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The Short-Lived Automobile with the Superhero Name

These late 1920s threaded hub caps belong to an automobile whose name is reminiscent of a crusading crime fighter with an interesting backstory: The Falcon-Knight.

It was produced in Elyria, Ohio, by the Falcon Motors Corporation. The president was John A. Nichols, Jr., a man whose previous position had been that of vice-president in charge of sales for Dodge Brothers. Newspapers reported at the time that Falcon Motors had “the personal endorsement and financial support” of John Willys, and there is little doubt that Willys was the actual decision maker.

1927 Falcon_knight

The Falcon-Knight was powered by a six cylinder 45-hp Knight sleeve valve engine with 2-15/16 x 3-7/8 bore and stroke. A printer/publisher named Charles Knight designed the sleeve valve engine to address the problems of the widely used poppet valve engine, specifically the noise and the need for regular maintenance in the form of valve grinding to restore compression. The Knight engine was an internal combustion engine that replaced the poppet valves with moving metal tubes, or sleeves, that slid up and down between the piston and cylinder wall. As they moved, carefully machined ports cut into the sides of the sleeves aligned at exact moments to let the fuel/air mixture in and exhaust out. They glided on a constant supply of oil and operated almost silently.

In Europe, luxury auto builders utilized the Knight engine in relatively small numbers, each hand built by master craftsmen. It had been rejected by the largest American automakers due to the complexity and expense of production until John North Willys became involved. The Falcon-Knight was the third car Willys produced with the patented Knight sleeve valve engine, the first being the Willys-Knight and the second the Stearns-Knight which Willys had purchased in 1925.

In the poppet valve engine, carbon build-up would necessitate a valve grinding job; in the Knight engine, the carbon polished the cast iron of the sleeves to a smooth finish. The carbon functioned as a self-renewing seal and caused the sleeve valve engine to run smoother and quieter at 40,000 miles than brand new.

1928 Advertisement

The sleeve-valve engine had to be honed with absolute accuracy. If too tight, the engine would seize up; if too loose, the engine would lose compression. Willys revolutionized factory machining, and the mass production of an engine requiring such precision was an incredible accomplishment.

Falcon-Knight radiator badge.

In August of 1927, Falcon Motors introduced a sporty new Falcon-Knight and graced it with the fantastic moniker of “Gray Ghost” (long before Batman was inspired by the crimefighter with the same name). The Gray Ghost was silver-gray in color with darker gray fenders and gray leather interior. This roadster could accommodate two passengers in front and two more in the rumble seat, and it had collapsible, waterproof tops, one for each compartment, wire wheels, and even a dual-tone horn.

Gray Ghost
Falcon-Knight Gray Ghost

In May of 1928, the legendary Cannonball Baker, the inspiration for the Cannonball Run, set a new transcontinental speed record in a Falcon-Knight Six, making the trip from Washington D. C. to Los Angeles in 73 hours and 47 minutes. Baker held the previous record, too, and he beat it by six hours and eight minutes in the Falcon-Knight.

The Falcon-Knight was only manufactured in 1927 and 1928 with a few more assembled with leftover parts in 1929. Manufacturing quietly ceased by March 1st of that year, and the Willys-Knight was also gone by 1933. A number of factors contributed to the demise of the sleeve valve engine. The heavy sleeves had rpm limitations, and the heavy oil consumption needed to prevent disastrous metal on metal friction was expensive and resulted in undesirable blue exhaust smoke. The labor costs involved in the precision manufacturing of the sleeve-valve made it difficult to compete against the poppet valve engines that were becoming better and cheaper, and the luxury market disappeared virtually overnight with the stock market crash and the Great Depression.

As seen in the picture below, the Falcon-Knight was just a great-looking car all around. Thankfully, a small number of survivors like this one have been saved and serve as beautiful evidence of this fascinating chapter in American automotive history.

1928 Falcon-Knight Coupe with Rumble Seat
Credit: F. D. Richards from Clinton, MI, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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Duco Paint: The Beginning

In the earliest days of the automobile industry, cars were hand painted in the same time-consuming and methodical fashion used to finish horse-drawn conveyances. Many layers were involved, each requiring sanding and time to cure, and the entire undertaking stretched on for weeks. This procedure slowed the assembly line and required ample real estate to park all of the cars in the various stages of the finishing process.

