I guess the present model was assembled/manufactured when cars changed their bonnet shape to a more function oriented box section with an enclosed drivers cab. But it attempts to marry this new front half bonnet shape with the old coach built passenger section using the simple addition of a separate new front end piece on the old chassis, rather than pressing the whole top body shell out of one new piece. Which would be more expensive. However - as it became clear that the new style was here to stay - new mouldings/pressings would be necessary to press whole body shells. In this light, the present toy might have been a transition prototype. Contrarily; and somewhat paradoxically, the rear section appears to be actually older than the c1913 example in the Lacy catalog, as the roof does not cover the driver completely. It maybe that the body was an old piece, lying around, which was useful to test the marriage of the newer box front end. But unsuccessful, as manifest by the messy connection between the front and back sections, with exposed sharp edges at the location of the drivers doors........ and so not going into wider production.
Nice bright coloured, working condition, after 100 years. Earlier than Wells or Brimtoy. About 14.5cms long.. 971 on the number plate and CR on the sides. Nice examples of the usual version, highly prized in France - as the crude tabs and construction, usually lead to parts being missing, irrespective of any rust/paint loss that might have occurred over 100 years.
Note in this respect, the early attempt at assembly using tabs - which are large and exposed; later, with the associated incongruities in the paint, these would be regarded as too shoddy... but on this example - they still hold in place well after 100 years.
The crudeness of the way in whichthe box like front end is simply added on might suggest the present car is a prototype. Possibly, the visible incongruity/disjoint between front and rear sections, the reason that not many, if any more, of this particular version with the box section bonnet, were produced. The two vacant slots on the top of the front mudguards are used to attach the radiator grill on the more common version of the car as shown; But the simpler radiator grill on the present car, and its attachment point - in the very front of the the chassis on the present model - makes these vacant holes on the mudguards redundant - whilst at the same time the front mudgards simply have no attachment points to the body shell at the front. So on the present model, the mudgards are just left dangling at the front, whereas they are attached to the body shell by means of the vacant slots to the radiator on the more common variant (as per the original design).
Also of interest, the fact of it having no windscreen for the driver, echoes horse drawn carriages .....which were running about on the same roads.
In summary; I havent seen and cant find another example of this version of the car.