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

Though not auto-related, this follows upon the Gotleib mention
and the overall theme of the female form in automobilia and
popular art and culture. Margaret Brundage was a fine-arts-
trained Chicagoan who attended art school with Walt Disney,
coincidentally enough. Though an able commercial fashion
illustrator, Brundage, a de facto single mother, did nude and
semi-nude covers for Weird Tales through much of the '30 to
support herself, three daughters and her disabled mother. This
1935 cover was perhaps one of the more explicit (though done
in soft pastels), and in Canada, the woman was redone to be,
uh, much less well endowed. Though not quite in the class of
Gotlieb, Brundage gets four stars from me. Born in 1900, she
died in virtual poverty and obscrurity in 1973. Only now is
she enjoying a revival in popularity.

Sincere appreciation is expressed to Wikipedia,
the Free Online Encyclopedia, for this fine 1935
Brundage cover piece.​

 

SunRoof, #1502 is a KEEN post! I ALWAYS felt the shoebox Ford were lackluster, but he's NAILED it!

 

In the (okay, small) world of prototype cars built by aircraft companies, the Beechcraft Plainsman of 1946 stands out, both as the one that came nearest to production (notwithstanding the Highway Aircraft Corp. of the late 1960s) and the one that projected a hybrid gasoline/electric drivetrain and all-wheel drive. Beech engineers even figured out a way to display fuel mileage dynamically, but the best projections for mileage – due to the inefficiency of the electric motors – only gets about 30 mpg.

 

I love it. It would even look great in full size proportions I bet!

 

Keith and Eileen Carpenters "Fascination"

You know the adage "Be careful what you wish for"?

Keith and Eileen Carpenter of Parker, Colo., know it well. One Sunday morning in 1975 or 1976, they were driving down West Colfax Avenue in Denver when they spotted an airplane-shaped car sitting on the lot of Vern Hagestad’s Volkswagen dealership. The Carpenters whipped a U-turn and went back to check out the weird black and gold “car” called the Fascination.

“Boy, I’d like to own that someday,” Keith said to Eileen. Little did he know that one day they would own three of the five Fascinations ever built.

About 10 years later, the Carpenters were sharing their weekly Sunday breakfast with a friend who said he bought a very unusual car at a storage auction. He took them to see it, and there, on a trailer, was the same black and gold car they had seen 10 years earlier. It was basically intact, but the long tails, although still with the car, had been sawed off because they were too long for the storage facility. The windshield was also cracked.

Their friend put the car back into storage, and the Carpenters bought it when he succumbed to cancer 20 years ago.

In-depth research by the Carpenters unearthed much of the Fascination’s history. It was the brainchild of Paul M. Lewis, a Colorado man who, in the 1930s, designed a three-wheeled Airomobile. The Airomobile was not successful, but he kept his idea alive. In the late 1960s he built the Fascination and started the Highway Aircraft Corp. in Sidney, Neb. Five vehicles were built before the company collapsed.

The Carpenters’ black and gold Fascination is car No. 1, the original prototype that was built in Denver. It originally had airplane propellers in the rear, but one failed during a demonstration. Propellers were abandoned and a Volkswagen engine was installed.

A year ago the Carpenters bought the red and white car No. 2 that you see here. It is powered by a four-cylinder Renault engine under the back window. Cars No. 3 and 4 also had Renault engines

Car No. 5, which the Carpenters also own, has never been fully finished. It has a V-6 engine and the transaxle from an Oldsmobile Toronado.

So what do the Carpenters do with the Fascination? Car No. 1 is being restored, but Car No. 2 has been on the auto-show circuit this year. They have taken it to the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance in Jacksonville, Fla., Keels and Wheels in Houston, and the Meadowbrook Concours in suburban Detroit.

Do they drive it? “No,” Eileen Carpenter said, “it’s a trailer queen. We don’t drive it because it simply creates too much havoc the way people gawk and pay attention to it.”

The prototye was planned with a propeller but an engine drives the rear wheels.

