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

There is a DeVaux in the Grand Rapids Public Museum. Rare but not extinct! They were made in GR Michigan. Dad had one in the late 30's
Fred Boogaard

 

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Oldsmobile was one of the most successful automobile manufacturers in this country. Their growth was predominantly in the arena of low-priced automobiles, and 4-cylinder engines were, by far, their most common means of propulsion. 1916 marked the first year that Oldsmobile entered the market with a V-8 engine. This engine, even by today’s standards, is quite strong and reliable and this car will, rather comfortably, run highway speeds. You will note that the original mechanical rear brakes have been replaced with a home-made hydraulic braking system. The “monocle” windshield is not the best for high-speeds. Goggles are recommended. The restoration of this car was recently completed with the thought in mind of entering this car in the Great American Race. Oldsmobile did not continue the V-8 engine after 1916 and did not put a V-8 engine in their automobiles until the mid ‘50s.
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</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" valign="top" width="50%" height="19"> Sultan Landaulet town car, open. <!--show only one date (key_date), based on created 1st, pub 2nd, depicted 3rd-->(1909)
Sultan Motor Co. Springfield, Ma
1909-1912

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Sultan Taximeter (Taxi)
Sultan Motor Co. Springfield, Ma
1909-1912





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Just found out that a friend bought a Partin Palmer in Iola last year. Unfortunately, it's now built into a hot rod.

Thought this earlier post by SWI about the connection with Checker was interesting. Here's a picture I found of a 1913 Partin Palmer Boattail Speedster.

 

More on Westcott.

The Westcott House was designed and built between 1904 and 1908 in the western Ohio city for automaker Burton J. Westcott and his wife, Orpha. Orpha Westcott was known as a progressive and independent woman, and it was her idea to commission the still-little-known Wright to design the family's home.

www.bolender.com/<wbr>Frank%20Lloyd%20Wright/Westc.

 

This one?

 

1932 DeVaux Convertible Coupe in the Public Museum of Grand Rapids

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DeVaux automobiles were produced in Grand Rapids in 1931-1932 at a plant at Seventh and Muskegon Streets N.W. The bodies themselves were produced by the Hayes Body Company in Grand Rapids and the engines supplied by the Continental Engine Plant in Muskegon. Attractive and durable, 4,609 automobiles were produced in 1932. The Grand Rapids Police Department had a fleet of 12 DeVauxes.

The DeVaux has a 4-cylinder engine and sold for $995 when it was new in 1932. The museum's restored 1932 DeVaux is one of only two known surviving examples. Manufactured by the DeVaux-Hall Motor Corporation, Grand Rapids, MI. (Gift of The Law Offices of Joseph William Moch, Grand Rapids, MI)

Both the Lorraine and DeVaux automobiles in the collection of the Public Museum of Grand Rapids were restored by the volunteer efforts of the Grand Rapids Antique Car Club and the West Michigan Chapter of the Antique Automobile Club of America. The DeVaux Convertible Coupe is on exhibit in the "A is for Automobiles" permanent exhibit on the first floor of the Public Museum.

Photos and Text: Courtesy of the Collections of the Public Museum of Grand Rapids.

 

1920 Lorraine Touring Car in the Public Museum of Grand Rapids



Lorraine automobiles were assembled in Grand Rapids from 1919 through 1921. The bodies were produced by Ligonier of Ligonier, Indiana, and the engines in North Tonawanda, New York by Herschell-Spillman, the same company that built the museum's carousel.

The museum's restored Lorraine is a 4-door convertible with a 4-cylinder, 192.3-cubic-inch engine. Lorraines were medium-priced automobiles; this Model 20-T was listed at $1,425 in 1920. Of the 250 to 300 Lorraines produced each year, the museum's is the only known surviving example. The Lorraine Touring Car is on exhibit in the "Furniture City" exhibit, on the second floor of the Public Museum. Manufactured by the Lorraine Motors Corporation, Grand Rapids, MI. (Gift of the Law Offices of <nobr>Joseph William Moch,</nobr> Grand Rapids, MI)

Photos and Text: Courtesy of the Collections of the Public Museum of Grand Rapids.

 

Vintage Pic of a 1909 Speedwell

 

I put this page together about a year ago...has a few more names. My search was for replicars and movie cars.

http://www.marindirect.com/replicars/

 

Kleiber trucks were made in San Francisco. Not sure if they made any cars. I knew Herminia Kleiber, daughter of the Kleiber owner when I was young. (she was old then).

