When the Titanic sank on April 15,
1912, she took more than $400,000 worth of cargo with her to the bottom of the North Atlantic.
Adjusted for inflation, this would be valued at more than 10 million dollars today.
Among the items in her cargo hold was a brand new Renault (ruh-NOH) town car—purchased
by 36-year-old first-class passenger William Carter.
Historically, town cars are characterized by having four doors, an open
front seat for the chauffer, and an enclosed back seat for passengers.
This particular Renault was perhaps most notably referenced in James Cameron’s film Titanic,
in which the characters Jack and Rose finally consummate their love affair.
In real life, however, the Renault was listed on the cargo manifest
as “1 case auto,” meaning the car was shipped in a crate, perhaps not even fully assembled. Had
Jack and Rose actually had their steamy encounter in a true-to-life scenario,
it would have been much darker—and, I imagine, far less romantic.
William Carter—who had been touring Europe with his wife Lucille and their two children—was
the wealthy heir to his father’s coal and iron business in Pennsylvania.
The Carters had come to England in 1911 aboard the Lusitania to attend the coronation of King
George V and Queen Mary at Westminster Abbey. Their Grand Tour of Europe continued for
several months, and it was during this time, that the French car caught Mr. Carter’s eye.
European automobiles, after all, were considered a higher status symbol than American cars like Ford.
In 1912, Ford’s Model T was becoming an affordable option for the masses thanks to improvements
in the production process. Around this time, a Model T would have cost between $600 and $900.
By 1916—with Ford’s assembly line producing thousands of cars—a
base Model T was selling for just around $350.
Because of this democritization in the American auto industry—wealthy
men like William Carter wanted something a little more exclusive.
And so Mr. Carter purchased his shiny French towncar,
hoping to bring it back home to Gwenda, their family estate in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.
The luxury car featured a 25 horsepower engine
and could reach cruising speeds up to 35 miles per hour.
When the family decided to return to America, Carter initially booked passage for an April
3rd departure on Titanic’s sister ship, the Olympic. He changed the family’s plans however
to sail on Titanic, boarding the ill-fated liner in Southampton, England on April 10.
The car was loaded into the cargo hold on the port side orlop deck.
This part of the ship quickly flooded after the ship’s collision with the iceberg,
as the orlop deck was below the water line.
After the collision, Mr. Carter went to his family’s cabins on
B-deck to tell them to get dressed and go on deck.
Lucile Carter, her maid, and the children escaped the sinking ship in lifeboat 4.
Mr. Carter also survived the sinking by climbing into Collapsible C,
the same boat as White Star chairman J. Bruce Ismay.
While both men later claimed to have not seen anymore women and children nearby to be rescued,
both were heavily scrutinized and labeled as cowards for leaving the ship.
Mr. Carter’s manservant and the two family dogs did not survive the sinking.
After returning to land, Mr. Carter filed a $5,000 insurance claim for his lost car,
which, adjusted for inflation, is more than $140,000 today.
Much like the car, his marriage to Lucille was also lost after the sinking,
with Lucille claiming William had abandoned them on the Titanic.
“I never saw him again until I was put aboard Carpathia.” she said.
“He was leaning over the rail as we climbed up from the boats to the deck, and all he
had to say to me was, ‘I have had a jolly good breakfast, but I never thought I would make it.’”
In 1914, Lucile filed for divorce and sued him,
claiming William had become even more unstable and abusive after the sinking.
As for the car, it’s never been discovered among Titanic’s wreckage—or, at least its discovery
cannot be substantiated. There is an unconfirmed photo from an expedition more than 20 years ago
claiming to show a wheel and fender, but what do you think?
After more than a century underwater, what little remains of Mr. Carter’s luxury town car
will eventually disappear along with the rest of the great ship.
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