Are there any cars that have gone extinct?

Now that you guys mention it the truck I'm thinking about was made by The Powel Motor Scooter Co. It was a boxey little truck about the size of the small Toyota trucks. It had four wheels and sliding windows.

 

Everyone know there is a shitload of car makes that doesnt exist anymore.

But Im sure there area lot of models, variations etc. of cars produced by wellknown /existing brands that are extinct today. I dont think they have to be that old either. Think cars that didnt really turn into classics; like early japanese cars etc.
Also; think coachbuilt cars which were basically one-offs over a standard chassis. All Rolls Royces before the Silver Cloud (?) were coachbuilt; some in series by Mulliner or Park Ward, but lots of exentric private wishes went into those cars as well, so I would think everyone of them lost is a car extinct. The same might apply for older hearses, busses (at least here in Norway) and so forth.
This leads us into kustoms. Some of the radder kustoms were so far from their origin (Im not talking about wellknown lost kustoms like the Moonglow or the Grapevine here) that they were highly original one-offs that could not be duplicated by a chop and lowering. A good example is Cushenberrys Exodus. This one is gone forever.

 

I am almost positive that the record for highest priced Tucker is $500,000

I saw one sell at barrett-jackson for $315,000

Here is a site that shows info about each car
http://www.tuckerclub.org/html/see_a_tucker.php

check out cars 1018, 1023, 1027, and 1042

 

One of my first rides was in a '23 Star, a 4 door Tub, The Franklin was built in Rochester NY in the '20s some of the old timers rememeber Franklin steering boxes were used on early rodsThis Tucker I've seen in the Run to the Sun in Lake Havasu AZ, it has a Ford motor in it and not sure but an Olds dash. it can be seen on previous Tucker site from Az

 

My '36 REO Flying Cloud is 1 of 24 known to exsist. 2 of them are parts cars. Thankfully mine is very complete!

 

Tucker write-up in Popular Mechanics, Sept '47.


Mutt

 

There are still many Marmon's left in existence, however my father and I own a 1929 Marmon Roosevelt, which was one of only a little over 4000 built and we have only been able to find about 20 others left. I also have a 1974 Pontiac GTO which was one of only 687 produced, it is a hatchback with 4 speed manual tranny.

 

The factory I work at was once the Hatfield Car company, I think they went out in the 20"s with a lot of other cars. Never saw one but rumor is there are two left, Anyone else heard of them

 

I can cite a tractor make that is as close as extinct to anything that you'll find... the Sioux. They made a handful in my hometown (Sioux City IA) before it was sold to Waterloo Tractor, later John Deere. I think there is only one known in existence, and it's scrap.

The designer Buckminster Fuller came up with a cigar-shaped car called the Dymaxion back in the 20s/30s, built 3, and I think the whereabouts of only one or two are known.

The biggest question is "homologation" -- nothing to do with the Cheaters, it's the question of how you define a true car "make." Back at the turn of the 20th century there were hundreds of tinkerers and blacksmiths that came up with prototypes of cars and even started branding selling them, and I'd guess a lot never made more than a handful. It wouldn't surprise me if there were dozens of these "makes" without a single surviving example. A harder case would be a make of car that had an actual factory, dealer and parts network, printed advertising and service material, etc.

On the other hand, when's the last time anybody has seen a Chevy Vega on the street?

 

St. Louis had many car manufacturers and used to be second only to Detroit.

Winston
Moon - you can drive replica Moon cars at Six Flags over Mid America



As with anything new, the auto started a bit slowly in St. Louis. The St. Louis Gasoline Engine Company at 11th and Clark built the first gas engines locally starting in 1897, followed the next year by the St. Louis Motor Carriage Company at 1230 North Vandeventer. Others making cars and car parts followed. Semple and Scott built the first busses in town on Olive. H. F. Borbein and Company made axles, wheels, chassis, and bodies on Cass Avenue starting in 1899. George Dorris started his Dorris Motor Car Company on South Sarah (which later moved to 4100 Laclede) in 1905 when the St. Louis Car Company relocated to Peoria, and Joseph Moon made his large luxury cars here between 1907 and 1930. Charles Marien opened the city's first auto repair shop in 1902, and C. H. Laessig opened its first gas station on Theresa Avenue three years later.