Note; The Airomobile mentioned above was previously talked about on page 26. Post #515.

 

I have a friend that races vintage Stutz and owns about 5 of them including the fabric version of one of these - the Super Bearcat (picture circa 1965). It says 90 mph below but he standard Bearcat was factory tested at 100mph and the Super was the same engine but much lighter car so I would imagine even faster.

from http://www.supercars.net/cars/2220.html:

The DV-32 model was launched in 1932 and was named after its ‘dual valve’ cylinder head with twin overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder. When installed on the old ‘Vertical Eight’ engine, power was raised to 156 bhp. While this was amount below Cadillac, Marmon and Duesenberg in power, the engine’s specific output was much higher.
Unique to the Super Bearcat is a chassis measuring 17.5 inches shorter than a standard DV-32. These are typcially equipped with a small roadster body sometimes covered in fabric by Weymann. With these small dimensions, the car could reach 90 mph (145 kph).
In total only 10 Super Bearcats were produced. Factory production halted around 1933, leaving these cars as the swansong of one of America’s great marques.

 

More on the "Fascination"

<table style="border-width: 0pt; border-collapse: collapse;" id="AutoNumber1" border="1" bordercolor="#111111" cellpadding="10" cellspacing="5" width="90%"><tbody><tr><td style="border-style: none; border-width: medium;" align="left" valign="top" width="33%"> The Fascination was created by Paul M. Lewis. His first attempt at building an automobile was the Airomobile in 1937. That vehicle was similar in size to the Volkswagen Beetle and is currently on display in the National Automobile Museum (The Harrah Collection). The Airomobile was not a success and his attempt to build another vehicle was delayed until the late 1960's.

The Fascination was his second attempt. Mr. Lewis incorporated the Highway Aircraft Corporation and built a prototype in Denver, Colorado. That car was propeller driven and had one wheel in the front. During a demonstration at Bandimere Speedway, a prop failed resulting in lawsuits. The prototype was redesigned eliminating the propeller and installing a pancake-type Volkswagen power plant. Another improvement was the addition of a second small wheel in the front to give the vehicle more stability.
</td> <td style="border-style: none; border-width: medium;" align="left" valign="top" width="33%"> Mr. Lewis moved the operation to Sidney, Nebraska, where a new body design was used and three vehicles were built. These vehicles used a four-cylinder Renault power plant. The first car was widely displayed in an attempt to sell dealerships and stock in the company. In the Denver area, it was on display at Stapleton Airport.

Car No.2 was completed and very similar Car No. 1. Car No.3 was near completion when the stockholders voted Mr. Lewis out of the company and at this point, production ceased. Car No.3 was completed in Lincoln and was displayed at the Los Angeles New Car Show in an attempt to get orders.

The man manufacturing the fiberglass bodies in Lincoln, Nebraska ended up with the incomplete car and installed a '63 Corvette windshield upside down to meet federal safety </td> <td style="border-style: none; border-width: medium;" align="left" valign="top" width="34%"> requirements. The Lincoln man built one additional car using an Oldsmobile Toronado transmission and a Chevrolet V6 as a power plant. He incorporated Gullwing doors, but this car was never completed.

All five vehicles have survived and are owned by two individuals. The company made a model 16" in length and an 8mm movie which was used when the car was being displayed to prospective dealers and stockholders.




</td> </tr> </tbody></table>

"A Space Age Transportation Innovation!"​

 

1950 Martin Stationette

The 1950 Martin Stationette was originally created with maple, spruce, and other woods, and parts from many different vehicles including Harley-Davidson, Studebaker, and even Chevrolet. Using period photographs, a set of blueprints, and a 1974 magazine article to gather design information on this extremely rare vehicle, the Martin Stationette was pulled apart, restored, and put back together piece by piece.

Originally manufactured by the Martin Aeroplane Factory, the Stationette was the last of three vehicles <nobr style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 100%; color: darkgreen;" id="itxt_nobr_3_0"></nobr> designed by James V. Martin.

