SOLD - This lamp now resides in a private collection. Commissions are welcome for bespoke lamps and other handcrafted one-of-a-kind vintage lighting pieces. Click 'Discuss a Commission' for enquires.
Built around a brass Stromberg OE-1 carburettor associated with early Studebaker-era motoring, this custom lamp turns fuel delivery history into a warm, sculptural statement piece.
Some lamps rely on ornament. This one never needed the help.
This 1923 Studebaker Model Stromberg OE-1 Carburettor Lamp is exactly the kind of piece that makes automotive lighting, garage décor, and industrial statement interiors so addictive. Built from a genuine early brass carburettor, it carries the kind of mechanical elegance and rare vintage automotive charm that instantly elevates a shelf, desk, office, workshop, or collector's display. For anyone who appreciates Garagenalia, early engine history, and one-of-a-kind handmade lamps, this is the sort of piece that gets noticed immediately and remembered long after.
What makes this lamp so compelling is the hero piece itself. The Stromberg OE-1 was never just scrap brass — it was beautifully engineered from the start, with strong curves, crisp edges, and a form that already looked sculptural before the transformation even began. When I found it, though, that beauty was buried under years of grease, soot, grime, and carbon build-up. It looked forgotten. But underneath all that neglect was a standout piece of early motoring history waiting to come back to life.
The restoration was intentionally focused on revealing the brass rather than over-designing the lamp. After soaking and cleaning the carburettor, the real character began to emerge, so I kept the final build clean and disciplined. The internal float was removed to make room for the globe holder, while the original float cover was repurposed into a branded lampshade, turning a key component of the carburettor into one of the lamp's strongest visual features. A polished brass tube, threaded rod, and dome nut completed the upper structure with a finish that feels refined, confident, and mechanically honest.
Mounted on recycled Merbau decking and paired with a T100 LED globe, the final result is warm, bold, and highly displayable. It is a collector's lamp, a conversation piece, and a rare blend of automotive history, industrial décor, and functional art — the kind of handcrafted statement lighting that belongs front and centre, not hidden away on a shelf.
"Early fuel metering, recast as warm light — a brass relic given one more life above the workbench."