History We ALL Love a DARE! PIX of TRULY Extinct Makes?

So today I am at a swap meet, in East Shelby, NY.
I had just purchased some vintage truck books from a vendor I know a bit.
A friend of his comes up to him to show him this picture he ran across.
It is a very clear 5 x 7 photo of the Thomas Automobile built in Batavia, NY. in 1939. I rtecognized it, so did the vendor. The owner of the picture was suprised to find 2 peopl who knew what the picture was of.
He would not sell me the photo, but he said he will try and get it scanned and sent to me.

I have been looking for a picture of this car for quite some time.
So far, no luck.

 

It's 1912. As I said that page is just a teaser for what's to come. I thought better than a list of all manufacturers would be a picture gallery of cars from that sort of era. Each manufacturer's models is represented pictorially. There are about 10 such pages, from A-Z. Well, W. Getting rid of the scanner's moire patterns is proving tough though.

 

Yeah, I know what you mean. The copy-dot method in the early years seems just barely better than copper-etching or even wood-cut, eh? LOL!

 

Significant is the small number of internal-combustion engines. White had by then gone to IC, and Velie always had; so presumably had Firestone-Columbus. The rest are electrics.

It cannot be overstated that this was an uniquely American pattern. But for a few very early steamers the (slightly older) European industry was IC-based virtually from the start. Any construction of an evolutionary development from steam to electric to IC is therefore false. Consequently so too is any attempt to impute sinister motives to an early "abandonment" of electric power.

Analyses of this brief phenomenon exist (Georgano's, for instance) but they are not quite sufficient in their thoroughness. Suffice it to say that the early American electric happened due to an unique interaction of social usage, technological presence, and urban form, which did not exist elsewhere in the world at the time, and has not existed anywhere in the world since. It certainly does not exist today, and it could be that its other implications would not render it desirable today, regardless of the hopes of EV advocates.

 

It is the last page of 10 it just so happened that that page was the cleanest scanned one), which was the end of the list of ICE cars and listed the electrics afterwards. I'd guess that ratio of ICE to EV even in those days was around 12:1.

 

Dawie, analytical insight is your forte, man. Do you have, tucked away somewhere, a more in-depth composition on this topic -- I mean your own thoughts.

Just coming into the exchange cold, my over-arching feeling is that, for one thing, Americans around the turn of the century were FASCINATED by electricity, steam, ALL things mechanical and scientific. I don't think connivance was as big a factor as the conspiracy-minded always wish to believe. (LOL)

I honestly think that electrics and steamers got a fair shot in the market to compete with internal-combustion autos. Not overnight but over the course of a good many years, consumers got to make up their own minds about what were the relative pros and cons of all three systems. And despite their own finicky ways, the ICE engines came to the top as being the least troublesome and most versatile. (And the electric starter probably helped cement the outcome.) Simplified version, IMO.

Also, my own view is that the phase-out of steam represented the biggest loss for society, not the EVs -- which still seem to have technical and cost issues today.

Just my two cents' worth! I always enjoy your input!

 

1917 Silver Knight Roadster




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Good eye SUNROOFCORD.

Kit Fosters website posted a photo of a similar Silver Kinight at Hershey (2009?).

Quite an interesting automobile and one survivor.

http://www.kitfoster.com/images/2009-10-14_WillysSilverKnightFWeb-Large.jpg


Vintageride

 

Thanks Pete and Jimmy. This thread is doing what it was intended to do: Search for evidence that a make/model ACTUALLY existed, then -- and more imprtantly -- try and find a SURVIVOR. Thanks, gentelmen.

 

1917 Silver Knight Touring Factory Photo

 

^^^^^ Someone saw the Crame-Simplex Jay Leno owns now and came up with that VERY poor clone.

 

O.k. Guys, Hamber Twin Six posted this picture on the "Vintage Shots from Days Gone By" Thread with the following quote;

"That's the fanciest California top I've seen in a while. In an odd way, made me think of some of the models I built that were based on wild hot rods of the 60's!"

Someone asked him if he knew what kind of car it was. He Didn't. My guess was Roamer but looking at this image of a Roamer with a similar California top from Old Motor, the grilles don't match. So, similar to a Roamer but NOT!

http://theoldmotor.com/?attachment_id=26257

 

Could it be an earlier version of a Hudson????

 

Here's a picture of a 1917 Hudson which looks similar but the doorhandles are different, so that may rule Hudson out, The Mystery continues.....

 

So for the past week I have been addicted to this thread and forum. Just wanted to say thank you for making my week, as a motor head this is Heaven. Makes the downtime at the firehouse entertaining. Godspeed, Firedog
Tell it to the cows.
BTW only to page 68!

 

Re; Posts 5628 thru 5630. Looks like I was correct when I said Hudson. With the help of the AACA forum, the car in question has been identified as a Hudson Super Six Speedster;

http://www.dupontregistry.com/autos/search/DRauSearchAdditionalPhotos.aspx?itemid=1083741

 

The Maibohm Automobile & The Maibohm Motors Co

Maibohm

The Maibohm Motors Co.
Racine, WI
1916-1919

The Maibohm Motors Co.
Sandusky, Ohio
1919-1922

This American Automobile company was formed by Harry C. Maibohm who owned and operated The Maibohm Wagon Co. in Racine, WI prior to 1916. The Maibohm Wagon Co. was reorganized into The Maibohm Motors Co. in 1916 and began producing The Maibohm automobile in 1917.

From 1917 to 1919 The Maibohm Motors Co. produced about 6,000 American Automobiles that sold for $300.00 to $500.00. The first Maibohm automobiles were a model A two passenger speedster and two passenger coupe followed by a Model B five passenger touring car and five passenger enclosed car. All four automobiles used a four cylinder engine up to 1918. After that date a larger and more powerful Falls Six cylinder engine was used. This line of Maibohm Automobiles continued to be produced in Racine, WI up to 1919 when a fire completely destroyed the Maibohm Motors Co. factory. The fire occurred on January 1, 1919.

