1911 Pope Hartford Model W Portola Roadster

1st in Class
Amelia Island Concours

This breathtaking 1911 Pope-Hartford Model W Portola Roadster is a stunning example of Brass Era performance motoring, exquisitely restored by the respected Stu Laidlaw Classic Automotive Restoration & Sales of Redding, Connecticut. Finished in gleaming black with burgundy coach stripes, this Pope is truly stunning in every respect; an imposing machine with incredible presence. Little is known of its earliest history, though it is understood that this Model W resided in the Harrah collection in the 1970s, before it was sold and restored in the 1980s, eventually joining the collection of well-known Brass Era collector Dick King. It is believed the body is a reconstruction of the original, built atop a genuine Portola engine and chassis. After its time with Dick King, the Pope-Hartford was passed to another passionate brass-era enthusiast who continued to show and enjoy the car as it deserved.

Pope Manufacturing Company was founded by Albert Augustus Pope around 1876 in Boston, Massachusetts, and incorporated in Connecticut in 1877. Manufacturing of bicycles began in 1878 in Hartford, Connecticut, at the Weed Sewing Machine Company factory. Pope manufactured bicycles, motorcycles, and automobiles. From 1905 to 1913, Pope gradually consolidated manufacturing to the Westfield Mass plant. The main offices remained in Hartford. It ceased automobile production in 1915 and ceased motorcycle production in 1918.

In 1897, Pope Manufacturing began production of an electric automobile. By 1899, the company had produced over 500 vehicles. Hiram Percy Maxim was head engineer of the Motor Vehicle Department. The Electric Vehicle division was spun off that year as the independent company Columbia Automobile Company but it was acquired by the Electric Vehicle Company by the end of year.

Pope tried to re-enter the automobile manufacturing market in 1901 by acquiring a number of small firms, but the process was expensive and competition in the industry was heating up. Between the years 1903 and 1915, the company operated a number of automobile companies including Pope-Hartford (1903–1914), Pope-Robinson, Pope-Toledo (1903–1909), Pope-Tribune (1904–1907) and Pope-Waverley.

1911 Pope Hartford Model W Gallery

About Laidlaw Classic Automotive Restoration & Sales

While Laidlaw Classic Automotive Restoration & Sales has primarily specialized in Brass Era Vehicles, we also have extensive experience with vehicles of any age. Our portfolio spans three generations of fine auto restoration and some of the most elegant vehicles to win the Concours. Vehicles we’ve restored can be found in all corners of the globe, and we are well-known within the industry for providing services for the most discriminating attention to detail. We enjoy our work, and the vehicles we work on, and personally own several brass era and steam cars.

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