Mystery Benz look-a-like

Hello Jaap,
I bought the book you mentioned hoping it would show a special version of the AGA which I haven't seen before.
Unfortunately, it shows just a standard AGA which is not identical to what can be seen in my picture, as I have pointed out several times in this thread.
Hence, this particular car remains a mystery...
Kind regards
Michael

Without doubt a AGA-Wagen Typ 6/20.
See: Automobile aus Berlin,Von Tropfenwagen zum Amphicar. Ulrich Kubisch.Museum für Verkehr und Technik Berlin.1985.
Page:180.

@Graham: The AGA cars built by Thulin under licence featured round mudguards from the beginning (according to Ka-Uwe Merz' AGA book). Also, I could not find any photo of a Thulin car with angular wings on the internet.

@Thomas: Does the AGA on your advertisement also feature pre-WW1 front lights and demountable wheel rims like the car on my photo?

@Jason: The cars manufactured by Dürkopp after WW1 indeed had a similar-looking radiator. Yet all other features were different. Dürkopp cars always had a distinctive badge mounted on either side of the radiator mask.

I have done some more research on the car in my photo and would like to sum up the oddities like that:

Benz-style radiator without signs of badges on the mask (no rivet holes visible on the original print) and without the prominent ribbing that was characteristic for AGA radiator masks. The horizontal edge of the radiator mask is not aligned with the gently ascending edge of the bonnet like it was on AGA cars.

Massive wheels with demountable rims probably dating to the pre WW1 period (AGA started their car production only in 1919). I could not find any photo of another AGA car with such wheels.

Front lights probably acetylene-powered and looking pre-WW1, as well. AGA cars had electrical lights from the beginning.

The body is more massive and its waist-line is higher than with AGA cars. The wings are not as delicately-made like in the case of AGA cars.

The overall impression of the car is a far shot from the well-balanced looks of AGA cars.

In my opinion, the best explanation for this mystery car - up to now - is that it's an assembly of parts from different cars dating to different periods built by a creative owner.

@Graham: The AGAs built under licence by Thulin in Sweden featured round mudguards from the beginning (according to Kai-Uwe Merz' AGA book).

@Thomas: Does the AGA on your advertisement also have wheels mith demountable rims, pre-WW1 front lights and a radiator mask without a pronounced ribbing and without the AGA badge?

@Jason: Indeed, post-WW1 Dürkopp cars had similar radiators, yet they always had the distinctive Dürkopp badge on either side, they had electrical lights and one-piece wheels.

Up to now, there is no plausible explanation for the mix of pre- and post-WW1 parts on this car and its inconsistent looks...

1919-20 Durkopp ????

I think its an early AGA; I have an ad from 1919. And this ad shows an AGA with only two bonnet louvres. The AGA 6/16 looks quite similar to the mistery car. Maybe the body for that car is fromn a different coachbuilder.

Hello Graham,

The AGA cars built by Thulin (itself being a 50% subsidiary of the Swedish AGA group) under licence were largely identical with the AGAs built in Berlin - apart from featuring round mudguards from the beginning (according to Kai-Uwe Merz' book "Der AGA-Wagen") and having no bonnet louvres at all (http://garage5.se/thulinpage-2/index.html).

As of the front lights, I haven't seen electrical ones from the post-WW1 period looking like these, before.

To me, the whole car looks like an assembly of parts from different cars and from different periods - it definitively lacks the well-balanced proportions and building quality of AGA cars.

Agas were also built under licence in Sweden by Thulin. Could this be the Swedish interpretation of the marque? Are we sure they are acetylene lamps? The massive mudguards make me think of Aga cookers.

Hello Ted,
I am sorry, but I am still not convinced.

Please compare the massive wheels (featuring demountable rims) on the photo with the much more filigree (one-piece) wheels on confirmed AGA photos.

Also note the unusual number of louvres, the bulky body and the radiator mask lacking the AGA-typical ribbing around the grille.

What's more: Why would anyone mount acetylene lights on a car that was built only from 1919 onwards and featured electrical lights from the beginning?

By the way, there is a book about the AGA motorcars (http://www.agamobil.de/42878/home.html) and it does not show a single vehicle with any of the odd features mentioned.

As for the AGA badges: They were attached to both sides of the radiator mask with three rivets, so that holes should be visible, if the badges had been removed.

I have taken a very close look to the original print in my collection - no holes visible there...

Hence, I believe this photo still requires some more research.

Michael

AGA for sure, typical wings, angled rear, typical front, not to forget the 3 part windshield. Just missing the badges form the radiator, not a big deal. http://www.agamobil.de/39994.html

Note the convex headlight LENSES!

Hello Hubertus,

Indeed, the car shows a striking resemblance to the AGA A model from the early 1920s.

However, a number of details suggest that this must be a vehicle from a different manufacturer.

Firstly, the body is more massive and the "waist" is significantly higher than with the AGA. This becomes evident, if you compare my photo with other AGA shots on the website of the AGA museum (http://www.aga-museum.nl/page/aga-oldtimers).

Secondly, the early AGAs featuring the distinctive angular wings had at least three bonnet louvres, not just two.

Thirdly, the radiator mask of the AGA A model had a pronounced edge enframing the radiator grille. The car on the photo does not have this prominent feature.

I still believe that someone once used a pre-WW1 car as a basis to create this AGA- and Benz-inspired "special" after the war.

So maybe one should ignore the features that might have been added to the car later and concentrate on identifying the body with its characteristic bonnet louvres and the distinctive front lights, instead...

I agree with AGA. The radiator really looks like Benz and possibly the badges were removed. The only other cars with a similar radiator, that I remember are Ley and Joswin, however the Joswin had to be a much bigger car.