, but not a car named Queen.”



a group of people that are standing in the grass: Bonhams auction-goers surround the 1905 Queen Model E. Jeff Peek


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Bonhams auction-goers surround the 1905 Queen Model E. Jeff Peek

Once upon a time, there were 1500 of them out there. Of course, that was over 100 years ago. Built by Detroit’s C.H. Blomstrom Motor Company for three model years (1904–06), Queen motorcars were chain-driven and powered by one-, two-, or four-cylinder engines. The Bonhams car (chassis #1385) possesses a 196-cubic-inch, 16-horsepower, two-cylinder powerplant with a single Schebler carburetor, leaf-spring suspension, and rear-wheel mechanical brakes. The Queen features highly polished brass throughout, and a folding black top with roll-up plastic windshield is fitted over its black-leather-clad, four-seat interior.

Blomstrom’s 1904 Queen could be had with a 143-cu-in, 12-hp, single-cylinder engine or a 294-cu-in, 24-hp opposed twin-cylinder mill. Those numbers were impressive, matching Packard’s contemporary Model G.



a view of a bicycle: 1905 Queen Touring Motor Car steering wheel


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1905 Queen Touring Motor Car steering wheel



1905 Queen Touring Motor Car head lamp light detail


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1905 Queen Touring Motor Car head lamp light detail



a green motorcycle: 1905 Queen Touring Motor Car engine


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1905 Queen Touring Motor Car engine



a car engine: 1905 Queen Touring Motor Car underside driveline


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1905 Queen Touring Motor Car underside driveline

Production of the Queen twin continued only through 1906, when the company merged with Car De Luxe and Blomstrom turned his attention to other automotive ventures. He  was responsible for the vertical-crankshaft Gyroscope, the Rex cyclecar, and the Frontmobile and Blomstrom automobiles.

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This rare-as-hens’-teeth Queen was offered from the estate of Robert L. Byers. The right-hand-drive Model E was on the lawn at the 2005 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and still shines from a comprehensive pre-concours restoration that still looks amazingly fresh.

Although this may be the first time you’ve ever heard of a Queen motorcar, here’s a piece of trivia that will make you look awfully knowledgeable at your next cars and coffee. According to the exhaustive Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805–1942, Queen is the only American-built marque that begins with the letter Q. Wonder if Freddie Mercury knew that.



a person riding a horse drawn carriage parked on the side of a road: 1905 Queen Touring Motor Car rear three-quarter


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1905 Queen Touring Motor Car rear three-quarter



a man riding a horse drawn carriage: Bonhams auction-goers surround the 1905 Queen Model E. Jeff Peek


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Bonhams auction-goers surround the 1905 Queen Model E. Jeff Peek



a person riding a horse drawn carriage driving down a street: 1905 Queen Touring Motor Car rear


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1905 Queen Touring Motor Car rear



1905 Queen Touring Motor Car foot pedal


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1905 Queen Touring Motor Car foot pedal



1905 Queen Touring Motor Car interior seats and wheel


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1905 Queen Touring Motor Car interior seats and wheel



a close up of a green car on a grill: 1905 Queen Touring Motor Car rear seat


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1905 Queen Touring Motor Car rear seat



text: 1905 Queen Touring Motor Car placard info


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1905 Queen Touring Motor Car placard info



a close up of a device: 1905 Queen Touring Motor Car sill detail


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1905 Queen Touring Motor Car sill detail



1905 Queen Touring Motor Car crank


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1905 Queen Touring Motor Car crank



1905 Queen Touring Motor Car detail


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1905 Queen Touring Motor Car detail



a clock sitting on top of a wooden table: 1905 Queen Touring Motor Car interior clock


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1905 Queen Touring Motor Car interior clock



1905 Queen Touring Motor Car wheel hub


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1905 Queen Touring Motor Car wheel hub



a motorcycle parked on the side of a road: 1905 Queen Touring Motor Car underside driveline


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1905 Queen Touring Motor Car underside driveline



a motorcycle parked on the grass: 1905 Queen Touring Motor Car underside driveline


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1905 Queen Touring Motor Car underside driveline

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