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

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Panther #1 in '54 turned an over 131-mph flying mile
at Daytona Beach with its 212-hp 359 straight eight.
So, the biggest doubter should be a little
impressed, I should think. The Panther was
"fast" in the traditional concept of speed,
but it would probably not have made
a good drag-racers nor, I think, round-track
competitor -- just not built with those
applications in mind. ​

 

We had a blast a few days ago with pickup trucks, so I'm now looking for the FIRST pickup -- and WONDERING: Do any EXIST?

International Harvester may well hold the distinction of producing the forerunner of all pickups trucks, the 1907 I-H Autobuggy. Though IH is today not thought of by many as an automobile maker, the Autobuggy was, in fact, just a body adaptation of IH's first car, also of 1907.

Folks, this was a LONG time ago! Teddy Roosevelt Rough Rider, Bull Moose) and Charles Warren Fairbanks (Alaska city named for him) were president and v-p! And the first Autobuggies -- working vehicles -- likely did not survive in significant numbers. In fact, the 1911 I-H Wagon (AKA I-H Motor Truck), below, is the closest approximation I could find on the 'net, THANKS to Wikipedia, the Free Online Encyclopedia. Likely, the '07 -- made 4 years earlier -- was a more "spare" job.


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Jimi,

They "race" those every year at Hershey- this year they had a couple of IH trucks and a Sears buggy (that would be delivered in crates and you would assemble)- I forget the other one that was there.

 

Hey there, Mac! That's the kind of info we need, fleshing out the story of how early automobiles worked in the first couple of decades. THANKS!!!

We branched out a couple of months ago and started including rae stuff, not just the extinct and ultra-rare. We tried to retitle the thread accordingly, but we're stuff with the old thread header, buddy. Thanks again! -- Jimi

 

Not extinct, but there can't be many of Alanson Brush 's cars left around! Just fun to look at!!!

Alanson P.Brush was instrumental in designing the first Cadillac, then set to putting out cars from a new company of his own, from 1907 through 1912. Brushes were sound cars, built tough but adaptable for the road conditions of the time. Alanson Brush's contributions lay just as much in his contributions to invention and assistance to other early automakers.


1912 Brush Runabout, thanks to Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons project. Note the wooden members in the chassis, especially the wooden front axle -- good enough to drive across the continent in an actual publicity exercise!

 

This is the ad/poster, painted in 1909, I mentioned
a few days ago. Called "Setting the Pace" by William
Harnden Foster, it depicts the famous match race
between the Olds Limited and the then-famous
express, the 20th Century Limited. Sincere thanks
to Wikipedia, the Free Online Encyclopedia.

 

Speaking of practically extinct. Ever see a bone stock one of these?

Here is the link.

 

The 21st century Avanti, built by Avanti Motor Corporation, owes its existence to two distinct but related events in the Avanti saga. The first was a collaboration between Jim Bunting, a former advertising executive, and Tom Kellogg, one of the designers of the original car. Their efforts produced a two-passenger coupe version. The first objective accomplished, Kellogg proposed building an updated version of the classic Avanti. Bunting considered this the ultimate dreamcar and was seriously interested in building it.
AVX stands for AVanti eXperimental. The original idea was to produce one car.That vehicle was built during the winter of 1995-96, then shown at several Studebaker and Avanti meets to wide acclaim. It was built by customizing a 1993 Pontiac Firebird. The idea of transforming the AVX from a one-off into a production car began to take seed. The design was refined again, this time with limited production in mind, and the first production prototype was shown at the June, 1997 International Studebaker/Avanti meet in South Bend, Indiana. Ultimately, the AVX evolved into the 2001 Avanti which was based on a newer version of the Camaro and more recently on the Ford Mustang.

How Avanti Cars Work

by the Auto Editors of Consumer Guide

Browse the article How Avanti Cars Work

Avanti Origins
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Studebaker fled to Canada in late 1963 and left the auto business three years later. By that time, Leo Newman and Nathan Altman had resurrected the Avanti, Studebaker's most interesting car of the '60s. [/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Designed by a team under Raymond Loewy, the Avanti had failed Studebaker in the marketplace but succeeded greatly with enthusiasts -- the only Studebaker in two generations to inspire such interest. Before its phaseout upon Studebaker's departure from South Bend, the Avanti had broken virtually every major U.S. Auto Club speed record.[/FONT]

