Period images to relieve some of the stress

[twin6 1,198]

[8E45E 1,427]

Where did that 'First Pierce Arrow' end up?  Especially being that well-kept up and maintained into the 1930's.

 

Craig

[Colin Spong 133]

1939 Pontiac with British coachwork probably by Carlton Carriage Co of London.

[Colin Spong 133]

1939 Hudson "Country Club" sports saloon by Coachcraft , one of 20 such examples manufactured including one on a 129 inch wheel base.

This car had been abandoned in the street and a few days after this photo was taken it was towed to the junk yard. None are known to exist.

Sorry about the poor quality of the photo  .

[Matt Harwood 12,645]

 

One thing many of these photos have shown conclusively is that people were considerably smaller back then. Cars that we find constricting (like the front compartment of my limousine) were probably not all that uncomfortable for their smaller drivers when they were new.

 

 

[John_Mereness 5,026]

35 minutes ago, Matt Harwood said:

 

One thing many of these photos have shown conclusively is that people were considerably smaller back then. Cars that we find constricting (like the front compartment of my limousine) were probably not all that uncomfortable for their smaller drivers when they were new.

 

 

Always an interesting discussion as to why people do not fit into most early 30's and earlier cars.  Interestingly, most Duesenberg's are very suited for taller drivers, as are Cadillac V-16's and for that matter V-12 Packard's, plus ... (my RR PI took near monkey gymnastics to get in, but once inside if you were any shorter than 6 foot you would have had a bear of a time driving it)  - some stuff with divider window are not bad, but most are.  And there is a read advantage to convertible victoria body styles - I assume as to their popularity to some degree. 

[58L-Y8 2,093]

1 hour ago, Colin Spong said:

1939 Hudson "Country Club" sports saloon by Coachcraft , one of 20 such examples manufactured including one on a 129 inch wheel base.

This car had been abandoned in the street and a few days after this photo was taken it was towed to the junk yard. None are known to exist.

Sorry about the poor quality of the photo  .

 

Sad to see such a rare car in such sad condition, now all lost.  

[8E45E 1,427]

34 minutes ago, John_Mereness said:

Always an interesting discussion as to why people do not fit into most early 30's and earlier cars.  Interestingly, most Duesenberg's are very suited for taller drivers, as are Cadillac V-16's and for that matter V-12 Packard's, plus ... (my RR PI took near monkey gymnastics to get in, but once inside if you were any shorter than 6 foot you would have had a bear of a time driving it)  - some stuff with divider window are not bad, but most are.  And there is a read advantage to convertible victoria body styles - I assume as to their popularity to some degree. 

Good thing I'm not that tall!!

 

Craig

[John_Mereness 5,026]

2 hours ago, Colin Spong said:

1939 Hudson "Country Club" sports saloon by Coachcraft , one of 20 such examples manufactured including one on a 129 inch wheel base.

This car had been abandoned in the street and a few days after this photo was taken it was towed to the junk yard. None are known to exist.

Sorry about the poor quality of the photo  .

Anything out there in a factory new photo ? 

[LCK81403 199]

Matt has a point about the size of people.  When I was about 10 years old I discovered my great-uncle's one piece bathing suit from his World War One days.  I tried squeezing into it and the threads began tearing.  When I was about 12 years old I decided to try on my dad's fleece lined B-17 bomber coverall that he wore for deer hunting.    That bomber suit was too tight for me to pull on.

[Walt G 3,771]

There were associations that chauffeurs of cars could belong to , New York City had nearly a half dozen of them in the 1920s. I will have to look up to give exactly the number , but these associations advertised to try to get members in a magazine titled 'National Taxicab and Motorbus Journal' . Chauffeurs of Scandinavian and German decent were most prolific and beyond the associations they organized there were hotels, and athletic clubs specifically for them and visiting chauffeurs . Chauffeurs needed places to stay while the people that employed them stayed elsewhere.

