Tag Archive: Great Depression.

Dec
07

What Auto is This?? This Grand Classic Would Not Survive The Great Depression

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??

Jul
12

Carlisle Johnny’s Back After a Long Vacation..What Auto is This?? Quiz 07/12/2011


Once considered royality of  American cars this car for the rich was spoken in the same terms as Packard and Pierce Arrow. First starting as a maker of bicycles and clothes wringers they would make superb vehicles from 1900 till 1931 when the Great Depression sent it into grave yard of great cars. Based in Cleveland Ohio this inovative car company would be the first American car to use a front mounted engine with a driveshaft powering the rear wheels. Sure sure of the quality of their product they used the slogan  “All that the name implies” The ritzy interiors were described in glowing terms as “”An interior resembling a cozy and luxuriously furnished drawing room.” With all the hoopla about luxury they also bragged about the robust mechanic. Engines featured a durable dual plane crankshaft with full oil pressure. Famous race driver car driver Barney Oldfield would be hired to drive these amazing cars to speed and durability records. Even before The Great Depression sales were starting to slip. They tried to venture into the lower price markets. The new slogan would be “Now There’s a …….. for Everyone.” Introduced in 1929 the new “Six” cylinder models were much more advanced than the offerings from Buick or Nash. When to bottom fell out in 1930 the end was only a few months away. In last ditch effort to peak interest they made a handfull of super luxury v16 models in 1931 beating Cadillac’s super classic to market by almost a full year. The doors would close in in late 1931. A few cars were sold as 1932 models but this once proud american icon would fall into the automotive wasteland known as the Great Depression. What Auto is This??  

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??