The revolution came in 1923 when DuPont developed a nitrocellulose lacquer called Duco. The great inventor Charles Kettering, VP and director of research for General Motors, was responsible for many innovations in the auto industry, and he is also credited, in large part, with the development of the Duco finish. This entertaining excerpt is from the 1929 book, Men, Money, and Motors by Theodore McManus and Norman Beasley:

Kettering was also responsible, in a large way, for the development of lacquer finishes on automobiles. Years ago he, like everyone else in the industry, realized that mass production methods could never be really efficient until the time spent by cars in paint shops was greatly reduced.

He was also impressed with the idea that the finish was no good, despite what the sales and advertising departments said about it. Regardless of claims of the paint manufacturers who insisted:

“It is the best finish in the world.”

“They don’t mean that,” thought Kettering. “What they mean is: ‘it is the best finish they know anything about.'”

He called a meeting of paint experts. Told them his problem. “It is taking too long to dry and the finish isn’t any good,” he declared, and explained that thirty-seven days were required for the finishing of a Cadillac automobile.

“We think we can help a little,” they promised.

Then went out for lunch.

When they came back they said: “We can reduce that time to thirty-four days.”

“I think we ought to reduce it to very much less time than that.”

“How much time do you think it should take?”

“About an hour.”

For a full minute there was silence, then all clamored together: “You can’t finish an automobile in an hour.”

“For what reason?”

“Because the paint won’t dry.”

“Can’t you do something to make it dry faster?”

This time they had him in a corner.

“We have exhausted everything that is known about dryers and you can’t finish an automobile in an hour, or two hours, or a day because Nature, when She made the materials going into paint, fixed the length of time for drying.”

Kettering was in New York a little while afterwards and saw some pin trays in a Fifth Avenue window. He inquired about the finish and learned it was a lacquer that came from New Jersey. He tried to make arrangements to get a quart but found he couldn’t because that much had never been made at one time.

“What do you want to do with it?” he was asked.

“I want to finish an automobile door.”

“You’ll never finish an automobile door with that.”

“Why not?”

“It dries too damn fast.”

There he had two extremes. With some good cooperative work between the du Pont Company and General Motors research laboratories, the painting time was reduced to where it is now possible to give several coats within an hour.

That, briefly, is the story of Duco.

Kettering himself repeated this story on occasion, and it is relatable to anyone who has ever found themselves having to challenge the “We’ve always done it this way” mindset.

The first automobile to sport the new Duco paint was the Oakland, an entry-level automobile that General Motors acquired in 1909 and produced through 1931 when the Oakland Motor Car Company was absorbed into Pontiac.

Oakland chose a shade of blue to inaugurate the new finish and then cleverly promoted the automobile as the “True Blue Oakland Six.”

This advertisement discusses eight Oakland features with number five highlighting the Duco finish:

Dealerships demonstrated the durability of the Duco finish with tests involving things like ammonia, acid, fire, and hot tar:

Oakland called the color of its cars “Holland” blue and accented it with red or orange along the beading and around the centers of the hubcaps.

I found this photo online. It is a 1924 Oakland, and it is located in New Zealand. It does not say if the paint is original, but it still gives you an idea of what the “True Blue” Oakland looked like. It is an amazing survivor either way but, seriously, clean off the bird doo.

1924 Oakland Tourer in New Zealand. Credit: GPS 56 from New Zealand, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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Corvair 95 Rampside

We spotted this trailered classic Corvair while driving through a parking lot in Grand Island, Nebraska:

The Chevrolet Corvair was GM’s attempt to take on the Volkswagen, and it was a valiant effort that included a full line of cars, station wagons, vans, and trucks. The vans and trucks were part of the utilitarian Corvair 95 series, with the “95” in the name referring to the 95-inch wheelbase. They were initially powered by an 80-hp flat six which, like the rest of the Corvair line, was a rear-mounted air-cooled engine. The 1964 versions featured a 95-hp engine with 110-hp available for additional cost.

The Corvair 95 trucks were available as a Loadside or a Rampside, with this gorgeous green example being among the latter:

The Loadside had a conventional tailgate which made access a problem since the floor of the truck bed had to be raised to accommodate that rear-mounted engine. In addition to the tailgate, the aptly named Rampside featured a brilliant, hinged door on the side that could be lowered to form a four-foot-wide ramp to the cargo bed with a loading height of just 14 inches. This unique concept helped fuel sales during the inaugural year, but those sales slumped the following year and the trucks were not produced after 1964.

