They're keeping the leather seats nice for the next owner.
Now thats interesting . . . I've seen a lot of period pictures of cars with speedo cables hanging like that! Considering the roads of the day with, maybe, . . a tree stump?
The car looks like a '13, but the headlights appear to be all brass.
Almost 30 years ago, I bought a '64 Impala from a friends grandfather. He had purchased the car new and had the dealer install clear vinyl seat covers. I was really thankful that he saved that nice upholstery for me.
Those headlights look like they are all brass. Is that possible (or a trick of the light)? Could they have been using all-brass that late? I guess it is possible they could have been replaced after it left the factory.
The lights on my early '13 are all brass but the bodies were painted black. I always assumed they used the lamps left over from '12 and just painted the bodies so they looked like next years lamps. It is possible that someone did that later to make '12 lamps look like '13 but I certainly would not do that and assume others would not either.
A side note about antique cars and seat covers. My 1927 Paige sedan (been in my family now for 47 years) has seat covers on both front and back bottom cushions. Years ago, I found an original 1928 issue dealer's parts book showing all the parts for my model Paige. The seat covers are listed in there as a factory option.
Sadly, the original interior is in very poor condition, and must be replaced. But I always thought it was odd. Paige advertised as "The Most Beautiful Car in America", and did strive to live up to that slogan. The interior was originally beautiful, plush, mohair. The seat covers were ugly blue striped white heavy cloth like pillows and mattresses used to be covered in. It was kind of sad that those beautiful seats were covered up, from day one, and never enjoyed.
I have begun working on the car a bit, and hope to get going on replacing the interior. I have toyed with the idea of replacing the seat covers even, if I get that far. But I probably won't. However, as long as I am around and have the car, the remains of the original covers will be kept to show what was there originally.
I also wonder. Did many other (that early, much later was common) manufacturers sell cars new with seat covers?
Thank you Jay! That is a wonderful Photo.
Drive carefully, and enjoy, W2
I guess if a particular factory still had a bunch of lamps left over from the previous year, they'd use them rather then let them to to waste. The car has a forward-folding windshield and square-cut doors that go all the way down to the splash-sheild, so I agree, chances are it's a '13.