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The Avanti II managed to find success where the original never did.
Each one was custom-built by hand for its owner.
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Newman and Altman were partners in a South Bend Studebaker dealership, one of the oldest. Knowing the Avanti was too good to lose, they bought the name, production rights, tooling, and a portion of the century-old South Bend plant where the Avanti had been built. In 1965, they began turning out a revised version called Avanti II. They hoped to make 300 a year, which they'd never manage, but output was adequate and consistent. ​

Unlike the original, Avanti II was a commercial success. Its fiberglass body meant no expensive sheetmetal dies to maintain. And because Newman and Altman had conceived their Avanti as more exclusive than Studebaker's, they could build it carefully and largely by hand on a small assembly line. That meant they could tailor each car to the customer's wishes. ​

Well-heeled buyers could push the $6550 base price beyond $10,000. Options included Hurst four-speed manual transmission, power steering, air conditioning, electric window lifts, tinted glass, AM/FM radio, Eppe fog or driving lights, limited-slip differential, Magnum 500 chrome wheels, and Firestone bias-ply or Michelin radial tires.​

Early Avanti IIs had vinyl interiors, but textured "Raphael vinyl" could be ordered for $200. Genuine leather seat and door trim added $300, full leather $500. Paint colors were anything a buyer wanted, as were interior trims in later years. Though this led to some bizarre cars, it was part of the "custom-built" aura and it helped sales. ​

Early IIs retained the original Avanti's modified Lark convertible frame, but Studebaker V-8s were gone by the time Newman and Altman started, so they followed Studebaker's own lead by adopting the same 327-cubic-inch Chevrolet small-block in 300-horsepower Corvette tune.​

Chevy then introduced a 350-cid enlargement, and Avantis got it in 1969, though rated power was unchanged. Transmissions were either a fully synchronized Borg-Warner four-speed manual or a "Power-Shift" automatic that permitted manual hold of first and second gears. ​

These new mechanicals resided in a body almost identical to the original Avanti's. The main visual differences were a more level stance (Altman's customers disliked the Studebaker's marked front-end rake), Avanti logos with suffix Roman-numeral IIs, and reduced-radius wheel openings. ​

Corvette power made for fine performance in the sleek four-place Avanti. The typical automatic car could run 0-60 mph in under nine seconds and hit 125 mph with a 3.54:1 rear axle. Better still, the Chevy engines were lighter than the old Studebaker V-8, so front/rear weight balance improved from 59/41 percent to 57/43. Power front-disc/rear-drum brakes resisted fade admirably, while providing quick deceleration of nearly 1g in 80-mph panic stops. Obviously, Newman and Altman cared about safety as much as straight-line performance. ​

Being custom-built, the Avanti II necessarily cost more than Studebaker's version, competing in Cadillac Eldorado territory instead of Chrysler country like the $4,445 original. Realizing this meant a change in market orientation, Newman and Altman pitched the II more on "personal-luxury" than performance. ​

And indeed, the car was in its element on the open road. Magazine testers gave it points for safety, quietness, structural rigidity, and a firm but comfortable ride. "In this day of great concern over automotive safety," wrote John R. Bond in 1966, "the Avanti II should make new friends, for obviously there was more thought given to safety in its conception than in most American cars ... It's a better car than it was three years ago." ​

Stephen Blake Buys Avanti​

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Avanti II saw few changes in the 1970s save those needed to meet federal safety and emissions rules. Among the more obvious -- and depressing -- was the ugly, rubber-tipped "cow catcher" grafted on to meet 1973's new five-mph bumper standard, although Avanti Motor Corporation was small enough to win exemption from the required 21/2-mph side-impact door beams.[/FONT]​

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Also for '73, the engine was changed to Chevrolet's new detoxed 400 V-8. With net horsepower ratings in force for '74, the 400 came in at an anemic 180-bhp SAE net (245 gross). The 350 returned for '77 and would remain standard into the early '80s. [/FONT]​

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The 1984 Avanti was one of the few Avanti models produced under the direction​

of Stephen Blake before he was forced to sell the company​

With Nate Altman's untimely death in 1976, Avanti seemed to lose direction, at times appearing half-hearted about its product and its future. Workmanship declined even as prices, spurred by inflation, galloped upward (breaking $12,000 in '76 and pushing $23,000 in '82).​

