The Scarlet Car

In Short

First published in 1907, The Scarlet Car is an energetic light comedy celebrating the dawn of the automotive era and the unpredictable paths of young love. The narrative centers on Billy Winthrop, a wealthy young man whose red touring car becomes the main vehicle for his persistence in wooing Beatrice Forbes—a woman inconveniently engaged to the serious-minded reform candidate Ernest Peabody. Through mechanical breakdowns, speed traps, small-town jail sentences, and political cover-ups, Winthrop relies on his automobile to prove his devotion. The book endures as a charming period snapshot of early motoring culture, romantic persistence, and upper-class American misadventures.

The Story

The story begins on a crisp November morning in New York City. Billy Winthrop arrives at the home of Beatrice Forbes in his red touring car, designated to drive a party to the annual Harvard-Yale football game in New Haven. Among the passengers are Beatrice's brother Sam, who acts as chaperone, and her fiancé, Ernest Peabody, an ambitious Independent Reform candidate running for Lieutenant-Governor. Despite Beatrice’s engagement, Winthrop remains openly in love with her and vows never to relinquish his suit until she actually walks back down the aisle married to another.

The journey north on the Boston Post Road immediately dissolves into mechanical chaos. Winthrop's car suffers recurring engine troubles, forcing him and his chauffeur, Fred, to spend hours beneath the chassis while other cars pass them by. Frustrated by the delays, Peabody eventually abandons the party to take a train, leaving Winthrop, Beatrice, and Sam to navigate the roads alone. As night falls, the car's speed draws the ire of local authorities in the village of Fairport. Winthrop is arrested by an eager selectman and chief of police for exceeding the speed limit.

Brought before the stern Judge Allen, Winthrop refuses to pay an exorbitant bail, prompting the judge to lock him and Fred in the basement cells of the firehouse while granting Beatrice the use of the upper clubroom. To orchestrate a rescue, Sam sets off the town's fire alarm—a heavy steel rail struck with a sledgehammer. The local volunteer firemen abandon the building to chase the phantom blaze, allowing Winthrop to break out of his cell, reunite with Beatrice, and flee in the car.

Continuing their night journey to source water for the overheating radiator, Winthrop and Beatrice trespass onto the estate of a reclusive landowner named Carey. They are mistaken for prowlers by a watchman and subsequently stumble into an ongoing burglary. Winthrop uses his collegiate football skills to overpower the two armed intruders just as the home's occupants arrive. After securing water and clearing their names, they drive on to Boston.

Later, during the final weeks of the political campaign, Winthrop offers his car and services as chauffeur to Peabody's team. Following a campaign rally in Harlem, the car accidentally strikes an elderly local resident named Jerry Gaylor. Fearing political scandal on the eve of the election, Peabody flees the scene, leaving Winthrop to care for the injured man and protect Beatrice from the press. Winthrop intercepts an aggressive Harlem reporter, "Izzy" Schwab, who intends to expose Peabody. Instead of offering a bribe, Winthrop effectively kidnaps Schwab, taking him on a high-speed joyride up the Hudson to a country estate, fascinating the reporter with high society until the news window passes.

Having witnessed Peabody's cowardice and self-absorption during the accident, Beatrice realizes her fiancé is unworthy of her affection. Recognizing that her true happiness lies with the devoted and lighthearted Winthrop, she joins him for a late-night drive in the scarlet car and invites him to drive away with her permanently.

How It Unfolds

The journey to New Haven On a bright autumn morning, Billy Winthrop arrives in his brass-and-scarlet touring car to transport Beatrice Forbes, her brother Sam, and her fiancé, Ernest Peabody, to the college football game. Mechanical troubles quickly hobble the vehicle outside Stamford and Bridgeport, leaving Winthrop beneath the engine while the rest of the party reacts with varying degrees of patience and annoyance.

Arrest in Fairport While driving along the Post Road at night, the car is blocked by two barrels and a plank set up by Fairport officials. The local selectman and chief of police place Winthrop under arrest for speeding, taking the group before Judge Allen, who remands the men to basement cells and holds Beatrice upstairs.

The firehouse rescue Sam Forbes devises a scheme to free his sister and friends by striking the village's steel fire-alarm hoop with a sledgehammer. The sound sends the local volunteer firemen rushing out after an imaginary blaze, allowing Winthrop to kick open his cell door and escape with Beatrice in the waiting cars.