Both the Loadside and the Rampside had two-door cabs and cargo boxes with capacity of 80 cubic feet. One story in the December 18, 1961, issue of Billboard Music Week magazine noted that the Rampside was ideal for a jukebox rental business, both due to the ramp for loading and unloading, and the dimensions of the cargo bed which was just the right size for accommodating either two jukeboxes or three cigarette machines.

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More Local Auctions

There are a couple of local classic car auctions taking place right now, both with internet bidding. Adam Marshall is selling cars located in Nebraska, Kansas and Colorado, and some of the Nebraska cars are the innovative creations of the legendary Gene Paist.

1947 Lincoln Continental with Cadillac engine – Photo credit: Adam Marshall Land & Auction
Twin-engine Duesenberg roadster – Photo credit: Adam Marshall Land & Auction

This one ends in a couple of days, and you can view the entire catalog here: Statewide Auto Online Auction No Reserve – July 14th

The annual Cruise Nite auction will take place on July 17th, and there are currently around fifty vehicles consigned:

1958 Plymouth
1977 Bronco
1958 Chevrolet Apache 3200

This auction catalog can be viewed here: Rhynalds Cruise Nite Auction

Good luck finding your next dream car (or truck)!

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July 5th Auction: 1949 Dodge Truck

This incredible 1949 Dodge B-series truck is located at Blue Hill, Nebraska, and it is currently on the auction block with seven days left to bid.

The odometer reads 10,028, believed to be actual miles!

This truck came with a flathead straight-6 engine. The auction page states only that this one has not run in years, and that the truck has been stored inside.

This Pilot House truck has the raised cargo bed that came standard for increased hauling capacity, but it does not have the optional rear quarter windows:

The interior looks to be in unbelievably good condition.

This auction closes on July 5th, and owning this piece of Mopar history would be a fantastic way to celebrate America’s 250th. Here is the link to the auction site on HiBid: 1949 Dodge Pickup | Live and Online Auctions on HiBid.com

There is a preview on July 2nd if you want a closer look. Best of luck!

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New York City in the 1920s

The front page of the December 3, 1922, edition of The Brooklyn Citizen newspaper was dedicated to the increasing number of automobile-related deaths. The creepy and superbly effective graphic shown above was centered under the following dramatic headline:

The Fish referred to was Lawrence C. Fish, a Brooklyn Traffic Court judge. According to Fish, the number of automobile deaths nationwide had increased from fewer than 400 in 1906 to 11,024 in 1921. Fish blamed incompetent and intoxicated drivers, speeding, defective brakes, and the fact that American traffic regulations had not kept up with the phenomenal increase in the number of automobiles on the roads. The judge also explained that pedestrians were often at fault by simply not looking both ways when crossing the street.

In another sign of the times, the paper also proclaimed that automobiles killed more Americans than typhoid, malaria, and smallpox combined:

This graphic from the same page shows the number of fatal automobile accidents in each state during 1921. California had the greatest number of fatalities per 100,000 population at 24.1; Mississippi was lowest with 2.7 per 100,000.

Judge Fish was not wrong about pedestrian deaths being a significant problem. In June of 1925, there were 150 deaths involving automobiles in the state of New York, and 96 of them were pedestrians. Of those 96, 59 were children under the age of 15. In an attempt to address the problem, the school system distributed brochures and implemented safety lessons to educate children on the dangers of playing in and crossing streets.

Other attempts to save lives included inventions like the Pohlig Automatic Fender, a device intended to prevent accident victims from rolling under the wheels of a car or truck. Manufactured by the Peelle Company, a maker of safety devices in Brooklyn, the Pohlig Automatic Fender had a horizontal trip bar located an inch or two in front of the fender that, in theory, would cause the fender to automatically drop to the ground when a person was struck, thereby preventing the person from being crushed beneath the wheels. This view shows the trip bar:

These photos show the fender in the up and down positions:

This disturbing demonstration was included in advertisements:

The Pohlig Automatic Fender was only advertised for a couple of years, and there is no record of the number put into use. One hundred years later, pedestrian deaths continue to account for more than half of traffic deaths in New York City, although the number has been decreasing since the implementation of Vision Zero, a program which aims to eliminate traffic deaths and injuries.