 

... MAN that's one BIG burrito !

 

Hey, Mac! All seriousness aside, are you sure it wasn't the test prototype for the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile?



Born in 1936 as a cocktail weiner, the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile (or Weenermobile) has gone through several generations of refinement, enlargement, plus various chasses and drivetrains from Dodge, to Willys Jeep to Chevy motorhome with Vortec and GPS. Here's a really cool hotdog (isn't that an oxymoron???) during a '97 public appearance in Gilford, NH,, many thanks to the Wikimedia Commons project. Though the Weinermobile has had few run-ins, there have been traffic and parking tickets. But one accident did take place when a "Hotdogger" (yeah, that's what drivers are called!) headed down a dead-end street in Wisconsin then tried to turn around in a private driveway. She hit the gas instead of the brakes and destroyed the resident's deck. The only reported damage to the vehicle was a slightly bent weenie -- nothing that a little ketchup wouldn't fix! LOL (BTW, ALL of this is historically accurate, except for the bent weenie tale.)


Sincere thanks to 'toonist David Farley & to United Features Syndicate!

 

The Kleiber Automobile & The Kleiber Motor Truck Co.

The Kleiber Motor Truck Co.
Los Angeles, CA
1924-1929

In the early 1900s, Paul Kleiber experimented with horseless carriages and was a distributor for the popular Gramm trucks. By 1913 he designed a truck and established The Kleiber Motor Truck Co. The Kleiber trucks were well built and sold well prompting Kleiber to enter the growing market for passenger cars.

From 1924 to 1929 produced a small number of American Automobiles which were sold on the Pacific Coast only.
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1925 Kleiber Four Passenger Coach

</center> In 1925 Paul Kleiber open a new plant and established distributorships in California, Oregon and Washington. Kleiber Six automobiles were built in 1924 and sold in 1925. The Kleiber was advertised as a "Modern Quality Automobile" that was "Aristocratic In Appearance". Four body styles were produced in 1925, including a California Top Touring Sedan, two other five passenger models and a four passenger coach. Prices in 1925 were $1,885 to $2,350.00 depending on model. In 1927 a seven passenger model, a coupe and a brougham were added.


1926 Kleiber California Top Touring Sedan

<center></center> The Kleiber Six was equipped with a Continental Red Seal six cylinder engine that developed 60 horsepower, a three speed transmission that had a top speed of 60 miles per hour. The chassis had a semielliptic leaf spring suspension and mechanical brakes. A straight eight cylinder model was planed but never produced due a decline in sales and the stock market crash of 1929. The Kleiber Motor Truck Co. continued to manufacture trucks until 1937.

1922 Kleiber Five Ton Truck

 

Here's a challenge.

1917 Clinedinst. Know of any?<!-- google_ad_section_end --> <hr style="" size="1"> <!-- google_ad_section_start -->From one of our AACA members:

"Recently an article appeared in our local paper taken from an article written in 1917 stating:

'The Clinedinst is a new automobile, the first manufactured in the state (Virginia), made by J. W. Clinedinst of New Market, Va., the veteran carriage maker, whose carriages were second to none manufactured in the United States. One of these automobiles was in Woodstock, Va. last week. It was a five passenger car, handsome, well made and well upholstered.'

Are you knowledgeable of this vehicle and if so, do you have any pictures?

Many thanks for your help.

Kyle L. Miller"

 

SunRoof, the Kleiber as a regional car/truck was quite interesting. This Clinedinst seems VERY challenging. It doesn't show on Wiki's big list, so it may take a while!

Double-checking, Jim: You are an AACA member, right?

 

Yes, I am an AACA member. There is a bit about the Clinedinst carriage company at www.coachbuilt.com but nothing much about the car itself.

 

Thanks, Jim! Yup, car info there is spare, but it's one of three places wherein aspects of the Clinedinst enterprises (New Market, VA, in Shenandoah Co.) are covered. As I understand the official change of hands of the original property, the COMPANY NAME had been changed to "and Motor Company" at least by 1917; then John William Clinedinst died in 1923.

SO, it would seem that the LONG-established carriagemaker was involved in auto building at least some seven years (though one can reasonably guess that car-building started before 1917 and may well have continued after J.W. Clinedinst passed on. Coachbuilt is GENERAL on this, stating the company's span as 1855 - "1920s."