Federal dictates prompted detail interior changes (mainly to switchgear) wrought with an afterthought carelessness suggesting less-than-professional engineering and design work. On the plus side, the firm reduced its plethora of paint and trim choices in the interest of higher build quality and lower inventory costs. But little money and effort were going into updating the concept, as Altman had done. Both car and company were surviving, but hardly thriving. ​

That was about to change. After rebuffing several buyout offers over the years, the Altman family and other Avanti board members gave audience to Stephen Blake, a young Washington, D.C., construction tycoon. Alas, Altman's death came only days after the parties agreed to serious negotiations, and another seven years would pass before Blake became owner, president, and CEO of Avanti Motor Corporation in October 1982. ​

Blake blew into South Bend like a tornado, rearranging work flow in the crumbling remains of the old Studebaker plant for improved efficiency and quality. He also resisted the UAW and dismissed many dealers, inking more businesslike contracts with established Cadillac stores in major markets.​

Recruiting needed engineering talent soon resulted in several improvements: a switch to premium DuPont Imron paint (as on Indy race cars), greater use of GM components, optional body-color bumpers and black trim, square headlights, revamped interior, minor chassis tweaks, and an optional 190-bhp 305-cid V-8 (versus 155 bhp standard) from the Chevy Camaro Z28. The name lost its Roman numeral "II" and returned to plain "Avanti." Most of these changes came together in a special 20th Anniversary 1983 coupe offered in solid black, white, red, or silver. ​

Bolder still were Blake's plans for the first Avanti convertible (unveiled as a prototype in late '83) and a new drop-floor chassis with independent rear suspension designed by Herb Adams. Blake even made a stab at racing, entering an Avanti "GT" in the 1983 Pepsi Challenge 24-hour enduro at Daytona. Though it finished only 27th out of 30 survivors from a starting field of 79, its merely showing up suggested Avanti was moving forward again. ​

​

Sadly, Blake tried to do too much too fast, and unexpected peeling problems with the new race-car paint cost a bundle to fix. By early 1985, Blake had spent himself into a credit crunch with his prime lender, a South Bend bank, and was forced to sell.​

Avanti Changes Hands​

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Avanti might have died right there had it not been for Michael Kelly, a 36-year-old Texas ethanol baron who acquired Blake's interests for just $725,000 in April 1985. Operating as New Avanti Motor Corporation, Kelly's regime began building Blake's convertible alongside the familiar coupe in 1987.​

​

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Both models received new seats, a "cockpit" dash, altered bumpers, and improved cooling and climate systems. The coupe still listed for about $30,000; the convertible was some $10,000 more. With this changing of the guard, no 1986 Avantis were built. [/FONT]​

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The 1989 Avanti Coupe Convertible was a bold new step for

Avanti -- it was the company's first convertible model.

Even more ambitious than Blake, Kelly moved production to a new plant in Youngstown, Ohio. This occurred in August 1987, thus closing the old Studebaker factory at last. Avantis would still be mostly hand-built, but the modern facilities promised great strides in quality -- and volume, which Kelly predicted would eventually reach an unprecedented 1,000 cars a year. ​

​

To achieve that, Kelly literally stretched the Avanti line by adding three new models: a 117-inch-wheelbase Luxury Sport Coupe, an even longer four-door Luxury Touring Sedan on a 123-inch chassis, and a jumbo limousine on a huge 174-inch span.​

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Purists moaned, though designer Loewy (who died in late 1987) had mocked up a pair of "Avanti-styled" sedans as '65-66 Studebakers. At least the LSC looked as good as the standard coupe, a tribute to the "rightness" of the original design. ​

​

Besides 40 LSCs, Kelly's company managed 50 Silver Anniversary coupes in 1988 to honor Avanti's 25th birthday. These carried Chevy 305 V-8s that were muscled up to 250 bhp (from 170 standard) via Paxton superchargers supplied by the Granatelli brothers, just as in Studebaker days.​

​

Appropriately, the anniversary models were painted pearl silver. Interiors featured black or red leather, an "entertainment center" with TV, power moonroof, compact-disc player, and cellular telephone. There was also a fortified suspension with fat tires on handsome alloy wheels, and bodies gained a front spoiler with fog lamps, rocker-panel skirts, and reshaped bumpers. ​

​

Exceeding projected first-year production by 50 percent, New Avanti built 300 cars in 1987, the level Blake had hoped to attain but didn't. But Kelly, too, soon overreached himself, and this (plus legal hassles from one-time backers) forced him to sell in August 1988. The buyer turned out to be his principal partner, shopping-mall developer J.J. Cafaro, who changed the company name once again, this time to Avanti Automotive Corporation.​