Midnight on the Carey estate In search of water for the car's radiator, Winthrop and Beatrice creep through the dark, overgrown grounds of the Carey property. A watchman holds them at gunpoint, but their confrontation is interrupted when they come upon two armed burglars inside the mansion, whom Winthrop tackles and subdues.

The campaign accident During the final stretch of an election campaign, Winthrop drives Peabody and Beatrice to political rallies across New York City. Outside a Harlem hall, the car strikes an elderly man; while Winthrop steps forward to render aid, Peabody retreats to protect his political reputation.

Kidnapping the press To protect Beatrice from public scandal, Winthrop intercepts "Izzy" Schwab, a tipster aiming to sell the story to the newspapers. Winthrop takes Schwab on a high-speed drive out of the city, entertaining him at a Hudson River estate until the story can no longer harm her.

The final ride Realizing the depth of her feelings for Winthrop after seeing Peabody's true nature, Beatrice meets him at his car following a dinner party. Instead of letting him leave alone for a distant trip, she wraps herself in a coat and asks him to drive her away with him.

The People

Billy Winthrop A wealthy, enthusiastic young man who serves as the central driver of both the car and the romance. Unfazed by mechanical failures, legal troubles, or social conventions, he pursues Beatrice Forbes with lighthearted persistence, using his automobile and athletic strength to protect her through every ordeal.

Beatrice Forbes A spirited and observant young woman caught between a dutiful engagement to a rising politician and her growing affection for Winthrop. Though she initially attempts to maintain propriety, her experiences on the road reveal the superficiality of her fiancé and the genuine devotion of her driver.

Ernest Peabody A self-centered Reform candidate for Lieutenant-Governor who views every event through the lens of his political career. His pomposity, lack of humor, and willingness to abandon others to avoid scandal ultimately alienate Beatrice.

Sam Forbes Beatrice’s brother and Winthrop’s long-time friend, who serves as an reluctant, cynical chaperone. He provides pragmatic commentary throughout their travel mishaps and takes charge during the firehouse rescue.

Fred Winthrop’s loyal chauffeur, who assists with the car's frequent mechanical repairs and quietly aids in their various escapes from small-town authorities.

"Izzy" Schwab An opportunistic Harlem police-court reporter and Tammany associate who attempts to exploit the automobile accident for political leverage, only to be charmed and sidelined by Winthrop's impromptu road trip.

In Its Own Voice

"'Shall be together, breathe and ride, so, one day more am I deified; who knows but the world may end to-night?'"

Winthrop quotes Browning to Beatrice as he waits outside her door in his brass and scarlet car on a crisp November morning.

"If you don't stop this car quick, the world WILL end for all of us."

Beatrice interrupts Winthrop's romantic recitation as their car barrels down a dark road directly toward an obstacle blocking the highway.

"Damn the Ticket! The man's dead!"

Winthrop reacts with disgust when Peabody worries about losing votes rather than helping the man struck in the street.

What It's Really About

At its core, The Scarlet Car explores the tension between artificial social ambitions and genuine emotional character. Through the contrast between the rigid, self-important politician Ernest Peabody and the easygoing, resourceful Billy Winthrop, the book examines what constitutes true reliability.

The story uses the novelty and unpredictability of the early automobile as a metaphor for freedom and courtship. Road breakdowns, speed traps, and unexpected detours serve as tests of temper and loyalty. In this environment, social stature and political speeches count for little, while humor, courage, and composure under pressure reveal a person's true nature.

Why Read It Today

The Scarlet Car offers modern readers an entertaining glance into the dawn of motoring culture, written when driving was an adventurous, unpredictable hobby reserved for the daring. Richard Harding Davis captures the sensory details of early touring—the smell of damp autumn leaves, the rattle of planks over bridges, the glare of early headlights, and the constant threat of mechanical breakdown—with crisp, buoyant prose.

The narrative moves at a brisk pace, relying on clean dialogue, comic escalation, and classic romantic tropes. While readers should expect the light, theatrical sensibilities and class privileges of early twentieth-century popular fiction, the book avoids tedious sentimentality by keeping its focus on action and quick-witted banter.

It is ideal for readers who enjoy period comedies, early automotive history, or straightforward romance where resourcefulness and good humor win the day.

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