Gangster cars.

[Buick35]

I hate when any 30s or 20s car is refered to as a gangster car. But on that subject Clyde Barrow liked Fords,Capone liked Cadillacs and I think Dillinger preferred Buicks.Am I right?

[Johnnya101]

Ive heard about the Capone only liking Cadillacs, not sure about the others.

[hidden_hunter]

2 hours ago, Buick35 said:

I hate when any 30s or 20s car is refered to as a gangster car.

Good to know that I'm not the only person that hates it!

[Matt Harwood]

Any car could be a gangster car. Those guys had to drive to work, too.

[John Byrd]

My 38 Packard sedan we had got refer'd to as a Gangster car by several folks, but at least they didn't laugh and call it a "Clown Car" like so many do our 63 Mini, lol.

[m-mman]

I put one of these (rather rare) of the era plates on my 29 Cadillac and the gangster comments stopped.  😎

Then telling people that I am campaigning to repeal the 21st amendment sends them away without any other dumb comments. 🤣

[1937McBuick]

That wouldn't bother me at all.  In fact there's a bit of bad-boy nostalgic romance attached to it.

 

Better than calling an automobile a lemon or widow-maker.

 

As pointed out previoudly on this site,  those 38's were found in the passenger side area of the body marked "here".   Interesting find considered the bullet configuration and calibre.   Hardly the common Canadian recreational and vermin shooting 22 cailbre.

 

If only cars could talk.

 

[Str8-8-Dave]

Legend has it Clyde Barrow wrote a letter to Henry Ford extolling the virtues of the Ford V8.  Supposedly,  Hemmings has a former Capone Cadillac listing,  if I recall correctly,  a 1928 sedan listed by Celebrity Cars.  The seller is asking $1M.  

[J.H.Boland]

2 minutes ago, Str8-8-Dave said:

Legend has it Clyde Barrow wrote a letter to Henry Ford extolling the virtues of the Ford V8.  Supposedly,  Hemmings has a former Capone Cadillac listing,  if I recall correctly,  a 1928 sedan listed by Celebrity Cars.  The seller is asking $1M.  

The Capone Cadillac was displayed in the Niagara Falls, Ontario car museum for years. It had thick bulletproof windows and armor plating. Last I heard it was in private hands in Pa. but has changed hands again since then.

[keithb7]

In general, the public knows very little about old cars. Who preferred what model car is even more obscure. Any old 20’s-30’s car is often just labeled  a “gangster” car. It means they like it, and are noticing it. Don’t take offence. Its a term of endearment. If anything, blame Hollywood for the infamous “gangster” car. 

[lump]

1 hour ago, keithb7 said:

In general, the public knows very little about old cars. Who preferred what model car is even more obscure. Any old 20’s-30’s car is often just labeled  a “gangster” car. It means they like it, and are noticing it. Don’t take offence. Its a term of endearment. If anything, blame Hollywood for the infamous “gangster” car. 

When I was a teenager in Dayton, Ohio (early 1970's), my dad took me along on a visit to the backyard garage of a fellow member of Southern Ohio chapter AACA, to see the project cars he was working on. Howard Riggs was his name, and he had just traded his newly-restored 1930 or 31 Chrysler LeBaron roadster to dealer Leo Gephardt for some cash and a couple Packard project cars. One of those cars was a mid-30's Packard sedan with thick steel armor and bulletproof glass. Howard said it supposedly had once belonged to Tom Pendergast (whom I had never heard of before), who was a gangster-affiliated political boss in the Kansas City area. Howard told Dad that he was trying to decide whether to remove all that armored stuff and put the car back stock or try to restore it as it was. I cannot recall the conversation between him and Dad at the time after that, but after seeing the subject of this thread I googled the name Tom Pendergast of Kansas City, and sure enough he was a real political boss with mob ties. 

 

On the way home that night I ventured to tell my dad that I thought the Packard would be more interesting and unique in its armored condition, because otherwise it would just be another 4 door Packard sedan of the mid 30's. He said he thought so too, but the problem was that the glass and armor was really, really heavy, and that it might cost a fortune to restore it that way. In hindsight though, I think that was right. What do you think? 

 

I have no idea what ever happened to that Packard sedan. Howard went on to restore the other Packard, which was about a '49 convertible. Wonder what happened to the armored sedan? 

Edited October 18, 2022 by lump (see edit history)

[Rusty_OToole]

If the glass and armor was intact it would cost nothing to replace. I would think the car would be more interesting in its modified form. Both as a conversation piece and a historical artifact. The smooth ride would be a bonus, acceleration and gas mileage not so good, but it would be a blast to drive a real "gangster car" to shows and tours.

[John348]

John Gotti on his way to work, what looks like a Lincoln 

[8E45E]

5 hours ago, John348 said:

John Gotti on his way to work, what looks like a Lincoln 

1985 Cadillac

 

Good example of GM's bad build quality back then.  Note the pinstriping doesn't line up between the front and rear doors.

