A 1914 White Model Thirty roadster with a long museum background is currently being offered as a non-running project vehicle in Bremerton, Washington. The two-passenger roadster was acquired roughly 25 years ago for a private museum and spent the past decade on public display at the LeMay Collections at Marymount in Tacoma. The car is now listed with a current bid of $10,500, and the auction is scheduled to end Friday, February 13, at 2:20 p.m.
The vehicle is finished in gray with red accents and features visible wood surfaces around the cowl and windshield area. It rides on 26-inch wood-spoke wheels painted to match the body, fitted with red demountable rims and 34×4 Firestone tires. Two additional matching rims are mounted at the rear. Exterior equipment includes electric headlights, cowl lamps, a driver-side spotlight, a single taillight, running boards, a black convertible top, an integrated rear trunk compartment, and a lockable toolbox mounted at the back.
Power comes from a 226.4-cubic-inch L-head inline-four engine rated at 30 horsepower when new. The engine features a monobloc cylinder and head casting, side valves, a single updraft carburetor, magneto ignition, and electric starting through a motor-generator system. According to the selling dealer, attempts to start the engine were unsuccessful due to a magneto-related issue. The car is equipped with a four-speed manual transmission and rear-wheel drive.
Braking is handled by rear drum brakes using pedal-operated externally contracting bands and lever-operated internally expanding shoes. The suspension consists of solid axles at both ends supported by leaf springs.
Inside, the left-hand-drive cabin contains a single bench seat upholstered in black tufted leather, along with black door panels, kick panels, door pockets, and a passenger-side footrest. A four-spoke wood-rim steering wheel controls spark and fuel delivery. Instrumentation includes an ammeter, sight glasses, and a Stewart drum-style speedometer with a five-digit odometer showing approximately 3,000 miles.
Founded at the turn of the 20th century, the White Motor Company initially built steam-powered automobiles before transitioning to gasoline vehicles and later focusing solely on trucks and buses after World War I. The Model Thirty debuted in 1911 as the company’s smaller four-cylinder offering.
The roadster has not been driven during its years in museum display and is being sold strictly as a project with a bill of sale. See it here.
Shawn Henry