Vintage Automobile Cigarette Cards (Collectibles)

I've been collecting and selling early trading cards, cigarette cards and related collectibles for over twenty years. Before you read this guide please subscribe to my card collecting newsletters for updates on rare cards and tips on buying by Clicking Here, thank you.

Cigarette cards provide a beautifully illustrated record of perhaps the most significant period in the history of mankind, 1870s-1930s. The automobile was one of the many revolutionary innovations to emerge during this stretch. Over the last hundred years, the motor car has gone from being owned by the privileged few to becoming a modern day necessity. Many cigarette card sets were issued on automobiles, from the time when they were just a novelty through to the rapid decline of the traditional horse drawn coach. Ironically, the first automobiles were seen as ecologically friendly, since it meant less horse manure in the streets. It would be impractical to list every classic automobile card set issued and so I've made a small selection from the more unusual and rare motor car sets that I've come across in my six years of dealing on eBay. I've provided scans of a sample card from each set and I've tried to list as many card titles as possible.

Vintage Automobile Card Sets

Name Of Set: Motors

Manufacturer: Lambert and Butler

Issue Year: 1908

Card Number: 25

Card Titles: 6 cyl. Napier Car, Electromobile Landaulette, 15 hp Conventry Humber Car, The Famous 200 HP Darracq, 14hp Adams Landaulette, 8 HP Rover Coupe, Minerva Landaulette, 8-12 HP De Dion Bouton Car, 15 HP 4cyl Talbot Car, 48 hp Daimler Limousine, 35-40 hp Fiat Car, 40-50 hp 6cyl Rolls-Royce Car, 40 hp Crossley Car, 15 hp New Arrol-Johnston Car, 30 hp White Steam Car, 40 HP 6 cyl Delaunay Belleville Car, 45 hp Mercedes Car, 18-24 Panhard and Levassor Double Landaulette, 45 hp Siddeley Limousine, 120 hp De Dietrich Car, Renault Motor Cab, 15 hp Mors Landaulette, 32 hp Motor Omnibus, 40 hp Itala Pekin-Paris Car, and 28 hp 6 cylinder lanchester Car.

Name Of Set: Automobiles

Manufacturer: Liebig

Issue Year: 1907

Card Number: 6

Card Titles: ?

Name Of Set: Motor Series

Manufacturer: B Morris and Sons

Issue Year: 1922

Card Number: 25

Card Titles: Poppet Valve Engine, Poppet Valve Engine, Poppet Valve Engine, Poppet Valve Mechanism, Thermo-Syphon Cooling System, Timing Gear, Carburettor, Lubricating System, Spark Plug, Silencer, Magneto, Complete Power Unit, Gear Control, Gear Box, Universal Joint, Clutch, Differential Gear, Internal, Expanding Brake, Front Hub, Wire Wheel Hub, Steering Gear, Epicyclic Gearing, Inclined Steering, Tyre and Rim Section, and Modern Car Control.

Name Of Set: Motor Cars At A Glance

Manufacturer: Godfrey Phillips

Issue Year: 1924

Card Number: 50

Card Titles: Rolls Royce, Napier, Armstrong Siddely, Buick, Renault, Hispano-Suiza, Vulcan, Overland, Maxwell, Angus-Sanderson, Bentley, Leyland, Fiat, Sunbeam, Essex, Daimler, Crossley, Delaunay Belleville, Studebaker, Hotchkiss, Lanchester, De Dion, Vauxhall, Delage, Berliet, 10 HP Alvis, 8 HP Humber, Crouch,4-Cylinder GN, AC, 11 HP Standard, Citroen, Salmson, Rover 8, Albert, ABC, Talbot, New Carden, Austin 7, Jowett, Deemster, BSA, Morris-Oxford, Belsize Bradshaw, Rhode, Wolseley, Calthorpe, Mathis, Bugatti and Calcott.