As the field of auto manufacturers narrowed in the 1920s, the survivors began making cars in locations outside Detroit. Future Cardinals president Sam Breadon opened the first Ford dealership at 4701 Washington in St. Louis in 1903. Ford opened a sales office and stock department here in 1907 at 3667 Olive Street, and started making Model T's in St. Louis seven years later. At its peak in 1924, the factory made 325 tin lizzies every day. Local manufacturing stopped in 1933, but started again two years later. A five-year hiatus ended in 1948 when Ford opened its Hazelwood plant. Chevrolet offered a similar history. Russell Gardner received a Chevy franchise and opened at 9 Rutger in 1915. Within three years he manufactured Chevies, too, making the model 490 (so named because it cost $490). Chevrolet bought the plant in 1918 when the auto maker became part of newly formed General Motors. The first cars rolled off the assembly line in 1920 at its new plant at Union and Natural Bridge Road. Two years later, GM's Fischer Body Division merged with the St. Louis plant to make Chevrolet bodies.

 

TRUCK MANUFACTURERS<B>

• Studebaker Corp. (1852-1966 - suspended truck production 1917-27)
• Packard Motor Car Co. (1899-58 - trucks 1903-23)
• The White Co. (White Trucks - since 1900)
• The G.A. Schacht Motor Truck Co. (1904-38)
• Reo Motor Car Co. (1904-67 - buses 1925-26/1947-49)
  The REO Club of America (members from all over the US, Canada, and the world) has set up a web site.
  *Thanks from Ed Zielinski​
• Olds Motor Works (Div. of General Motors Corp. - Oldsmobile Economy Truck - 1904-24)
• The Lansden Company, Inc. (electric trucks 1904-28)
• Walker Vehicle Company (electric trucks - 1906-42)
• Sterling Motor Truck Co. (1907-58)
• International (International Harvester Company - since 1907)
• Velie Motors Corp. (1908-24)
  The following correction was received by Bob Nelson: "In reference to Velie Trucks of Moline IL. I run the Velie Register for present owners of Velie cars and trucks. Like to correct the dates. Cars were made from 1909 thru 1928. Velie trucks from 1912 thru 1928 (some years omitted).
  If you want links to others, refer to the Velie Home Page" Thanks Bob.​
• Kissel Motor Car Co. (1908-31 - buses 1924)
• Garford Motor Truck Co. 1909-33)
• Walter Motor Truck Co. (heavy duty and airport crash trucks - since 1909)
• Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Co. (1910-34)
• Federal Motor Truck Co. (1910-59)
• Rowe Motor Mfg. Co. (1911-27)
• Service Motor Truck Co. (1911-33)
• Moreland Motor Truck Co. (1911-41)
• GMC (General Motors Truck Company - organized 1911)
• Traffic Motor Truck Corporation (1912-28)
• Maccar Truck Co. (1912-1935)
• Stewart Motor Corporation (1912-39)
• FWD Trucks (FWD Corp. 1912-74)
• Republic Motor Truck Co., Inc. (1913-29 - acquired Linn Tractor-Truck 1927)
• Seldon Truck Corporation (1913-32)
• Vim Motor Truck Co. (1914-26)
• Kleiber Motor Co.(1914-37 - trucks only after 1929)
• Kentucky Wagon Mfg. Co., Inc. (1915-23)
• J.C. Wilson Company (Wilson Trucks 1915-25)
• Fulton (The Fulton Motor Truck Company 1916-25)
• Watson Wagon Company (Watson Trucks - 1916-26 - Watson Products Corp. - 1918)
• Hawkeye Motor Trucks (Hawkeye Truck Company 1916-33)
• Fageol (1916-54) The Fageol Motors Company made trucks as a primiary business from 1916 to 1932. They then became Fageol Truck & Coach (under bankrupt terms) Fageol Truck & Coach from 1932 to 1939. They then became Peterbilt.
  