I knew at least two of Herbert Franklin's chauffeurs ( he who owned the company that built the Franklin car in Syracuse , NY) and he said when he drove Mr. Franklin from Syracuse to New York City for an event , that HHF stayed in one place down near Columbus Circle on the west side of Central Park and he stayed a few blocks away. He also mentioned that HHF was a good guy - in warmer weather when an open bodied Franklin was chosen to transport Mr. Franklin around  ( favorite was a 1930 Pirate touring) that Mr. Franklin liked to sit up front not in the back behind the division window.

Interesting that when HHF's regular chauffeur was on vacation one of the company test drivers would be the one to be the chauffeur ( have to wear the uniform, chaps, hat, tie etc) . The test drivers did not like to get dressed up like that because the wool suit, chaps etc in summer heat became very uncomfortable fast.  Lots of other facts and memories from the Franklin employees that were told to me - why do I remember all this stuff (that was told to me 45 - 50 years ago ) like I was there with them.

[wayne sheldon 1,406]

1 hour ago, Walt G said:

why do I remember all this stuff (that was told to me 45 - 50 years ago ) like I was there with them.

 

A very long time ago, I became interested in the history of "speedsters" of the sort built by individuals back in the '10s and '20s. I actually got into antique automobiles and classics in the usual sense of factory built models, but found the speedsters to be an interesting and fun sideline to the general history of the automobile.

I really miss my early days in the hobby, but would not trade them for the world. For years, I drove my model T speedster everywhere. It happened so many times. I would park the car in the shopping center lot, then come out to someone looking it over, and it often lead to some wonderful conversations. I met quite a number of people that had built and some even actually raced such cars back in the 1920s. Some of the stories were incredible. One fellow asked a lot of questions about my car, where I found it, what came with it, and especially the gasoline tank. Then he pulled out his wallet, and removed a small photograph of his car from way back when he was young. My car was almost a dead ringer for his, right down to the 1917 Studebaker gasoline tank (I knew my tank was from a '17 Studebaker because a good friend had a '17 Studebaker and told me so).

Some days, I can lean back,and replay some of those conversations in my head as if it had been yesterday.

[Tph479 113]

[Fossil 564]

9 hours ago, Matt Harwood said:

One thing many of these photos have shown conclusively is that people were considerably smaller back then.

 

Your sure right about that. When I first moved here most of the wifes family was in their 60's' 70's' and 80's. They were not big people. I was 6'3" at the time and the locals thought I was very tall. Now there are many young people here that are taller than me so things are changing. 

 

9 hours ago, John_Mereness said:

Always an interesting discussion as to why people do not fit into most early 30's and earlier cars.

 

Right after getting out of the service in 72 I purchased a 30  Ford 2 door sedan. This spring I started looking at Model A's again but found that I could no long get into them. Steering wheels had moved a lot closer. Purchased a 30 DeSoto 4 door and there is tons of room in it. The seat is adjustable and the DeSoto must be quite a bit larger than a Model A. I'd like to see them side by side to confirm that. 

[Casper Friederich 137]

Adler 1,5 Litre Trumf Convertible

[John_Mereness 5,026]

What is this ?

 

[John_Mereness 5,026]

Here are some Facebook selections form past two weeks:

 

 

 

 

 

[John_Mereness 5,026]

[John_Mereness 5,026]

[John_Mereness 5,026]

[John_Mereness 5,026]

[John_Mereness 5,026]

[John_Mereness 5,026]

[John_Mereness 5,026]

[John_Mereness 5,026]

[John_Mereness 5,026]

[John_Mereness 5,026]

Custom Bodied Franklin

 

[John_Mereness 5,026]

[John_Mereness 5,026]

[John_Mereness 5,026]

[John_Mereness 5,026]

[John_Mereness 5,026]

[John_Mereness 5,026]

Interesting Packard Club Sedan

[John_Mereness 5,026]

[John_Mereness 5,026]

[John_Mereness 5,026]

[John_Mereness 5,026]

[John_Mereness 5,026]

[John_Mereness 5,026]

[John_Mereness 5,026]