 

Craig

Edited October 18, 2022 by 8E45E (see edit history)

[8E45E]

8 hours ago, lump said:

On the way home that night I ventured to tell my dad that I thought the Packard would be more interesting and unique in its armored condition, because otherwise it would just be another 4 door Packard sedan of the mid 30's. He said he thought so too, but the problem was that the glass and armor was really, really heavy, and that it might cost a fortune to restore it that way. In hindsight though, I think that was right. What do you think? 

 

I have no idea what ever happened to that Packard sedan. Howard went on to restore the other Packard, which was about a '49 convertible. Wonder what happened to the armored sedan? 

Maybe its this one in the museum in Rockford, Illinois:  Orphan of the Day, 09-27, 1937 Packard 1507 (Armored) - Studebaker Drivers Club Forum

 

Craig

[8E45E]

9 hours ago, keithb7 said:

In general, the public knows very little about old cars. Who preferred what model car is even more obscure. Any old 20’s-30’s car is often just labeled  a “gangster” car. It means they like it, and are noticing it. Don’t take offence. Its a term of endearment. If anything, blame Hollywood for the infamous “gangster” car. 

I remember in the 1970's wide-whitewall tires were sold as 'Gangster Tires'.

 

Craig

Edited October 18, 2022 by 8E45E (see edit history)

[jpage]

Many years ago I looked at a 1936 Dodge sedan that was reputed to have been own by one of the Pittsburgh, Pa crime families. I don't know if they actually had any proof, but like Matt said, any car could be a "gangster" car!

 

[Buick35]

My Dad was the service manager for a Pontiac dealership in Illinois in the early fifties I think,in a Chicago suburb.It was reputed that he was the only one that Al Capone let work on his car when he was younger.

[Alex D.]

 

12 hours ago, m-mman said:

I put one of these (rather rare) of the era plates on my 29 Cadillac and the gangster comments stopped.  😎

Then telling people that I am campaigning to repeal the 21st amendment sends them away without any other dumb comments. 🤣

REPEAL!!!

 

 

Just couldn't help myself. The fellow that I got my Cadillac from told me a story that a previous owner used the car to run shine.  He got a kick out of the tag. 

 

 

 

[1912Staver]

I think the very popular , late 1950's / early 1960's TV show The Untouchables really fixed the  " Gangster Car " image in the eye of the general public.

[Porsche 68]

Does this apply?

[SC38dls]

The suburb of Chicago called River Forest had a few gangsters living in it. Tony Arcaro was a famous one, you could drive by his house and look in the picture window and see a Thompson sub machine gun hanging on the wall of the living room. Everyone thought it was just a display model until the police arrested him. One of the cops took it off the wall and Tony told him to not be pointing it at him when he pulled the trigger. It was a fully loaded working gun. They also charge him with an unauthorized gun along with a few other things. 
dave s 

[tcslr]

In the movie 'Some Like it Hot', the St Valentine's massacre scene had a Dusenburg that the mob arrived at the garage - I'd take that 'gangster car' any day.  Those gangsters had immaculate taste.

[Gangster]

OK, seems my profile name hits a nerve with some members.............oh well.

 

BTW my 37 Packard - Six was used in a for TV film taped in Toronto in the 80's (well before I owned it) - The Mafia Princess staring Tony Curtis.  Here is a pic taken during the filming.  I call my car 'The Princess' in homage to the film.🙂

[JACK M]

I think the modern gangsters ride around in "the Beast".

[Hudsy Wudsy]

When John Dillinger chose to actually purchase a car, he plunked down his "hard acquired" cash for a '33 Essex Terraplane 8 cylinder, which was faster than a Ford.

Edited October 18, 2022 by Hudsy Wudsy (see edit history)

[31nash880]

I'm going for the gangster look.  My son takes great pics and I love the black and white.

[keiser31]

I used my 1936 Dodge Brothers touring sedan for a "gangster" prop for "Dirty Harry's Topless Speakeasy" ad in Detroit when I was a kid. Yes....there are topless shots, but this is a family site.

Edited October 18, 2022 by keiser31 (see edit history)

[keiser31]

A buddy of mine, his Tommy gun and my '31 Dodge coupe....

Edited October 18, 2022 by keiser31 (see edit history)

[George Rohrbach]

4 hours ago, 1912Staver said:

I think the very popular , late 1950's / early 1960's TV show The Untouchables really fixed the  " Gangster Car " image in the eye of the general public.

That TV show is what made me fall in love with old cars, as a kid.

It made me want a 30's car with running boards that gangsters could ride on and shoot Tommy Guns.

Got the car and shot a lot of Thompsons. The Thompson's only had a banana clip though.