​

Both LSC and the planned limo were forgotten, but Cafaro did introduce a four-door Touring Sedan for 1990, though on a trimmer 116-inch wheelbase. Improbably, he claimed its body was molded directly from one of the old Loewy sedan mockups that had sat for years in the South Bend attic gathering dust and pigeon droppings.​

​

Though distinctive, the four-door wasn't as handsome as the classic coupe, but was definitely built better. High-tech composites replaced steel for its roof and (belatedly adopted) door beams, and Kevlar was substituted for fiberglass in the floorpan, bumpers, and seatbelt and body mounts. ​

​

Cafaro's operation managed 150 Avantis in 1988 and some 350 in '89. Most were the standard coupe. The 1990 target was 500 cars, but actual output was much lower. There were heady plans for '91, including a switch to the 245-bhp Corvette L98 engine, plus a new chassis (engineered by Callaway Technologies) with all-independent suspension and the four-wheel disc brakes from Ford's Thunderbird Super Coupe.​

​

But these plans were derailed by a sharp recession that hurt sales industrywide. Instead of building its planned 1000 cars in '91, Avanti Automotive Corporation filed for bankruptcy. The firm produced only 15 cars that year, mostly convertibles with a few cosmetic changes and body-material substitutions like those on the sedan. ​

The Avanti Experimental AVX​

​

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]A postscript to the Cafaro bankruptcy concerns one Robert Lucarell, who stayed as caretaker for the Youngstown plant. Lucarell sold handfuls of assorted leftover parts to die-hard owners, all the while insisting that the car and the company he loved would rise yet again. "Avanti is still a going business," he told Automotive News in May 1994. "I am here selling parts and helping people fix their cars over the telephone every day." [/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Among those customers was Jim Bunting, a retired advertising executive in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, who'd bought his first Avanti in the mid '80s and became a fan. Bunting was intrigued by a two-seat Avanti drawn by the late Bob Andrews, a member of the Loewy team, and decided to build a real one.[/FONT]

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The 1998 AVX stood for "AVanti eXperimental," since it was created during a​

period when Avanti didn't technically exist as a company.

But no crude hatchet job would do, so he contacted Tom Kellogg, the team member who had done considerable detail work and most of the renderings for the Avanti project. Kellogg obliged with drawings of how the two-seater should look, but sent along a sketch with a playful note reading, "Let's do this one next." It showed a modernized Avanti of the sort Kellogg had been doodling for years, with the basic look evolved just as Studebaker might have done had it not folded.

Bunting loved Kellogg's "Avanti for the '90s," and decided to make it real. To keep costs reasonable, he started with a '94 Pontiac Firebird -- a good choice, as its outer body panels were easily swapped for a new Avanti-look fiberglass skin custom-tailored by Kellogg.​

The transformation took place at the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, shop of hot-rod builder Bill Lang and was finished in January 1996. By that point, other people had seen the car and wanted one, too. Bunting then showed it -- still in primer and a bit rough -- at a major swap meet, where more favorable inquiries convinced him to offer copies.​

After further tweaks by Kellogg, the finished car was unveiled in June 1997 at the combined meet of the Studebaker and Avanti clubs. Because rights to the Avanti name were in limbo, the car was christened AVX -- "AVanti eXperimental." ​

Incorporating AVX Cars in Lancaster, Bunting contracted with Lang's Custom Auto to convert post-'92 Firebirds at the rate of two a month. The initial price was $33,900, plus the donor coupe or convertible. Echoing Newman & Altman, AVX owners could have their car most anyway they liked.​

"Nothing is too outrageous," Bunting told Collectible Automobile® magazine. Several ready-made packages were contemplated: two for brakes, three for suspension, and four engine upgrades, including a Paxton-supercharged Corvette LS1 V-8 with 455 bhp up to an incredible 650. ​

While the AVX was well-timed for the late-1990s luxury-car sales boom, Bunting quickly found that running a car company, even a tiny one, was more than he bargained for. Thus, after overseeing the build of three prototypes (a coupe, a T-top coupe, and a convertible), he sold AVX Cars to investor John Seaton.​

