General DiscussionDiscuss RUXTON, CHRISTIE, ETC. - HELP in the AACA GENERAL DISCUSSION forums; I am gathering information for a forthcoming article on the evolution of front wheel drive automobiles for Cars & Parts. Though the feature will focus on American prewar cars I ...
I am gathering information for a forthcoming article on the evolution of front wheel drive automobiles for Cars & Parts. Though the feature will focus on American prewar cars I want to include some information on foreign makes as well. With that in mind I need your help.
To date I have information on Christie, Miller, Ruxton, Cord, and the experimental models by Checker. I have even gathered some information on an experimental front wheel drive Packard.
My questions is this. What am I missing, and where can I find additional information and/or material suitable for use as illustrations?
Thanks in advance. If nothing eles this should open the door for some lively discussion.
Are you only interested in production cars? There were several Henderson 4 cylinder powered FWD midgets built in the early 1930's. I think I have the plans to build one somewere in the files. Bugatti built a 4WD car in the mid 1930's. There was an accessorie front drive axle built for the Model T Ford, and the Marmon-Harrington conversions in the late 1930's.
Many have already been mentioned but don't forget Alvia and DKW. There were also some made around the turn of the last century when inventors where trying out all sorts of designs.
The original idea was to focus on production models. This, however, is not really feasible as Christie never really got production under way but yet produced some advanced vehicles for racing. Likewise with Miller.
Then there are the pivotal experimental models by Packard and Checker. The latter has a tie to Cord through Herb Snow.
I have some vague leads onother interesting front wheel and four wheel drive vehicles. One that is quite feasible pertains to experiments with the first generation Nash using 4x4 Jeffery truck components.
I will have to touch on 4x4 vehicles as their development played a role in the evolution of front wheel drive. That takes me to the Marmon Herington Ford coversions and a company that offered an aftermarket 4x4 coversion for the Model T.
Thanks so very much for the help. A lot of this, such as the reference to Citroen, I knew but had forgotten.
Here is another interesting chapter in the history of American front wheel drive automobiles. Hamlin-Holmes survived about ten years but never really produced much more than a few fwd prototypes and a couple of racers built on T model Ford chassis.
Don't forget about the supercharged front wheel drive Alvis 1928-29.
"Alvis played a progressive role in the development of front-wheel-drive in Europe. In 1925 they produced a low-slung sprint car, powered by a "12/50" engine mounted back to front, and the following year a l.5 litre supercharged dohc straight-eight grand prix car. In 1928 came the Front Wheel Drive production car using an ohc four-cylinder 1482cc engine, with the option of an Alvis designed and built supercharger and all-independent suspension. Although it only remained in production for two years a few straight-eight examples were also built."
West Peterson, Editor
Antique Automobile (AACA)
"Things are more like they are now than they've ever been!" – Uncle Arnie
I have two photos of the Ruxton. One appears to have been taken at a car show in the 1940s. I have posted both on my blog, www.route66chronicles.blogspot.com As the Ruxton is a bit of a rarity I wonder if either car is still existent.
Thanks for the help. You have encouraged me to rectify a glaring oversight on my part, joining the AACA!
The roadster looks like the car that used to be in the Harrah Collection. I don't know where it went after the auctions, but it's not listed in the CCCA listing.
The sedan may be the prototype. I have a photo of the recently restored "hot-rod" Ruxton if you're interested. This is a "skunkwerks" car that was built at the same time as the "official" Ruxton prototype. The body is from a Dodge convertible (I think), but the running gear is the same as the Ruxton. Kind of cool looking.
West Peterson, Editor
Antique Automobile (AACA)
"Things are more like they are now than they've ever been!" – Uncle Arnie
I knew these things were rare but numbers like this make them scarcer than a pre war Checker!
There are several facets of the Ruxton story that really facinates me. My understanding is that many of these cars had unusual paint schemes, that is one. Another is the story of when Archie Andrews, to serve a court order, had to break down the doors at Moon where management was barricaded.
I also understand that before turning to Moon and Kissel for production the idea had been pitched to Hupmobile and Marmon.
Were you able to see the attached photo in the post after the roadster? That shows the "rainbow" paint job that five of the sedans were painted with. All of them had different color combinations. These were done to attract attention at auto shows. The color lines were horizontal, so the effect was also to try and make them look even lower than they were. There are two existing sedans (that I know of) that have been restored with this paint scheme; one is done in salmon (the Nethercutt car) and another is done in blues (don't know where this one is now, but it used to be in the Pacific Northwest). Four of the existing nine cars are owned by two people.
West Peterson, Editor
Antique Automobile (AACA)
"Things are more like they are now than they've ever been!" – Uncle Arnie
Don't forget to mention the experimental 12 cylinder Cord that was apart for almost 65 years and was restored and finished a year or so ago. It's in the ACD Museum. It's probably really an article in itself, though.
Regards, Dave Corbin
Several years ago in Special Interest Autos I read the amazing story of the V12 Cord, how it was scattered to the wind and then discovered. This is another item I had forgotten. I will contact the Jon Bill at the ACD museum, thanks.
Maybe you've already read these, but here are the sources for what I read about Christie recently:
a) www.4wheeldreams.com Color illustration of a 1908 Christie. In 1905, won 50-mi race at Ormond Beach, FL."After spectators praised the car, Christie opened the Christie Direct Action Motor Car Company. To enhance sales, he entered the Vanderbilt Cup Race of 1907..."
b) www.vanderbiltcupraces.com 1905 Christie #11 illustration: "Christie and Lancia Collide" by Peter Helck. 1906 Christie #17 "The blue unique 50 HP front-wheel-drive #17 Christie sped around the Hairpin Turn." I think this is all to be in a book by Howard Kroplick released in March, 2008 called "The Vanderbilt Cup Races of Long Island".
c) Stein, Ralph, The American Automobile, Random House, NY: about 1971, pg 244. 5 sentences about Christie in a 4 page chapter on Cord.
Notes: a) there wasn't a Vanderbilt Cup in 1907, so maybe this is a typo, and they meant another year b) to make it confusing, Christie was in a Christie, but Lancia was in a Fiat c) according to these sources, the engines got a little bigger from "ought-six" to "ought-eight" in the Christie
Jeff, That Lancia/Christie crash occured in the 1907 French GP, Christie was the first to enter an American car in European GP competition. There is an 18 page feature on Christies work in Automobile Quarterly Volume XIV #3, the third issue from 1976. There is a Ruxton feature in the fall 1969 issue Vol VIII #2.I also found a feature on Jean-Albert Gregorie and the FD cars he designed in firts 1976 issue Vol.XIX #1.
If memory serves me correctly Antique Automobile did a great article on Christies years ago. They showed the racers as well as several passenger cars, I think. I do know Christie had a succesfull business selling front wheel drive tractor units that took the place of horses for many fire departments with horse drawn equipment.
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