SO FAR, I TOO HAVE HAD NO LUCK FINDING A PIC OF ONE OF THE CARS, and I honestly have found nothing to indicate just HOW DEEPLY the company was involved in automobiles. Was it just a small sidelight of a successful carriage-building firm??? Who can say?

A great-nephew of the Clinedinst family noted that carriage building started in 1855 under patriarch Jacob Clinedinst and, at some point, the business fell to son, John William Clinedinst (1837-1923), a vet of the civil war. The descendant further noted that the property (map below) was bought in 1854 and was FINALLY sold in 1978 to settle up an estate matter. The same great-nephew apparently knew of no extant Clinedinst car, though he said a couple carriages are at the Luray Caverns Car & Carriage Caravan in Luray, VA, and have the signature brass plaque on the back axle reading, "J.W. Clinedinst & Co. New Market, Va. The proud company's slogan was always, "If its made by Clinedinst, its alright."



So, this is ANOTHER of those wherein info is scarce, pix or drawings even scarcer, leading one to wonder: EXTINCT???

 

I should have added: I found Clinedinst cars mentioned on NONE of the usual lists I browse!

 

I don't know if you guys are familiar with the Barney Pollard story but it's a fascinating story of an early collector with a very large car collection of interesting cars

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-213230.html

 

SunRoofCord, that pretty much verges on the incomprehensible. WHAT a keen (and cool) TRUE story! -- Jimi

 

So am I, HJ



Kleiber Truck Factory, San Francisco, 1915

Some of the men who worked at the Kleiber Truck Factory in 1915 Man at right edge of photo is Kleiber, owner and founder.

Kleiber Truck Factory, San Francisco, 1915 belongs to the following groups:

Days Gone By (Photographs must be twenty years or older and include people please), Remember When and The Family Album, (Pics From the Past ONLY)

 

Here&#8217;s a handsome and seldom-seen image which recently sold. It&#8217;s an unused c. 1915-1925 postcard of a Moreland Motor Truck Co. vehicle at East Lake Park in Los Angeles, California. Nicely detailed and with deep, rich colors, this vintage postcard shows a distillate 4-wheel truck marked as number 1609, with prominent advertising on the side for Zerolene, &#8220;the Standard Oil for motor cars.&#8221; (Zerolene was a product of the Standard Oil Co., now part of Chevron.) The reverse says that the truck operated &#8220;on No. 1 Engine Distillate at a saving in fuel cost, over gasoline, of more than 50 percent. Six different sizes from 1500 to 13000 pounds capacity.&#8221;
Developed in 1907 at Standard Oil&#8217;s Richmond, CA refinery, the lubricant Zerolene got its name because, according to the company, &#8220;the product flows freely at zero.&#8221;

Moreland trucks were pacesetters technically (6-wheelers, lightweight construction and diesel power), and during its lifetime the company was one of the more impor&shy;tant West Coast truck firms, helping to create the image of the 'Western truck' together with Kenworth, Kleiber and Fageol. Watt Moreland often served as spokesman for the truck industry, arguing for better legislation and more liberal weight allowances which recognized the 6-wheeler.
The first Morelands were made in 1 ½ , 3, 3 ½ and 5 ton sizes, the larger models with chain drive, and driver-over&shy;-engine. Stock engines such as Hercules and Continental were used, together with Brown-Lipe transmissions. By 1924 the largest model was a 6-tonner, and in this year Moreland launched out into the 6-wheeler field with a bus chassis for double-decker bodywork. This massive vehicle had a 6-cylinder Continental engine, drive to both axles of the rear bogie and both Westinghouse air brakes and Lockheed hydraulics. A 60-passenger body was fitted, but Moreland did not proceed with the vehicle, probably be&shy;cause it was too expensive for bus operators. They did not, however, drop the 6-wheeler concept, and in 1925 launched the big TX6 truck. This had a novel Moreland&shy;-designed bogie whose axles were located by equalizing rockers, in turn pivoting from the centers of semi-elliptic springs attached to the chassis. Moreland claimed it was the first 6-wheeler truck though Fageol had one at about the same time. The TX6 was powered by a Continental 14H engine, was rated at 10 tons and sold for $7,000 odd. A 6-ton version was introduced the same year. The 6-wheeler led to greatly increased orders for Moreland, not only from the US but from export markets too. These included Central and South America, the Philippines and Australia where the excellent traction afforded by twin driving axles was appreciated as well as the increased payload. In fact the Moreland 6-wheelers gave long-haul road transport its start, at first in California and then in other areas.
At its peak the Moreland plant occupied a 25-acre site, and was remarkably self-contained. Although they never made their own engines, many other components were home-made, in particular the rugged axles. In time trail&shy;ers,- and commercial bodywork including refrigeration units became part of Moreland's output. Smaller trucks were also made including the 3,800lb Ace and 7-ton Cali&shy;fornian, both 4-wheelers. The latter had an un-laden weight of 4 tons, helped by the use of light alloys in its construction. Engines were Continental in the Ace, and Hercules in the Californian.
Moreland's best year for production was 1929, with nearly 1,000 trucks, buses and trailers delivered, but after that the figures slipped, with fewer than 30-40 per year being sold in the mid-30s. Moreland's last years were full of interest, though, with Hercules or Cummins diesel engines being offered, and attractive streamlined cabs being employed on the later models. In 1931 Moreland and Fageol entered talks for a merger, but nothing came of them. Trailers and specialist bodywork became more important parts of the business, and the later Moreland trucks were all custom-built units. Typical of the 1937/38 range was the TA-420CD, powered by a 125hp Cummins diesel engine. This was rated at 42,000 lbs GVW as a straight truck, or 68,000 lbs as a tractor with trailers. This and other models for loads from 4 to 10 tons were listed until 1941, but very few were made in the last two years. Moreland then became a parts/service operation which was acquired by Cook Brothers in 1949 for $35,000.

