Family Photographs - Post 53: Was Della driving?

I'm posting old family photographs from my collection on Wednesdays, but they won't be wordless Wednesday posts like others do - I simply am incapable of having a wordless post.

This photograph is from my grandfather's photo album that I scanned during Scanfest in January:


This is a picture of Della (Smith) Carringer taken in about 1916, probably by her husband, Austin Carringer or a friend. The front of the photo says "at Alpine." Alpine was a small rural community about 30 miles east of downtown San Diego (it is now a bedroom community with ranch style homes along Interstate 8). My grandfather, Lyle Carringer, is at the wheel (partially obscured by Della). There is a female passenger in the back seat (partially obscured by the car side and top) - it may be Abigail (Vaux) Smith, Della's mother.

I don't know if this car was owned by the Carringers, but I'm guessing that it was since they seemed to go places around Southern California quite often. I wonder if Della drove the car, or if she was just a passenger? I think she probably did because she was a very independent woman throughout her adult life. But I don't know that for sure.

I wonder what kind of automobile this is? Are there any experts on this subject reading Genea-Musings?

Updated after Rudolph's comment: I had not noticed the driver or back seat person today when I posted this. Thanks, Chris!