Tag Archive: Nash

Apr
06

Did You Know? Packard Was The First Car Company To Offer Air Conditioning In 1939 ..Trivia For 1930′s Week

Unlike most independent makes Packard surrived The Great Depression. Part of the reason was that by the mid 1930′s Packard offered lower priced cars. Some models even came with a entry level six cylinder. Offering Packard quality at a Nash prices. With this lower price model Packard was able to keep the cash flow going. Not wanting to sell entry level products would prove to be the demise of luxury makes like Pierce Arrow and Peerless. Packard still catered to their target customers the Richie Riches of the day. in the 1930′s Packard prodcued some of the grandest classic cars of all time.  By 1939 things were looking better thanks in part to FDR and his New Deal programs. Partly because people were just feeling better about things. One of Packards biggest markets was to export to heads of states in other countries. Wanting to keep these mucky mucks cool was something Packard wanted to do.

Using the same basic idea as a home air conditioning unit Packard mounted a crank driven compressor to the engine. Mounted in the trunk was 150lbs of condensor, evaporator, and hoses that fed thru the bottom of the car to a rear seat mounted unit. Guess the slobs in the front seat could melt. The option was not offered in the lower series cars. In fact no mention of the mammoth system even entered any Packard brochures till 1941. As you guessed only 84 cars got the $274.00 option in 1939.  Packard placed ads in Life Magazine bragging “Forget the heat this summer in the only air condtioned car in the world” Did You Know?

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 

Oct
27

Todays “What Auto is This??” Quiz

This car company made cars from 1916-1957..Then in 1957 it became part of the AMC flag..The pictured model was made between 1927-1957..From 1931 it was the companies top of the line model..In the 1930s it was in the same league as Packard,Pierce Arrow and Cadillac..Known for durability and speed..They came lavishly appointed giving them the nick name ”Kenosha Duesenbergs” What Auto is This??