After the fire, The Maibohm Motors Co. moved it's operations to Sandusky, Ohio. and sales increased 247% over 1918. In their new factory The Maibohm Motors Co. planned to produce 7,500 cars in 1920. Their assets totaled over 1,000,000.00 and had successful distributors all over the United States as well as all over the world.

Typical specification of the Maibohm five passenger Phaeton for 1922 included colors of green and burgundy, 116 inch wheelbase, 32 X 4 inch wheels and tires, Six cylinder valve in head engine with 23.5 horsepower and a 3 speed transmission.

Due to the economic down turn in the 1920s The Maibohm Motors Co. was sold to the Arrow Motors Co. in 1922. Shortly there after the Maibohm factory was used to produce the Courier by The Courier Motor Co. of Sandusky, Ohio.

Sincere Thanks to "American Automobiles" for the above information and images on the Maibohm.

In the March-April 1989 issue of Antique Automobile Magazine, a Gerald Cooper of Mountain Home, Arkansas was advertising a 1920 Maibohm that needed complete restoration for $750.00. He was selling due to age and claimed in his ad that only 2 Maibohm's were known to exist at that time.

 

One of the lesser-known motor-cars of the vintage era;

1923 Albert 12hp automobile.

http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/albert-car.htm

 

Looks like a Cunningham to me, an early one without the distinctive fender lights. I worked on a 1919 years ago, the front doors were hinged in the back on the drivers side, front on the passenger. There was a fold out type bar that allowed the doors to stay open 3-4 inches for cross air flow, a neat feature I thought. Bob

 

Bob;

Looking at that picture again, I see the unique door handle arrangement which would question the Hudson identification. The only pictures I can find of a Cunningham Touring car are 1924 and 1925 that don't show the door handles and have step plates. It could very well be a Cunningham.

Jim

 

Here's a 1919 Cunningham Touring Car from The National Auto Museum. Still can't see the doorhandles.

 

Well, I went back to the AACA forum to see what others might of said since I was last there;

http://forums.aaca.org/f170/what-make-car-323305.html

This photo is a factory photo of a 1917 Hudson Super Six Speedster and has the unique door handle arrangement, so guess were back to Hudson with this exception from the AACA forum;

Looks to be a 17? Definitely a custom built body. Its only Hudson from the cowl forward. Even the steering wheel and column is not Hudson. I stared at this photo for a while and couldn't get over the fact that the gentlemen behind the wheel is a HUGE MAN, and was throwing me off for the proportions of the car. Im 6'4" and I look normal sitting in my 17, This guy is a monster!

Paul

 

Have I got a rare and extinict one for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Friend Automobile, manufactured in Gasport NY

The following came from Scott Winner and was recently posted on the town of Royalton Website.

"John (L) and Arthur (R) Hull are seated in their automobile. The latter is my great grandfather and father of Julia Hull Winner, my grandmother and mother of my father, Roger Hubert Winner.

The brothers were bicycle builders (before they got into the fruit sprayer business), a fact reflected in their choice of tires for this car. The photo was taken in the gardens of their side yard, on Maplewood Drive in Gasport, approximately where the Belfield home stands now. You can see the old Catholic Church in the background. The photo is undated but believed to be prior to 1910."

Friend manufacturing is reported to have built 3 automobiles.
Their primary business was fruit sprayers and tractors. It is beleived they made the few vehicles around 1901.

We are fairly certain that none still exist.....................

In fact, many historians have said in the past that there was no evidence that any vehicles were built.
and this is very likely the only picture in existance.

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ That has to be REALLY RARE, no mention what so ever of it in the Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805 - 1942. Bob

 

Evidently, there was a later automobile also named Friend;

The Friend Automobile & The Friend Motors Corporation

Pontiac, Michigan

1920-1921

Otis C. Friend was a former high official with General Motors. Early in 1920, amid charges of mismanagement, Olympian Motors Company was sold to Otis C. Friend and he formed Friend Motors Corporation. He produced an American Automobile named after himself. The Friend was equipped with a four cylinder that was designed for the 1917-1920 Olympian automobile.

For 1920 the new company planned a conservative production of 3,500 cars. It was capitalized at $2,000,000, all in 8 per cent preferred stock. It was understood that Otis Friend intended to introduce a new car, embodying his personal ideals in its construction. However, the Friend organization continued the production of the Olympian model for most of 1920. The Friend was made in limited numbers in 1921 and was priced at $1.285. On September 1, 1921 the Friend Motors Corp. was placed in receivership and all assets sold.

We are looking for The Friend Motors Corporation photographs or vintage Friend automobile advertising for this web page.

http://www.american-automobiles.com/Friend.html

Sincere Thanks to american-automobiles for the above information.

 

This is one of two Railton Fairmont F29s that were built. I can not find any information other than that caption with the photo. It is obviously a late model car but at one of two built, it is rare if not extinct.

 

haven't seen one of these lately!

 

Sorry to be late to the party but just came across the posts about Henderson automobiles. As sunroofcord suspected, the three Hendersons listed in the post below were indeed just one, owned by Parker Wickham in Mattituck, NY. The Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum purchased Mr. Wickham's roadster, so the total count of known Hendersons would not be 9, but 6. Mr. Wickham passed away last year. Several of his cars listed below are in our museum (including his Moline-Knight--also a duplicate listing below).

Nancy DeWitt

 

Thanks Nancy for updating us on the Parker Wickham Collection and letting us know that some of his cars are now in your museum. Could you tell us which ones you have????