From:

 

In 1939, Crown purchased the assets of the Moreland Motor Truck Co., a small truck manufacturer located in nearby Burbank, California that was an early proponent of heavy-duty 6-wheeled truck chassis. Organized by Watt L. Moreland on July 31, 1911, the firm was originally located in a small plant in East Los Angeles, but by World War I had expanded along with the Los Angeles economy to the point where a new plant was sorely needed.
Watt L. Moreland was born on February 11, 1879, in Munsey, Indiana to John B. and Alethea (Grice) Moreland. After a public education, at the age of eighteen Moreland went to work for the Republic Iron and Steel Co. where as a machine&#8217;s apprentice he took a mechanical engineering course with the International Correspondence School.
After three years with Republic, he was engaged by the Toledo Machine and Tool Co. as a die maker, but three months later was hired by the assembly and testing department of the Winton Motor Carriage Co. of Cleveland, Ohio, eventually being placed in charge of the mechanical engineering department of the firm&#8217;s New York branch.
His next position was with the Haynes-Apperson Auto Co. of Kokomo, Indiana, where he helped design and build the firm&#8217;s early endurance racers. In 1902 Moreland traveled to Los Angeles on vacation, and liked California so much that he decided to remain there.
Moreland helped organize the Magnolia Auto Co. of Riverside, California where he was the firm&#8217;s general manager. When that small automaker succumbed to threats from the Selden patent combine, he became associated with the Auto Vehicle Co. of Los Angeles as superintendent of construction. In June, 1908, Moreland helped organize the Durocar Co., a small Los Angeles-based manufacturer of automobiles, of which he became vice-president and general manager.
Moreland eventually sold his stake In Durocar and returned to the Auto Vehicle Company as chief engineer. He eventually left AVC and after short stints with a number of Los Angeles-based automobile firms, he organized the Moreland Motor Truck Co., of which he became general manager. Moreland&#8217;s officers were as follows: R.H. Raphael, president; C. J. Kubach, vice-president, and J. L. Armer, secretary and treasurer.
In 1917 the nearby city of Burbank enticed Moreland to build his new plant there through the donation of a $25,000 site at the corner of San Fernando Blvd. and Alameda Ave., the former site of the Luttge farm.
Moreland's early vehicles included four models from 1½ to 5 tons in conventional or cabover versions. In 1924 Moreland introduced the industry&#8217;s first six-wheeled truck, the TX6, which took advantage of new liberal weight limits that had been spearheaded by the firm&#8217;s founder. The TX6&#8217;s dual rear axles allowed them to carry much larger loads than 4-wheel trucks.
The Los Angeles Fire Department eventually became a good customer and Moreland supplied their Hercules and Continental engined chassis to many of the regions small bus manufacturers, including Crown Carriage Co. During the late 20s, Moreland introduced a drop-frame bus chassis and competed against Fageol in the lucrative California bus chassis market. In fact the two firms entered into merger talks during 1931 but could not come to terms.
Moreland continued to struggle through the Depression and in 1935 sold their huge Burbank plant and consolidated operations in a much smaller Los Angeles facility located on S. Main St. between 24th and 25th Streets. At that time Watt L. Moreland stated that the company has built in the 28 years of its life, more than 12,000 trucks, ranging in capacity from 1½ to 30 tons.
By 1939 Moreland called it quits and sold of their chassis-building assets to Crown who combined them with their bus building operations in a new factory which was built at 2500 MacPherson Street, now East 12th Street. Moreland stayed in operation as a truck repair outlet into the 1940s and their Los Angeles facility was eventually taken over by Cook Brothers in 1949.