 

[nzcarnerd]

From a alter period, this one is in the Southward Car Museum near Wellington, New Zealand.  The text I found with the photo -

 

"Mickey Cohen teen boxer and in Chicago Capone mob. Paired with Siegal in LA and Vegas. In 1961, Cohen was again convicted of tax evasion and sent to Alcatraz. He was the only prisoner ever bailed out of Alcatraz; his bond was signed by U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren. His heavily armored Cadillac from this period was confiscated by the Los Angeles Police Department and is now on display at the Southward Car Museum in New Zealand."

 

 

 

[Harold]

21 hours ago, J.H.Boland said:

The Capone Cadillac was displayed in the Niagara Falls, Ontario car museum for years. It had thick bulletproof windows and armor plating. Last I heard it was in private hands in Pa. but has changed hands again since then.

I saw the Capone Cadillac in the Niagara Falls Museum in 1964.  I still have the souvenir brochure that describes it.

[maok]

I guess I'm promoting the myth,

 

[lump]

How 'bout a photo of a more recent "gangster" and his "Gangster Car?" 

 

On my garage door I have a poster which was photographed in the very early 1970's, featuring Dayton, Ohio's Bill Stepp (2nd from left with machine gun). On his shoulder in the flapper dress costume is a girl named Cindy. Don't know anything else about her. The guy sitting against the passenger side fender is Stuart McDade, who drove this Dodge Demon super stock drag car to many wins all across the nation. Standing behind the driver's side of the car is my long-time very good friend Paul Frost, long-time gasser driver/owner---who is still an exceptionally bright automotive "wrench," as they say. He was crew chief for most of the Billy The Kid dragsters, plus the top fuel cars of Pat Dakin, another Dayton, Ohio drag racer. 

 

The car is a hemi-powered Demon, which spent it's life racing against guys like Sox & Martin, etc. There are many stories about Bill having been Ohio's most notorious gangster, etc. Everyone that I knew that actually met him described him as a nice guy. He grew up as a paid bare-knuckle fighter on Ohio river boats, even before he was a teenager, and was reportedly a very, very tough man as an adult. His daughter is a friend of mine, and she told me the story of a time when people came to their home pretending to want to speak with Bill, but then broke out guns and started shooting...and Bill shot back. No one was hit, and the shooters fled. So, maybe the "gangster" stories have some basis in fact? Who knows? 

 

Bill was never convicted of any serious crime, as far as I know. But many folks around here consider him to be a prime example of a gangster, and therefore THIS is what at least one "Gangster Car" looked like! 

Edited October 19, 2022 by lump (see edit history)

[John348]

When it all comes to an end every gangster takes that final ride in a Cadillac. I remember reading in the paper, when John John Gotti passed how they had to bring in flower cars from all over the tri-state area to accommodate all of the flowers from his family, friends, and business associates.   

 

 

Edited October 19, 2022 by John348 (see edit history)

[John Byrd]

Probably the most "Un_Gangster" car we've ever had was our little Anglia. No horsepower, no torque, and an absolute blast !!! It was the only one of our cars ever used in a "Gangster" movie though !!! The film was made by film students at The University of Nations here in Hawaii back in 2013, so it wasn't exactly a block-buster. The couple with the guns are two of the "stars", the other pics are my wife and me acting silly. Fun little car, fun days. I'm going to post the b/w and color versions of our pics. ( and no, I don't smoke a pipe, but thought one of my Grandfather's would look cool for the pic, lol ! )

[TexRiv_63]

My 34 Chevy had a bunch of bullet strikes on the passenger side - who knows what the history was...

[SC38dls]

My 38 Studebaker has been called a gangster car multiple times. 
dave s 

 

[J.H.Boland]

We liked to display our '29 McLaughlin-Buick with an airsoft Tommy gun propped up in the back seat. It helped portray the gangster image.

 

[JV Puleo]

I regard the "gangster car" comment as the second most obnoxious thing I occasionally hear. (The first is "what's it worth"). I can't understand why anyone would want to romanticize pimps, thieves and murderers. On my late father's side, our family is 100% Sicilian so I've been hearing this sort of rubbish my entire life. I think of my grandmother who called them the "bastido de mano negre". I was told that they killed her father.

 

My dad was born in March of 1916. One evening during the winter of 1915/16, as my grandfather was locking up his barber shop, one of these "gentlemen" attempted to rob him. I never met my grandfather but from the photos I've seen he wasn't someone you'd want to pick a fight with. In any case, he not only disarmed the would be thief he had him pressed up against a wall with a pair of barber scissors at his throat. The mafioso croaked out "are you a Sicilian?". I don't know what the response was...it was probably unfit for a family site but in any case, he let the thief go...

 

The following Sunday he showed up at the door with flowers for my grandmother. Seeing she was pregnant, he formally requested to be the godfather. This was not well received, at least in private. The dilemma was that these were viscous, often stupid, thugs. An outright refusal could be dangerous...

 

When my dad told me this, he stopped here. What happened, I asked. (Knowing who his godfather was and he wasn't a gangster. "Oh, just before I was born they found him in the railroad yard with a butcher's knife in his gut."