Name Of Set: Motor Cars, 3rd Series

Manufacturer: Lambert and Butler

Issue Year: 1926

Card Number: 50

Card Titles: AC, Alfa Romeo, Alvis, Armstrong Siddeley, Austin, Austin, Bean,Bentley, Bugatti, Buick, Chrysler, Citroen, Clyno, Crossley, Daimler, Darracq, De Dion, Delage, Essex, Fiat, Ford, Hillman, Hispano-Suiza, Hudson, Humber, Humber, Hupmobile, Jowett, Lagonda, Lancia, Minerva, Morgan, Morris-Cowley, Morris - Oxford, Overland, Packard, Renault, Riley, Rolls Royce, Rover, Salmson, Singer, Standard, Studebaker, Sunbeam, Talbot, Triumph, Trojan, Vauxhall, and Wolseley.

Name Of Set: Motor Car Radiators

Manufacturer: Lambert and Butler

Issue Year: 1928

Card Number: 25

Card Titles: A.C. Acedes, Alvis, Armstrong Siddeley, Austin Seven, Bentley, Buick,Chrysler 80, Citroen, Daimler, Ford, Lanchester, Lancia, Lea-Francis, Minerva, Morris-Cowley, Renault, Riley, Rolls-Royce, Rover, Singer, Standard, Sunbeam, Talbot, Vauxhall, and Wolseley.

Name Of Set: Bateman Series (Comic)

Manufacturer: Shell Motor Oils

Issue Year: 1930

Card Number: 14

Card Titles: -

Name Of Set: Motor Cars

Manufacturer: Gallaher

Issue Year: 1934

Card Number: 24

Card Titles: Alvis Speed Twenty Saloon, Riley Nine Stream-Lined Kestrel Saloon, Austin Seven Saloon De Luxe, Hillman Minx Saloon De Luxe, Singer Fourteen Continental Saloon, Crossley Ten Torquay Saloon, Wolseley EW Daytona Special, Lanchester 18 Sports Saloon, Standard Twelve Saloon, SSI Coupe, Talbot 105 Sports Saloon, The Bentley 3.5 Litre, 12.8 HP Sunbeam Dawn, Vauxhall Light 6 Standard Saloon, Armstrong-Siddeley 15 Saloon, Daimler 15 Sports Coupe, Rolls Royce 40/50 Limousine, Humber 12 Vogue Saloon, Lagonda Three-Litre Special Speed Tourer, Ford V-8 Saloon, MG Magnette N Type 4 Seater, AC Ace March-Special Sports Tourer, Morris Ten Four Saloon, and Invicta Saloon De Luxe.

Name Of Set: How It Is Made ( Motor Cars )

Manufacturer: The Express Tobacco Co. Ltd.

Issue Year: 1939

Card Number: 50

Card Titles: Pigging Iron - Ford Works, Foundry Work - Filling Moulds - Ford Foundry, Drop Forging - Drop Forging Machine - Ford Works, Electric Welding, Chassis Frame Assembly, Frame Assembly 2, Milling Machine, Milling Machines 2, Manufacturing Engine Cylinder Blocks, Manufacturing Engine Cylinder Blocks 2, Boring Engine Blocks, Engine Manufacturing - Finishing Cylinder Bores, Metal Press, Pressing Steel Parts - Stamping Hub Caps, Press Tools, Metal Press Tool, The Machine Shops - Machining Driving Shafts - Ford Works, Making Radiators, Engine Testing - Engine Test Beds - Ford Works, The Laboratory, The Standard Room - The Standards Room - Ford Works, The Standard Room - The Optimeter in Use, The Grading Rooms, Grading Pistons, Gearbox Assembly - Testing Gear Synchronising Sleeve, Precision - Gear Testing Instruments, Gear Testing Machine, Precision - Gear Testing Instrument, Precision - Gear Testing Instrument 2, Precision - Gear Testing Instruments 3, Camshaft Testing - Toolmaker's Microscopes, Engine Production - Assembling Valve Units, Engine Assembly - V-8 Engine Assembly - Ford Works, Engine Assembly - Fitting Pistons - Ford Works, Rear Axle Assembly, Final Assembly - Final Assembly Line - Ford Works, Fitting Tyres,Boys' Trade School, Milling Machine - Ford Trade School, Shaping Machine, Heat Treatment, and The Welding School.