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HOMETOWN HERO
HOMETOWN HERO
From Utilitarian Workhorse to World Class Stablemate, The Andersons’ 1925 Luxor Lives Up to its Given Name
In The Anderson Carriage House’s world-class core collection, many notable names are displayed in prominence: Winton, Panhard, Packard, Renault, Lincoln, Gardner-Serpollet; the list goes on. However, one inhabitant bears a badge unfamiliar to most, but is equally important.
The Andersons’ 1925 Luxor Taxi derived from humble roots. Produced in Framingham, Massachusetts by R.H. Long Motors Company, the Andersons’ Luxor was never intended for private ownership. Luxors were utilitarian workhorses, intended to be ridden hard and put away wet, serving as New England taxi cabs. The Luxor is a good example of what was referred to in that era as an “assembled car,” as opposed to, say, a Rolls-Royce of the day, which would come as a rolling chassis, and a coachbuilder would construct a unique body, by hand. The Luxor sported a Continental 6-cylinder engine and was a true predecessor to such working cars as the Checker Marathon and Ford Crown Victoria. Just like those vehicles, most Luxors were victims of their trade: abused, broken, fixed, and broken again until they ultimately became obsolete and relegated to junkyard fodder. This was not the case for the Andersons’ Luxor. In fact, their specific example won the proverbial lottery, being the singular Luxor in the company's history to be sold into private hands and the only known example to survive today.
Chauffers, gardeners, groundskeepers and all manner of employees utilized the Goliath to ensure the smooth and efficient running of the estate, ensuring its place in a proud line of working vehicles purchased by Larz and Isabel over the course of their collecting history. These working cars were numerous and are the real unsung heroes of the collection. Unfortunately, they are often overlooked due to their absence. Over the years, all of the Andersons’ working cars (besides the Luxor) made their way off the property and out of the collection, some disappearing without any documented trace. This has only compounded the importance of this Luxor. The Andersons’ Luxor is more than just a shining example of New England’s now-defunct auto industry and the single survivor of the Luxor nameplate. The car is a beautifully preserved and lightly updated homage to all of the vehicles that toiled day in and day out, keeping the Anderson estate running on all cylinders, ultimately preserving it for our enjoyment today. Though Goliath may have started as a pedestrian working car, it has certainly earned its place among the legendary inhabitants of the Carriage House.