Great Smith, Jone, Sellers

[Guest austincar6]

I am doing a presentation on Cars of Kansas for a classes I am taking at McPherson College.

Dose anyone know where I might find a Great Smith, Jones, or Sellers Cars, or info on them.

[Peter J.Heizmann]

austincar6...Welcome to the AACA Forum.

Our AACA Library & Research Center is a repository of thousands of original automotive books, spec sheets, and, sales literature.

You could do two things:

1. Click on Library under the Resources block above for an overview of our Library & Research Center and Request Form info...or,

2. Phone the L&RC and speak with Kim Miller, Librarian or any other staff members. (717-534-2082)

Best,

Peter J.

_________________________

Peter J. Heizmann

AACA Life Member #383299

Northern Neck Region

Pottstown Region

[1937hd45]

The late Merral Smith had a Great Smith, AACA Headquarters may know were it is.

[Studemax]

There is a Jones 6 on permanent display in the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum.

I'm sure other info besides the car is available there for your research.

They are open on the weekends during the day if you'd like to drive down.

[Guest BruceW]

I agree with Peter that you might want to give the AACA Library & Research Center a try. I did a quick 30 second search of the Library's online catalog on its web site (www.aacalibrary.org) and found the following pieces of literature listed in the Library's collection for the cars you named:

Title: ADVANCE SHEET OF 1907 GREAT SMITH CAR

Marque or Author Smith (Topeka, KS) 1907

Title: The 1908 Great Smith Runabout-Specifications

Marque or Author Smith (Topeka, KS) 1908

Title: INSTRUCTIONS AND PARTS PRICE LIST 1909-1910 (title found on the first page)

Marque or Author Smith (Topeka, KS) 1909-1910

Marque or Author Sellers 1909-1912

Title: Sellers Clippings

Summary: Various sizes. Several clippings, all items related to the above titled model.

Call number: 07-S1177

Title: FEATURING 1921 MODELS / Jones Six PASSENGER CARS

Marque or Author Jones (Wichita, KS) 1921

Title: Jones (Wichita, KS) Clippings Compilation

Marque or Author Jones (Wichita, KS) 1916-21

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Contact the AACA Librarian Kim Miller and she may be able to find more litarture on those cars and send you any copies you want for a nominal fee. You can also email Kim at kmiller@aacalibrary.org to discuss litertaure on these automobiles and fees for research and copying.

Good luck.

[jeff_a]

Dear Austincar6,

Thanks for trying the AACA Discussion Forum to find out about the Great Smith, Jones, and Sellers cars.

I don't know anything about the Jones auto, but there is a Great Smith* in the collections of the Kansas Museum of History in Topeka. The last time I was there, in 2004, the Kansas State Historical Society had it prominently displayed. The Sellers was built in Hutchinson, Kansas. My Grandpa had a wall clock used in the Sellers factory for many years.

* A friend in Iowa lent me a book called "Great Cars of the Great Plains", by Curt McConnell, University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln and London: 1995. It has a 44-page chapter about this make, including an account of a 1908 Great Smith going up Pike's Peak in October of that year. It took eleven days, because of a blizzard forcing the five-man crew to spend eight days in the summit hotel on the 26-mile expedition.

[Guest CharlesIrwin]

Does anyone know of the whereabouts of a Great Smith? I am aware of the one in the Topeka museum. I heard about one several years ago in Maryland. In the era, most were registered in Colorado, Nebraska and Kansas.

[Terry Bond]

The Great Smith that was in Maryland was owned by the late Murrell Smith, a former AACA National Director and member of the Chesapeake Region. Not sure where the car went but I know it was sold. Perhaps someone from Chesapeake Region can recall where it went. At least the might be able to reach Murrell's son to learn more about it. You can contact Chesapeake Region AACA through their website. I recommend contacting their President Gary Wilmer. Contact information is at the website below:

http://www.chesapeakeaaca.org/pages/organization/electedofficers/default.html

[Guest CharlesIrwin]

Thanks Terry Bond. I sent Mr. Wilmer an e-mail.

[Restorer32]

There are several Jones cars that show up at shows. At least three are owned by a collector named, surprise, Jones. I last saw them at the AACA Grand National in Nashville I believe.