Surprisingly, Seaton soon teamed up with none other than Michael Kelly, who had never lost his enthusiasm for things Avanti. In August 1999, they formed a new Avanti Motor Corporation in Villa Rica, Georgia, just west of Atlanta, with Kelly as chairman and Seaton as CEO.​

To the undoubted delight of Avanti enthusiasts, the new concern managed to acquire the assets of all the preceding Avanti companies and even artifacts from the Studebaker days. It also held title to the Avanti name and logo, which would soon grace converted Firebirds based on the AVX design.​

Michael Kelly Revives Avanti​

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]After setting up in a 74,000-square-foot former hosiery mill, the Kelly/Seaton enterprise turned out its first cars as 2001 models, selling 52 convertibles and T-top coupes for that calendar year. All used a 305-bhp GM 350-cid V-8 allied to a four-speed automatic or a five-speed manual transmission. Antilock brakes were included along with other stock Firebird features.[/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Base prices were $79,000 for the coupe, $83,000 for the convertible. A supercharger option, pegged at a heroic $10,000, was added for 2002, swelling horsepower to 470. Though GM canceled the Firebird after model-year '02, Avanti stockpiled enough rolling chassis to continue production for several more years with no major change.[/FONT]​

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The 2006 Avanti Studebaker SUV reflects a new design philosophy at Avanti.

This it did in true "custom car" fashion worthy of the Newman/Altman days -- and with sales to match: 77 in '02, another 88 in '03, and 102 in 2004. Predictably, perhaps, most were convertibles.

For 2005, the Avanti was reengineered around the new S197 Ford Mustang platform. Michael Kelly himself headed the effort, which involved most of the company's small workforce (just 36 employees) -- everyone from accountants to craftspersons.

And so much the better. As sales manager Dan Schwartz later said, "We're all cross-trained." The result was almost indistinguishable from the Firebird-based Avanti, a tribute to the team's skill and passion. So, too, was a new and unique Avanti instrument panel with airbags, one of many changes necessitated by the government's latest safety and emissions rules. By *this time, Seaton had left (in late 2001) and Leonard Kelly, Michael's father, had been installed as president.

Only a convertible was offered for 2005, equipped with a 300-bhp Mustang 4.6-liter V-8, manual or automatic transmission, plus all-wheel antilock disc brakes, traction control, Ford Traction-Lok limited-slip rear differential, 17-inch polished wheels, leather interior, and full power accessories. Though the base price was slashed to $63,000, just 46 cars were sold that calendar year. Then again, Avanti sales were still mainly a word-of-mouth customer-to-factory proposition, and many would-be buyers likely didn't know the car was still around.

To reach a broader audience, a V-8 coupe was added for 2006, plus a lower-priced coupe and convertible using the base Mustang's 210-hp 4.0-liter V-6. Prices were adjusted, ranging from around $65,000 to near $76,000. At this writing, Avanti hoped to sell 75 to 100 units total, including a special GT model, possibly supercharged to around 390 bhp, slated for introduction in July 2006.

Meantime, Michael Kelly, doubtless with an eye to history, realized that his new Avanti concern wouldn't likely survive, let alone thrive, with just one basic product. Accordingly, he formed a division called SVO to create a pair of "component cars," sports-racers very closely modeled on the late '50s Lister-Jaguar and early '60s Porsche 904.

Engineered by Chuck Beck, famed for his authentic, high-quality Porsche Spyder and Speedster replicas, both employ Avanti-fabricated frames, with Corvette C4 suspension and GM small-block V-8s. As "owner-assembled" cars, they're exempt from certain costly federal regulations, a major plus for tiny Avanti, and they help the bottom line, even though each is planned to see only about 25 copies a year. Though intended largely for vintage racing and other off-road use, both the Lister and 904 are easily licensed and usable on the street.

The replicas are beyond the scope of this article, as is the latest twist in the Avanti story: a big new sport-utility wagon reviving the historic Studebaker name. Planned to start sale in mid 2006, this Avanti Studebaker is based on Ford's Super Duty truck chassis and is thus about the same size as the GM-marketed Hummer H2.

It also looks much like the military-influenced Hummer -- boxy and purposeful -- a resemblance that caused no small legal hassle when Avanti showed a concept model in 2004. But the wrangling has been settled, leaving the SUV to go forward with a choice of a gasoline V-10 or turbo*diesel V-8, both Ford sourced.

