Equipment
RHD. 336/50hp 4-cylinder with hemispherical combustion chambers and a single overhead camshaft operating inclined valves 4 to a side through rocker arms with roller cam followers, Warner drum speedometer, folding windshield, varnished wood spoke wheels, F
Condition
#3 Good
Runs and drives well. Flaws not noticeable to passersby. Most common condition.
Owned until 1951 by the family of Louis H. Perlman who used it to demonstrate his revolutionary idea of the demountable rim wheel. Acquired then by Ralph Stein and Henry Austin Clark, Jr. and restored for Stein, a restoration it still wears over half a century later. Tired old paint, chipped and scratched. Worn, creased and occasionally torn old upholstery. Greasy and road grimy engine and chassis. Aged and used but marvelous. Don C. Boulton Collection.
Market commentary
One of Don C. Boulton's mechanical marvels, this 1908 Welch incorporated a single overhead camshaft, inclined valves and crossflow porting, well before the Peugeot dohc racers celebrated by the 1914 Peugeot L45 sold by Bonhams 16 months ago from the Lindley Bothwell Collection and proudly displayed on the Amelia Island Concours field Sunday from Jacksonville's Brumos Collection. The valve gear of the Welch is completely exposed, a visual syncopation when in operation at its sub-1,000 rpm operating speeds. This one has an honorable history of seriously committed early collectors who recognized its advanced thinking, design and execution and brought a deserved superior result. Every Brass collector in the world was at or was watching the Boulton Collection and their passion for this Welch is apparent.