James V. Martin was a prolific inventor who spent years designing cars that he hoped someone would be willing to produce. The Stationette was his last attempt. It features no axles, shock absorbers, or propeller shaft, which Mr. Martin claimed made it cheaper to build. It was designed to fit the needs of the suburban commuter, as popular acceptance would greatly ease traffic congestion.

The car is a chain-drive, all-wooden monocoque construction. It has a 4-cylinder Hercules engine, is rear wheel drive, and could reportedly reach a top speed of 107 miles per hour.

Shown at the 1954 World Motor Sports Show where it won Grand Prize, the Stationette was offered as 'America's economy car of the future.' Martin failed to convince anyone to produce the Martin Stationette in mass quantities, and the car remained a one-off prototype.

The 1950 Martin Stationette has joined two other Martin cars on the exhibit hall floor at Lane Motor Museum – the 1928 Martin Aerodynamic Car and the 1932 Martin Martinette, which is on loan from the Cradle of Aviation Museum. All three Martin cars are one-off prototype cars.

 

1928 Martin Aerodynamic Car

The Martin, despite vigorous promotion, never went beyond three prototypes.

Before you is a one-of-a-kind aerodynamic vehicle built by Martin Aircraft Company of Garden City, New York.

Martin&#8217;s concept was to create a four-seater streamlined car along jaray principles. Notice the pontoon-shaped underbody, fully covered rear wheels, and a deep-sloping front with the body tapering toward the rear.

It is powered by a 4 cylinder, water cooled rear engine and has airplane-type suspension&#8211;which means no springs.

The aluminum body has one door that opens into the back seat.

This Martin was built for Air Force General William &#8220;Billy&#8221; Mitchell of World War I fame.

The Martin was presented at the 1932 National Automobile Show in New York but the Great Depression was detrimental to the Martin.

Specifications:
Manufacturer: Martin Aeroplane Factory
Country of Origin: U.S.A.
Drivetrain Configuration: Rear engine, rear wheel drive
Engine: 4 cylinder continental
Transmission: 3 speed
Top Speed: 107 miles per hour
Year of Production: 1928
Number Produced: 1
Original Cost: $17,000

 

1932 Martin Martinette 3-Wheel Car Prototype

 

What happened to the image????

 

This car was at the Buffalo Transportation Museum earlier this year as a "special" exhibit.

Bertone BAT 11 DK Concept



<SCRIPT type=text/javascript> GA_googleFillSlot("CBD-Article-Top-300x250");</SCRIPT><SCRIPT src="http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?correlator=1262721807816&output=json_html&callback=GA_googleSetAdContentsBySlotForSync&impl=s&a2ids=H6sw&cids=JL4jeE&client=ca-pub-3072814074522011&slotname=CBD-Article-Top-300x250&page_slots=CBD-Sitewide-Top-728x90%2CCBD-Article-Top-300x250&cookie=ID%3D8d8ba4eb3734fa62%3AT%3D1239735123%3AS%3DALNI_MZTRBlHj9UHq2byXpr-g4r1-fVakQ&ga_vid=774271819.1239735123&ga_sid=1262721808&ga_hid=994789168&ga_fc=true&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.carbodydesign.com%2Farchive%2F2009%2F01%2F28-bertone-bat-11-dk%2F&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dbat%2B11%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft%3Aen-us%3AIE-SearchBox%26ie%3DUTF-8%26oe%3DUTF-8%26sourceid%3Die7%26rlz%3D1I7ADSA_en&lmt=1262721809&dt=1262721809550&biw=779&bih=409&ifi=2&oe=utf-8&u_tz=-300&u_his=2&u_java=true&u_h=600&u_w=800&u_ah=570&u_aw=800&u_cd=32&flash=9.0.124.0"></SCRIPT>

Virtual Car has published a story of the Bertone Alfa Romeo BAT 11 DK Concept, a privately commissioned concept car inspired by the 1950s BAT prototypes and first unveiled during the 2008 Geneva Motor Show. The story includes a set of images and sketches.