Ironically, the newest Studebaker is pitched at the very top of its market, tentatively tagged at $75,000-$80,000. But that's only to be expected from a company that aims to produce "unique, handcrafted automobiles of the finest quality, for the most discerning clients, providing them the utmost expression of their individuality."

With all this, Avanti survives into the twenty-first century with a brighter future than at any time since Leo Newman and Nate Altman picked up where Studebaker left off. Considering all that's happened since then, that's a most remarkable achievement.​

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I prefer this one in the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum collection.

1964 Studebaker Avanti R-3 2-dr.Hardtop (last Avanit made by Studebaker) ​

 

swi66
Here is a 'Vair in the Crawford collection.

1964 Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible ​

 

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<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=4><TBODY><TR><TD style="LINE-HEIGHT: 120%; FONT-SIZE: 140%">1910 Front cover of an advertising brochure for International auto buggies and auto wagons. Features an illustration of a woman in fine dress and hat at the wheel of a vehicle.



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<TABLE cellSpacing=3 cellPadding=3 width="95%" align=center><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>Originally Posted by jimi'shemi291

We had a blast a few days ago with pickup trucks, so I'm now looking for the FIRST pickup -- and WONDERING: Do any EXIST?​

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A 1913 Ford with a commercial body made by the W.S. Seaman Company.​

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1913 Ford Model T

 

... there was a beautiful red Brush roadster at Hershey, too

 

1938 Harrod's Electric delivery van
Crawford Auto-Aviation Collection​

<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="90%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=content vAlign=bottom>Harrods electric delivery van, 1939.

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</TD><TD class=previewContent>Between 1936 and 1939 Harrods, the famous London department store, built 60 of these vehicles for use in their own delivery fleet. The electric motor is rated at 3.5hp giving the van a top speed of 19mph when fully laden. The batteries are housed in two large battery boxes on either side between the wheels. This van covered about 350,000 miles before being withdrawn in 1967. It was then restored by Harrods before being presented to the Science Museum, London</B>

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AlsAncle, I love everything about this car, not only the unique Willys grille. And the integrated headlamps appear "at home" on the Willys, more so that the Pearce Arrow lamps, oddly enough!

 

Quote HJ: With all this, Avanti survives into the twenty-first century with a brighter future than at any time since Leo Newman and Nate Altman picked up where Studebaker left off. Considering all that's happened since then, that's a most remarkable achievement.

Jimi: Ain't it the truth? I love the simplicity of that statement. To me, it seems so ironic that the practically last-minute Avanti is the lasting, viable (at least sometimes) automotive REMNANT of one of America's oldest transportation-related companies!!!

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HJ, I lost count, since the original, HOW MANY TIMES HAS THE AVANTI PHOENIX RISEN FROM THE ASHES???

 

These are GREAT!!! I-H fans should LOVE this! Thanks, HJ, for digging these up!

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1909 I-H Auto Wagon

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1910, WOW. WAY ahead of Ned Jordan in appealing to WOMEN, eh????

 

Since I hinted at Studebaker 's EARLY roots in wagon-building, THEN we were talking about International Harvester . . . HMMMMMM???? It's got me wondering: Since I-H was basically a renamed, corporately expanded McCormick Reaper, WHICH WAS ACTUALLY THE LONGEST-LIVED COMPANY?

I think Stude goes back to the 1840s, lasting through 1966, officially (i.e., not including Avanti II, etc.). And if I am not mistaken, McCormick goes all the way back to the 1830s, lasting as I-H until -- what? -- 1975???

 

Yes, there are actually quite a few in museums across the country.
One in the Henry Ford, a 68 in the Wilson Historical society museum near me in Wilson NY, they have a supercharged Avanti too. We have a Corvair motor display I helped put together in the Buffalo Transportation Museum.
photo album here:
http://rides.webshots.com/album/575541881OuyGxz

There are a few at the Ypsilanti Heritage Museum too

 

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Panther #1 in '54 turned an over 131-mph flying mile
at Daytona Beach with its 212-hp 359 straight eight. ​

I got to thinking: It always helps to put PERFORMANCE
in some kind of PERSPECTIVE, right??? So, I went
and dug a little. "Uncle Tom" McCahill of Mechanix
Illustrated fame, tested the 300-horse '55 Chrysler
300-C at Daytona and got a 130-mph flying mile.
Mind you, the POINT here is PERFORMANCE
OF THE PACKARD STRAIGHT-8, okay? Given that
the 300-C was a 331 Hemi with two 4-B Carter carbs,
I'd say the Panther prototype comported itself
pretty well. The proof was in the pudding.