  
  
• Winther Motor Truck Company (1917-27)
• Graham Brothers (1917-29)
• Douglas Trucks (1917-35)
• Nash Motors Co. (1917-29/1947-49)
• Hebb Motors Company (Patriot Trucks 1917-26/Woods Bros. 1927- )
• Oneida Motor Trucks (1917-31)
• Paige-Detroit Motor Car Co. (Paige Motor Trucks 1918-24/1930-31)
• Oshkosh Motor Truck Mfg. Co. (1918-8? 9?)
• Kelly-Springfield Motor Trucks (formerly Kelly - 1919-23)
• Keystone Motor Truck Corporation (1919-24)
• Diamond T Trucks (Diamond T Motor Car Co. 1919-67)
• Ward LaFrance Truck Corp. (est. 1919 - reorganized 1924)
• Avery (1920- )
• O. Armleder Co. (1920- )
• Atlas (1920-21)
• Moline Plow Co. (1920-23)
• Ruggles Motor Truck Company (1920-28)
• Bessemer (1922- )
• Hug (The Hug Company 1922-42)
• Federal-Knight (Federal Motor Truck Co. 1924-27)
• American LaFrance (1925- )
• Hudson Motor Car Co. Hudson Terraplane and Hudson Pick up trucks. Hudson Terraplane Utility Coupes. These were little coupes from the 1930's which converted into pick up trucks by sliding the bed out of the cars trunk (strange but true). Thanks to Bill Lynch.
• Versare Corp. (1925-31 - operated by Cincinnati Car Co. 1928-31)
• Backus Motor Truck Co. (1925-37)
• Relay Motors Corp. (1927-34)
• Barrows (1928- )
• Fleet Arrow by Pierce (The Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Co. 1928-29)
• Dover (The Hudson Motor Car Co. 1929-30)
• Terraplane Trucks (mfg. by Hudson Motor Car Co. (1933-38)
• Biederman (1940s)
• Willys-Overland (light trucks 1933- Jeep after 1945)
• Ward LaFrance Truck Div. of Great American Industries, Inc (1945- )
• Murty Bros. (1949-56)
• Hayes Motor Trucks
• Unit Rig & Equipment Co. (Lectra Haul since 1963)
• Diamond Reo (1967- )
• White Freightliner (1951-75)
• Wolf Engineering (Wolf Wagon - 1956-60s - after 1960 mfg. by St. Louis Car Co.)
• Letourneau Westinghouse (Wabco Haulpak Trucks and graders - since 1957)
• Freightliner Corp. (est. 1939 - short related history thru CNF Transportation)
• Peterbilt Motors Company (since 1939)
• Kenworth Truck Co. (Seattle, WA - since 1923)
• White GMC
• White Western Star
• Western Star
• Mack Trucks, Inc. (since 1909 - unofficial Mack Truck homepage)
• Ford Trucks
• Volvo Truck
• Mercedes-Benz Trucks

</B>

 

John Deere car...

http://www.bleedinggreen.com/GG2001/gg-07-30-01.html

 

Some of this is interesting...ok, I'm done.

http://www.roaring-twenties.com/roaring_twenties23.htm

http://www.roaring-twenties.com/roaring_twenties21.htm

 

As for makes that are still in business, some would surprise you. I thought Buick pickup trucks were extinct till I found this one. Since then I've seen pictures of a street rodded one on the net so I guess it ian't extinct afterall

 

I have a good friend whose dad has a "restored" 29 Erskin. They had to fab alot of their own parts, apparently they're not real abundant.

 

sort of off topic but still on... VW made a couple prototype motorcycles..i cant find the info on it,but i did find one for sale,and i found information to back it up that it was legit..it basically looked like a BMW,but with a VW flat four

 

I'm pretty sure what you found was an "Amazonas"; a Brazilian company that made motorcycles with VW flat four engines.

Crosley DID make a motorcycle, had a single-sided fork!!

Indian made a few cars, as did BSA. Examples of both exist.

 

GM, between 1910 and 1920, took more than 30 companies under their holding company, among them were Welch, Ewing, Randolph, Marquette, Rapid, Reliance,Scripps-Booth, Sheridan, and the McLaughlin Motor Company.

Even Olds had a truck.