After Bertone's recent crisis, the BAT 11 DK Concept was first unveiled in a non-official form during the 2008 Geneva Motor Show. It was on display at the recent 2009 Detroit Motor Show, this time in an official context.
<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Virtual Car has published an article with the interesting story of the car, which we report below.
The Alfa Romeo BAT prototypes (where BAT stands for Berlinetta Aerodinamica Tecnica) were created at Bertone by Franco Scaglione, who used a combination of aerodynamics and aesthetic fascination: they achieved a remarkable drag coefficient of 0.19.
The BAT series included three cars: the BAT 5 was unveiled at the 1953 Turin Motor Show. It was based on the Alfa 1900 Sprint chassis and introduced the typical large rear bumpers and curved fins.
One year later Bertone presented the BAT 7, which took the BAT 5's principles to the extreme. The 1955 BAT 9 had the goal of applying the same spirit to a near-production vehicle.
<TABLE class=image-right border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=483><TBODY><TR><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD>Gary Kaberle and his Bertone BAT 9</TD><TD>The Alfa Romeo BAT Prototypes</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>This last prototype - repainted in red - was sent to the US, where it was bought by Gary Kaberle, a 17 years old medicine student.
After seeing a picture of his car in its original grey paintwork on the cover of an old Road&Track magazine, he realized he owned a rare one-off vehicle.
He contacted Bertone with the goal of restoring the car and the process was completed during the 1980s. Later the BAT 9 was protagonist at several elegance contests.
in the early 1990s, in order to pay for expensive medical cares for his wife Debbie, Gary sold his BAT 9 to a Las Vegas-based collector, who already owned the other two BAT prototypes.
<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>After some years, Gary decided to pay homage to his wife - who had passed away - and to that "strange car" that he had owned for 28 years. He contacted Bertone and commissioned a fourth BAT prototype, based on the chassis of the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione.
The BAT 11 DK ("Debbie Kaberle") was completed in 2005.
The Bertone design team, led by David Wilke, took his inspiration from the most extreme among the three prototypes: the BAT 7, characterized by the rear curved fins.
The final result combines the spirit of the original prototypes with a modern design language, a mix of curves and sharp edges interpreted with a "Neo-Gothic" style.
Today Gary Kaberle's hope is to turn the BAT into a small-series production car which would eventually help Bertone to overcome its current crisis.


The original Bat Concept Cars


Can you imagine buying this car and driving it as a 17 year old kid?

 

Man, have you guys been busy while I had to leave for a few hours on biz !

SunRoof, the '35 Brundage cover art from Wiki is showing on my page -- NOT yours? Oddly, a BUNCH of your pix have not evidenced themselves here, for a couple of weeks at least. Some do, some don't. (?)

 

SunRoof, the info AND PIX of Paul Lewis' "Fascination" were very much apppreciated here, bro! I'd read that Lewis had NOT given up when he failed to get backing for his Aeromobile, BUT I never saw any PIX of the later prototypes.

It certainly DOES appear that osme of these kooky looking machines of the past may have been great PREDICTORS for the cars that MAY actually happen, a century later!!!

 

I generally upload my images as attachments thereby guaranteeing that they will be here for ever. They don't look quite as good because you need to click on them to expand them but you don't lose them when the linked resource goes away on you.

 

Nope, no pic on my page. Let me know what's not coming up on your end so I can check them out. It seems that some times, copies of images of my own pictures or copies of scanned images disappear. Do, any that are not showing up, I'll go back and redo as attachments. Does the Mercedes article show on your end????

 

A book of interest;

Pioneers, Engineers, And Scoundrels: The Dawn Of The Automobile In America
(Hardcover, 2004)

Author: Beverly Rae Kimes

 

Sunroof - if there is a Mercedes article on this post then it is not showing.

 

I have always seen that pic. Sometimes all you need to do is refresh the page.

 

Probably a GOOD idea for all of us.