(Okay, I'll put the soapbox away
now, guys!!! LOL)​

 

Before leaving the Packard straight-8 alone, I had to show you this from another thread from early Dec. '09. Packard straight-8 nuts'll love this anyway! For the cool details, see the thread: Hot Rod Packard cover car for "HOT ROD" mag. The car is the work of HAMBer Hot Rod Packard (Brian) of Salt Lake City.

 

I am posting the Pope-Harford of Harford, CT, for a couple of reasons, besides the fact that its early tenure in the market place might indicate extreme rarity.

First, Pope-Hartford (1903 - 1914) was, in 1903, America's FOURTH BEST-SELLING car! Olds sold about 4,000, Caddy around 2,500 and Ford (according to Wikipedia; must've been pre-Model-T) 1,700. Pope-Hartford sold 1,500 cars.

Pope-Harford is a name one never hears! Say what? But, in fact, as the new horseless carriage was beginning to gain traction with the American consumer, Hartford, CT, was considered by some -- the locals, at least -- as the simmering hotbed of U.S. automobile production! Eat your heart out, Detroit, Buffalo and South Bend!

Lastly, the Pope-Hartford was part of the Pope automobile group of companies founded by Colonel Albert Pope manufacturing ofHyde Park, Massachusetts. Given the time, it was most unsusual to see an entrepreneur sponsor a actual group of companies, in this case, making cars in five different far-flung locations! THIS WAS BEFORE THE FoMoCo, GM AND CHRYSLER CONGLOMERATES!!! Further, it seems very apparent that the various Pope companies shared little in terms of design, construction and components. The Pope-Hartford outlasted the other four Pope lines. The Pope companies were:

Pope-Hartford (1904-1914)
Pope-Toledo (1903-1909)
Pope-Tribune (1904-1908)
Pope-Waverley (1903-1908)
Pope-Robinson (1903-1904)


1907 Pope, thanks to Wikimedia Commons

 

Ypsilanti Automotive Heritage Museum



1960 Corvair "Super Monza" show car.
The Corvair Preservation Foundation maintains a display at the museum

Notice the engine display behind the show car.



Two convertibles, in each of the two body styles that Corvair offered from 1960-1969.



A view of several vehicles manufactured at Willow Run Assembly, home of the Chevrolet Corvair

 

1962 Chevrolet Corvair Monza GT

1962 Chevrolet Corvair Monza GT Concept

Written by Bill Bowman

Under the direction of Bill Mitchell, the 1962 Chevrolet Corvair Monza GT concept coupe was designed by Larry Shinoda and Tony Lapine and made its debut at the 1962 New York Auto Show.

For servicing the entire rear section of the fiberglass body hinged upward to allow access to the air-cooled, six cylinder-opposed powerplant. Twin carburetors drew fuel from a 12-gallon tank in the nose of the Monza GT. Engine cooling air flowed through intakes at the rear side panels. Twin exhaust outlets were behind each rear wheel opening. The rear-mounted transmission was a four-speed manual. The GT was equipped with four-wheel disc brakes and magnesium wheels.

The wraparound canopy opened forward on hinges for full access to the passenger compartment. The canopy including the roof portion covered passengers with panoramic windshield and both side doors. On the back deck was a panel of adjustable louvers controlled from the cockpit for rearward vision and ventilation. The passenger compartment featured reclined contoured seating. Foot pedals were adjustable fore and aft, with the seats stationary. The dash panel had reflection-free crackle finish, and all gauges to the right of the driver were angled toward him for maximum legibility.

The shortened platform had a 92-inch wheelbase, 16-inches shorter than the production Corvair. The overall dimensions were similarly reduced with a length of 165-inches, and a height of only 42-inches. The smooth aerodynamic lines of the Corvair Monza GT were the result of a program of wind tunnel testing conducted by General Motors Design.

 

Pope-Hartford (1904-1914)
Pope-Toledo (1903-1909)
Pope-Tribune (1904-1908)
Pope-Waverley (1903-1908)
Pope-Robinson (1903-1904)



[/QUOTE]

Don't forget the Pope Motorcycle, another part of Col. Popes empire

 

Several of the Corvair concept cars are still around. At the GM Heritage museum. Unfortunately that museum is not open to the general public. I did get in though back in 2007. my pictures are here:
http://rides.webshots.com/album/560082568KkaFoX




The above car is the electrovair.