Mutt

 

A buddy of mine works at Mueller in Decatur, IL. They make a lot of water pipe fittings and wierd stuff like that. He said the owner "Mueller" was a genius and was working on an automobile. He liked to smoke stogies and caught himself on fire and died. Apparently there were a couple of cars made and I think the Mueller family has them stached somewhere.

 

My uncle used to own three Durants. He still had them into the early 80's, so I'd be surprised if those cars no longer existed. They were sold to collectors.

 

I bought one of my old houses in Paris, KY when I lived there from a guy that had a Lexington car, built in Lexington, KY. It was like early 1900's, certainly not past 1910. I think it was more like 1903. Had a little single cylinder engine. The car was little more than a powered buggy. I am sure there are no more than a handful of them in existence. Most of the small manufacturers were local and as said were either bought out by a bigger company or went bust.

 

this Ford Torino Cobra is supposed to be one of 3 left and of those 3 its the only one that runs and drives. thats pretty rare. and this one is 100% original

 

There was a car made in Little Rock Ark in the 20's, it was named CLIMER and had a 4 leaf clover for a badge. Not many left. I have a 26 Studebaker country club coupe. The stude club says there are only 6 others of that body style they know of.

 

Today when I went by the parts store, one of the guys there has one (big block powered ), his son has an Astre...

There's a Buick truck on eBay right now, all street rodded, but I still want it...

 

Jay Leno has em all stored away........

 

There is a car in the window of a building half a block from the Mack Brush Company in Jonesville Michigan(I wish I could recall the marque)that is supposedly the only one left of it's kind that was manufactured in the town.I'll have to call the brush company tomorrow to find out the name.

Someone mentioned Oldsmobile building a truck;there is a 1920 Oldsmobile truck in Adrian Michigan(the next town from me).

One of the most curious vehicles I ever saw(and it wasn't mentioned in the truck listing someone posted)was called a Dearborn Dual Drive.It was a COE that had twin rear axles and twin engines.It had two Ford flatheads mounted side by side under the floor and the drive system was really strange(it was on a trailer so I got a good look at it).

The right side engine drove through a shaft to the rearmost axle and on the left side of the axle a short shaft went forward to the other(frontmost)rear axle. The left engine drove into a transfer case and a driveshaft went forward to the front axle in effect it was all wheel drive. I'm still trying to figure out how that rear axle setup functioned.

There was a card on the windshield stating that it was manufactured in 1943(it looked like someone had just purchased it at a swap meet).The diagram of the engine setup was on a brass plate on the front of the cab so I'm assuming it wasn't a one off prototype.

I tried researching it and discovered that,although I couldn't find any reference to that particular company,there were several companies that experimented with dual engined trucks during WWII as primarily long haul vehicles for heavy loads through mountainous areas.

If anyone has any info on this,I sure would appreciate hearing from them.

 

A buddy of mine up here in the frozen north has been given the task of doing some metal bashing on a 1928 Jordan. I'm going to go have a look-see Thursday night. Does anyone know useless facts about this car? The owner claims that the Jordan was quite an upscale car for it's time.

 

Here ya go......a gen-u-ine Reeves OctoAuto!

 

I knew a old fella with a 1910 (or so) Star roadster, he won it in a raffle in the early 60's. Supposed to be the only one left in the world, he's been offered in the mid 5 digit range for it. Won't sell it, and these people are fairly poor. I only saw the rear of it, it was under a tarp. Little more than a go-cart on bicycle wheels. My dad said he had a roadster body, I can't remember what it was, but it was an extremely obscure make. It was just the shell and dash, I think he sold it for $50 or something like that. It makes you wonder what people have to go through when you're trying to fix a car when there are no parts whatsoever for it...

 

in my home town they used to make some sort of early electric car. i cant remember the name or when they went out of business but it was way early.

we also had the first in tow trucks with ernest holmes, i doubt many of the originals survived, but there are a number of later models out there as well as here. i even saw a bed assembly on ebay nce, but it was almost 40's-ish.

we do have a tow truck museum here, its pretty interesting. take a peek when youre in town. i see the dinosaurs there and could just imagine winching a truck or car out of a ditch by hand.