1939 Moreland COE

 

Okay, I'm going to throw a DIFFERENT kind of mystery at everybody here, especially HAMBers who are also AACA members. It concerns a SPECIFIC car which I hope is NOT extinct!

Below is a 1914 to 1917 Maxwell which was brought to the attention of AACA members for better ID (still open) AND to try and find someone in a position to rescue the car. The original poster was AACA newbie "Midway" and the thread was entitled, "Help identifying Maxwell" in the "AACA Forums Domestic Makes & Models" section. This thread is easy to search, and I have gone back several times to see if there was any positive development. No new posts since June '09.

Midway (confirmed by others) said the Maxwell was in the yard at a CONDEMNED shop called "Antiques & Stuff, and sat right in plain sight near a major intersection of East King Street and Rt. 194 in the town of Boone, apparently in western North Carolina.

That was the beginning of January '09, and the thread dried up by May, without resolution. Now, on another thread, I hear (on first-hand testimony) that the car and the old antique shop it sat beside are GONE. If this were just another Ford, I don't think I would be too concerned. But such an early Maxwell, in this shape (about 95-percent complete!), has got to be quite a rarity. I -- AND I'M SURE OTHERS -- WOULD LOVE TO KNOW IF THIS CAR FOUND A HOME! Worse yet, has this old Maxwell become EXTINCT???

If you read the thread, several people voiced a desire -- but inability due to distance -- to obtain the car. And on Post #19, another AACA member, "JMax" said he'd gone to see the shop owner in May '09, thought he had a cash deal, then the owner backed out. NOW, the car AND shop are both gone! SO, any ideas how we might put fears to rest and learn where this car went??? Ideas???

Maybe, could someone with AACA membership (a) post on the thread for anyone knowledgeable about details, and/or (b) contact JMax or another logical poster directly?

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In the last few days, I have run onto several U.S. car makes that don't even show on various major lists. Here's a duesey: A 1907 Westinghouse. Far as I'm concerned, the photo shows that it existed -- at least for one year. Of course, the Panic of 1907 caused aging George Westinghouse to lose control of his own company, though he is credited with numerous break-through inventions and with successfully pushing AC current over Edison's preferred DC current.

Anyone actually KNOW years of production, or any more details about Westinghouse's foray into auto making!!! And, since George messed with both steam and electric, I don't even know what was under the hood!


1907 Westinghouse limousine, thanks to the great site
maintained by Royal Feltner of Amesbury, MA!

 

Here's a question that's more complicated than it at first sounds! Below, is a '24 Chrysler. Chalmers' last model was 1924, and Maxwell's was 1925.

So, is this the first official* Chrysler model year? And did the Chrysler basically just replace the Chalmers on the factory lines?

By extension, did the Plymouth replace the Maxwell?

Both seem logical assumptions, but does someone know FOR CERTAIN? The reason I bring it up is that people sometimes state it the other way around (i.e., Chrysler for Maxwell; Plymouth for Chalmers)


1924 Chrysler Model B70, thanks to the WikiMedia Commons project



[Note * : I am aware that Walter P. had a would-be Chrysler ready in the early '20s. Then a financial bind forced him to let it go, to be badged as something ELSE.]

 

Classic lines are definitely not dead!
Or as they say: Style NEVER goes out of style!

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'05 Chrysler Atlantic concept car, shown while on display
at the Walter P. Chrysler Museum, Auburn Hills, MI

 

Nash N-X-I prototype. Under the hood of the experimental N-X-I was the tiny Fiat 500cc engine that produced 18-horsepower. The N-X-I prototype evolved into the two-seat Nash Metropolitan sold by American Motors from 1954 through 1962.




and how about this one!