 

A DeSoto Sweptside?
A Dodge by another name


While Desoto trucks were not sold in the United States they were produced here! On the same assembly line as Dodge trucks and right next to the Fargo trucks destined for the Canadian market. They would be considered “badge engineered” trucks as they were a Dodge truck with the Desoto nameplates intended for foreign markets like Mexico, Central America, South America, and lots of island nations in the western hemisphere. Are they real Desoto’s? Yes! Mother MoPar intended them to be so they are. They are out there but bringing them back to the states can open up a whole can of worms. Besides importation cost that includes transportation, import fees, customs costs and duties (25% of purchase price for trucks). You will need to work things out with your local Department of Motor vehicles since their records will not show that they were ever produced and they will not be able to verify the VIN number, this may require some assistance from Chrysler Historical. You will also need to make sure that you have all the proper paperwork from the country of origin to show that there are no liens against it and it is not stolen. Some countries do not have titles and some do not even consider the year of manufacture in their licensing like we do here in the states. The ultimate collector in this category would be a 1957-59 vintage swept side truck similar to the American version dodge truck. I have seen pictures of the 57 version that has 1956 Plymouth 2 door wagon rear quarters and DESOTO on the tailgate where the Dodge version used 1957 Dodge station wagon quarters. Good luck finding one the picture I have of one has palm trees in the background. Was the picture taken in Cuba? Who knows?

Turkish twists


Want to own a current year Desoto truck? You can! Just contact your local Turkish Chrysler dealer and place your order, but good luck getting it back into the states as I would almost bet it does not meet our standards for emissions and safety. Unlike the re-badged Dodge trucks we discussed earlier these have very little to nothing to do with Dodge trucks and are just the Desoto name on another company’s product but as approved by Mother MoPar. Some of the ½ or ¼ ton Pickup pictures of trucks used in India I have seen look like the bodies were made in a High school sheet metal class. There are no compound corners and everything could be made in a press brake then welded together I am not sure what engine it runs but you can bet it is not a big block! But the Desoto name is loud and proud across the front of the hood in large letters. They also have a full range of diesel tractor-trailers.

South African Desoto's


Desoto Diplomats and rebel passenger cars were built in S. Africa through 1964 so you can bet the Desoto trucks were also built there. I do not have visual proof yet but when I do I will add it to this page

Wonders from down under


Australia had a way of being different! Not only were the steering wheels on the other side but some other things where different that could only be found on Australian built Desoto trucks. Sure you could get a 2-ton stakebed farm truck made for hauling grain to market that looked just like a Dodge but it was the smaller vehicles that really stand out from the crowd. These are referred to as Utilities in OZ. They from the front look just like a dodge but once you look at the side things get different they are not built with separate body and box like American Pick-ups. It looks like they used the panel van body and made it into a pickup by removing the upper rear body and putting a bulkhead between the box and passenger compartment. The standard models had a roofline very reminiscent of a pickup but the deluxe models had rear quarter windows and a coupe like sloping roofline. Another variation was the coupe utility (UTE for short) these were based on a passenger car chassis! I happen to own one of these so if you would like more information go to the My cars section of this website for more information.

Buses, military vehicles and fire trucks!


That’s right your kids could be riding to school in Desoto style. If they were in Europe! So far I have only been able to confirm that they were made in the United Kingdom. So next time you are there going on a tour makes sure to send me a picture of the bus for the website. Want to go four wheeling in your Desoto? Sure you can take your Firedome into the hills but why not track down a Desoto power wagon instead! Foreign governments needed military might also and the dodge Powerwagon was a force to be reckoned with. So just like the standard Dodge truck platform the Powerwagon fleet was available with Desoto nameplates. Yes this means you could get a six-wheel drive behemoth and go exploring the wilderness just like Hernando did. So next time you are on vacation in a foreign land take a second look at the old Powerwagons the local military is using. Huge Desoto pumper trucks put out many fires in their day in countries other than the United States and some may still be in service today!

Why did other countries insist on renaming a Dodge to make it a Desoto?


Sometimes it could be as easy as the Desoto name is just much more popular than Dodge! And in other cases much like the passenger cars foreign countries specified to manufactures that there be a notable difference between the models that were legally imported rather than smuggled in without the government getting their fair share. By changing the name it made it easy to determine what cars/ trucks where there legally.