 

For those of you who can not see the images of the SIA 1931 Mercer (NOT Mercedes) article I posted yesterday on page 74, post #1478 I am re posting it here as attachments. You may still have to get out your magnifying glass to read it though.

 

I was referring to the '35 Brundage cover art from Wiki

 

I'll try again, guys on Brundage illustration.
MAYBE it's all this COMPUTER trouble I've been
having. Don't know. But if I don't appear for
days at a time, it wouln't be because I lost
interest. (It will be because SunRoof already
forgot my name anyway! LOL).

Sincere appreciation is expressed to Wikiped ia, the Free
Online Encyclopedia, for this fine 1935 Brundage cover
piece.​

 

Still no image on this end even though the HML shows up when I push edit on this post. Very Strange.

Pretty hard to forget your name cause then I've forgotten my own since they are the same if Jim is your real name and not an alias. LOL

We'd miss you and all your interesting comments. Besides, you started all this. You can't leave now. LOL

 

Thanks for your kind words, SunRoof Jim! Hey, the Brundage cover art APPEARS on my screen, in your post. So, I don't know WHAT the heck is up!

 

Buehrig or not, THIS is one ugly mo-fo, IMO !!! Makes a
'50 Stude Starlight Coupe look like a real work of art! LOL

 

Can you imagine buying this car and driving it as a 17 year old kid?

Jimi answers: Absolutely NOT !!! I would have died from an overload of testosterone. At 17, I was not accustomed to tons of female companionship (that came later, of course).<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

 

I went looking for a picture of a '50 Stude Starlight Coupe and found this

Ernie Belcher's
'50 Studeamino

 

The 1950 Studebaker Champion Starlight coupe attracted motorists with its ultramodern styling. Its center "nose" called to mind an airplane, and its wraparound rear window and long, horizontal rear deck were radically different from "teardrop" cars of the 1930s and 1940s. The 1950 and 1951 Studebakers marked a sharp break from 1930s streamlined styling and the beginning of flamboyant, futuristic styling. Studebaker led the way in this styling and marketing change, and the Big Three auto manufacturers soon followed. Studebaker sales were fairly strong after World War II and reached a peak with the 1950 model. Car collector and museum curator Richie Clyne donated this example to the Smithsonian in 2003

<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr bgcolor="#525252"><td rowspan="3" width="6"></td> <td></td> <td rowspan="3" width="6"></td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#525252"> <td align="center"></td></tr></tbody></table>
The post-World War II market for new cars initially was a seller's market. Supplies were limited, and waiting lists were long. New-car buyers settled for almost anything with four wheels and an engine, including slightly revamped 1942 models and cars purchased sight unseen. But by the late 1940s, supplies had increased, and auto manufacturers had to offer new features to attract comparison shoppers. Eye-catching styling was one way to sell cars. Studebaker was one of the first manufacturers to completely restyle its line, for the 1947 model year. The 1950 Studebaker featured even more radical revisions and styling changes. Robert E. Bourke, an automotive stylist who worked for the renowned industrial designer Raymond Loewy, was largely responsible for the 1950 Studebaker's styling, now considered a classic of its time.

Notice it says CLASSIC, Not UGLY. LOL

 

Did we cover this one? Via a link that Sunroof sent me.

From the Smithsonian Collection
This car was donated to the museum in 1974. It was willed to the donors by their uncle, Augustine Cunningham, who had been president of the Cunningham Company. The car was built especially for Augustine.

<table width="379" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr> <td></td> </tr> <tr> <td background="../img/coll_hdr_bg.gif">Physical Description
</td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> </tr> </tbody></table> This luxury vehicle has a V-8 engine and is a four-passenger sport touring car. <table width="379" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr> <td></td> </tr> <tr> <td background="../img/coll_hdr_bg.gif">Details
</td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr valign="top"> <td nowrap="nowrap">Date Made:
</td><td>1929
</td> </tr> </tbody></table> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td nowrap="nowrap">Credit:
</td><td>Gift of Peter F. Cunningham, Mrs. Murat Williams, and Michael Cunningham
</td></tr></tbody></table>