Rodger Wilson has always had a love for the older cars, especially touring cars, of the early 20th Century. He grew up with a father who had a passion for these types of cars, like REO’s and Maxwells. While it has been a long journey of tracking and waiting, he now owns his father’s 1924 REO that was sold in 1977.

Over the years, Rodger has had several “open top” vehicles, including a Shay, which is a replica of a Model A Roadster with a rumble seat that was built in 1980. That car had a modern drivetrain and suspension, and it was considered a dependable classic-looking car that could easily be driven on the highway.

Built in Illinois

Rodger’s 1920 Elgin Model K Touring car, produced by the Elgin Motor Car Corporation, is an offshoot of the Elgin National Watch Company. The Radiator badge says “Built like A watch” on it, and the car’s slogan was “The car of the hour.” Built from 1916 through 1924, Elgin automobiles were manufactured in Argo, Ill., which is now part of Summit, Ill.

Of the 16,784 Elgin cars produced, only 10 to 15 still exist; more than 4,600 cars were built in 1920. The distinction of the touring car is that it has no door glass. They were built to have the top down and enjoy the open feel of the road. The Elgin Motor Car Corporation went bankrupt in June of 1924, due to a post-war recession.

Online Find

Rodger’s 1920 Elgin Model K Touring car appeared on his radar several years ago when he found it listed online by an auto restoration company Tredup’s, that had bought the car and completely restored it. During the restoration, the engine, originally produced by The Falls Motors Corporation in Sheboygan Falls, Wisc., was reworked by an engine rebuilder in Rockford, Il’. The Wisconsin company built engines for several car companies in that era, but the ones built for Elgin have a tag that says, Made Exclusively for Elgin Motor Cars.

Of course, this journey would not be the challenge it was if Rodger had not been beaten to the punch by another buyer who lived in South Dakota, who had also seen the 1920 Elgin online posting. Not to be denied, Rodger kept his eye out for the car, and when the owner realized this type of car didn’t have the horsepower to meet his needs, it once again became available. Rodger, made a deal and took possession of the 1920 gem.

Getting it Home

Upon getting it to his home, Rodger realized there were some issues to deal with. He had to install an electric fuel pump because the Elgin comes with a vacuum-type fuel delivery system. When they don’t work, it takes a long time to get fuel to the carburetor. He had to replace the factory carburetor with a remanufactured carburetor.

When he was still having some running issues, a major tune-up, including distributor cap, rotor, points, and condenser, solved the problem. Other than the interior being reupholstered and the repaint to cream and brown, everything is factory correct.

According to Rodger, the Elgin has a distinct French styling influence. It also offers sparse storage options, with only some compartments in the doors, hidden beneath flaps over the openings. Usually, a tool kit was located in the driver’s door, which had a tire pump, a jack, and some miscellaneous hand tools. The tilting windshield and wing glass help keep air flowing where you want it, and where you don’t.

The Elgin’s 6-cylinder engine features an overhead valve design, which was one of the earliest built. It has a 180-cubic-inch displacement and produces roughly 37 horsepower. The transmission is a manual 3-speed with a Columbia differential. The wheels are ‘disc type’ and have 32-inch x 4-inch tube tires.

Rodger says he plans to keep his car as original as possible, and he has tried to find out the entire history behind it. He knows that in the 1960’s it was possibly owned at one time by college students in DeKalb, Ill. As far as he knows, it has spent most of its life in Northern Illinois. Rodger enjoys going to as many car shows and cruise nights as he can. It’s something that started as a young boy with his father, and it continues to be a passion.