This car company was formed in 1913 when it was purchased from The Edwards Motor Car Company located in Long Island New York. It was swiftly moved to Elyna Ohio in 1914 and then to Toledo Ohio in 1915. it would remain in Toledo till its demise in 1933. It was known for its unusual Sleeve Valve type engines.Mostly in four and six cylinders they did produce a short lived V8 sleeve valve from 1917-1919.
Slow sales and poor reliability killed the V8 with only a handfull being produced. In 1914 the price of a four cylinder model was a lofty $2500.00. That pricing would put them in the same league as Packard and Cadillac. With upgrades and improvements in production the prices would go an almost Chevy like level. By 1922 they would produce and average of 55,000 vehicles per year. by 1929 the featured car would only be available with a six cylinder engine.
Power ranged from 53-87 horsepower. By this time features and appointments would put them in the same league as Buick and Peerless. Thses upgrades would prove to be fatal when The Great Depression hit in late 1929. Despite that the larger models were considered the finest offerings from this soon to be orphaned make. What Auto is This??
Tag Archive: Great Depression.
Dec
07
What Auto is This?? This Grand Classic Would Not Survive The Great Depression
May
11
What Auto is This?? 05/11/2011
This car was only produced between 1923-1927. It was the mid price division of another car company.Its founder produced it as direct competition to Buick and Nash.Its flamboyant founder was known as the father GM and as a man who would win big and lose even bigger.As usual overspending and poor planning would lead to the demise of this quality make in 1927. Its parent company would bear the name of its owner.
The origins of the cars engine can be traced back to Willys who was working on a prototype when money ran out..Being known for gobbling up strapped for cash situations its founder purchased the rights to the engine for a bargin price. Known as one on the inventors of part interchanging with other makes this car would share 80% of its parts with its sister make.
Its robust six cyinder had 7 main bearings and full pressure oil system.This would be unusual for a mid price automobile in its day.Only three body type were available. A four door phaeton,a two door Town Sedan and four door Town Regal. Due to the cars odd pricing and slow sales it would be buried by 1927.Its parent make would suffer the ravages of the Great Depression and close its doors in 1931. Its “take a chance” founder would die almost broke in 1947 in Flint Michigan as a bowling alley manager. What Auto is This??
To see the answer and other answers to What Auto is This?? Quiz go to www.carlislejohnny.com or www.appraisal.carlislejohnny.com
Dec
07
Todays “What Auto is This??” Quiz
This car company was founded in 1909 by two brothers. The one brother a former employee of both Ford and Oldsmobile. In its first year of production it produced 500 vehicles. In its second year of production(1910) they made over 5000 vehicles. The one brother would leave in 1912 due to fighting with financial backers. He would open his own short lived electric car company that closed its doors in 1916. In 1912 this car company would be one of only three in the world making an “all steel’ body. The company would continue to grow. in 1924 they purchased a new modern factory and would compete with both Chevrolet and Ford. In 1928 they produced over 65,000 vehicles..During the 1920s this company decided to go upmarket. They produced an 8 cylinder luxury car. This strategy even before the Great Depression would prove to be costly. Sales would decline thru the 1930s despite many inovations. In a last ditch effort to raise sales in 1938 they purchased the tools and dies from the defunct Cord Car Company. They produced in very small numbers a copy of the iconic Cord 810/812. With the ravages of the times and bad managment they closed in 1940. What Auto is This??


























Recent Comments