What make is the Gliddens’ car?

1904 it must be since ‘De Prins ...’ was issued from 1901 and the Glidden photo appears in the July volume 4 copy. (The folder with ‘1903’ on it contains both volume 3 & 4 copies which I overlooked, sorry)

Thanks, but this can't be correct, as the A-3622 registration number was issued some time after January 1904. So the photo at the Hotel du Vieux Doelen must have been made in 1904. This makes sense, as before Glidden started his world tour he visited the Gordon Bennett races in Homburg, Germany in June 1904. His intention was to embark for the US afterwards. So probably on the way back to Rotterdam he visited The Hague, where the photo was made. Which must have been in June or July 1904, not 1903. By the way, my earlier remark about the number of cars and vans was incorrect, the number just went from 1 to 9999.

As for Ariejan's question, the photo is published in the july 1903 issue of this magazine

Charles Thomas a local (to me) Rottingdean man drove The Napier for its owner around the world...its a fabulous story recounted in this book.

The Gliddens were in Holland several times. Returning from the Arctic in 1903, they passed though in a 16hp Napier, calling at Amsterdam and Rotterdam, covering 240 miles on roads he recorded as good, adding “in Holland the horses seem well accustomed to them [automobiles], and are admirably handled by those in charge". He also said with respect to importing the car to different countries: “In Holland quaintly enough, they demanded no cash, but I was requested by the Customs officials to give solemn word of honour that I would not do a trade with the car”

He was there again in 1904 according to UK papers of June 9th: “The Glidden world touring automobile party using a 24 H.P. Napier Motor Car completed their tour of the British Isles at Harwich on Tuesday, and are now driving in Holland... After a drive in Holland and Germany, the party leave for Boston, starting from that city on July 25th, across the American continent, continuing around the world westward to Honolulu, New Zealand, Australia, and other countries on route, returning to England from the East in 1906.”

His engineer on the tours was Charles Thomas of London – is that him standing?

Glidden used a standard 16hp Napier during 1902’s 5125-mile Germany-France tour; a new 16hp, equipped to reach the Arctic Circle in 1903 (“specially roomy type to accommodate his stores, and with larger wheels than usual”) and a 1904, 24hp. This would seem to be the latter.

PreWar Car published a long article on 16th October 2016 about this same 24 hp 4 cylinder 1904 Napier (https://www.prewarcar.com/napier-rail-car) . There is an accompanying photo of the car with Charles Glidden and the same registration number A 3266, but with the car fitted out in Canada with flanged wheels mounted on rail tracks.

It is curious, that The Netherlands are lacking in the list of 35 countries Glidden claims to have visited during his world tour. As this picture was unknown to me, I'm interested in the publishing date of the photo to see how it fits in in his travel scheme.

The Dutch registration system after January 1st, 1906 was in fact identical to the British system, i.e. a letter (for the specific province) followed by a number. A difference was that the British A (the first London registration, starting on January 1904) only lasted until May 1905, when all 4000 numbers reserved for cars and vans were issued. For the A of the province of Groningen in The Netherlands it lasted 18 years before they reached the same number. Indicating the difference in motorization between these two areas!

I believe the car is a 1902 Napier.

The car is a Napier.

1904 24hp Napier with an British registration