On a side note, I recently found a small connection to this period of New York in an antique store in Lincoln, Nebraska. One side of this leather key case is embossed with the name and address of a car dealership:

A search of the address revealed that there is exactly one “125 West End Avenue” in the entire country, and it is in New York City. While this leather case likely dates to the 1960s, the building at this address was originally built for Chrysler in 1929.

More recently, it was the home of ABC/Walt Disney. There was apparently talk of tearing it down but, thankfully, it was instead renovated and now houses some sort of research facility. I could find no mention of the dealer on the key case, “C and A Auto Sales,” anywhere, so it was likely a small and short-lived business, leaving behind the mystery of how this pocket-sized piece of advertising ended up in the middle of Nebraska.

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See America First: Universal’s Transcontinental Production Unit

The Pittsburg Press published these photos in 1925 along with the following caption:

“Unless one has been started by another motion picture producer since the above pictures were taken a short time ago, these photographs show the only motorized motion picture making company in the world. It is the transcontinental production unit of the Universal Pictures corporation, which is now making pictures in representative cities of the United States. The unit consists of a luxurious motor pullman, weighing more than seven tons, and a specially built hauling unit of 112 horsepower. The pullman is comfortably equipped for four persons, with dining and sleeping accommodations, developing and printing rooms and a radio outfit. In the upper photograph is shown the unit and the company which is engaged in making the pictures, while below is shown an interior view of one end of the motor pullman.”

This transcontinental production unit was used to film footage of scenic and industrial locations in U.S. cities as part of a national production called “See America First.” Universal president Carl Laemmle conceived the idea of “See America First” in order to show America to Americans and the rest of the world through motion pictures. The custom truck pulling it looks beefy for the mid 1920s, and I would really like to know who made it. One story described it as a huge, specially built roadster with seven speeds that could attain a speed of 90 mph when not pulling the trailer. With the Pullman attached, it had gone as fast as 50 mph, but the usual cruising speed was 20-25 mph. It would definitely take some time to see America at that rate.

Advertising the display of Universal’s transcontinental production unit in front of the Stanford Theatre in Palo Alto.

This was still the era of silent movies, and 1925 was the year Universal released some memorable ones like The Phantom of the Opera starring Lon Chaney. Universal released another movie that year called “Oh Doctor!” This comedy starred Reginald Denny and Mary Astor, and it also included some racing scenes. The title card that precedes the racing action says, “Ascot Speedway – where they “make ’em go,” and it does look like it was filmed at Ascot in the 1920s. Hit play below, and the video will start at the correct place.

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Highway Creepers 2026

The Highway Creepers car show took place in Kearney last weekend and it was, as usual, a feast for the eyes. You never know what you are going to see there, like, for instance, this absolute beast:

It started out as a 1948 Oldsmobile before someone let their imagination run wild. It is branded with the name of a local car lot, so this must be one eye-catching rolling advertisement. Those fins are likely a point of contention with most people either loving or hating them.

Speaking of fins, the ones on this 1959 Buick are fantastic.

Buicks were restyled in wild fashion for ’59, and the overall body length ranged from 217.4 to 225.4 inches. For comparison purposes, a new Chevy Suburban has a body length of 226.3 inches. Buick also implemented new series names, replacing the Special, Century, and Roadmaster with the LeSabre, Invicta, and Electra.

The Electra, like the one pictured at the car show, was the new Roadmaster. It was powered by the Wildcat 445 engine with 4-barrel downdraft carburetor and automatic Twin Turbine Transmission. The Triple Turbine Transmission was available as an option. The Electra had additional brightwork, like rocker and wheelhouse moldings, and other standard features included power steering, power brakes, two-speed electric wipers, and dual exhaust. The distinctive grille, made with rectangular squares, was one of the few holdovers from the previous year. A Buick Electra was also chosen as the pace car for the 1959 Indy 500.

March 19, 1959, Terra Haute Tribune.

On the subject of land yachts, this 1973 Lincoln Continental (body length of 229.9 inches) is gorgeous in metallic green. Notice the curb feelers installed to keep those wide white walls pristine.

A few more highlights:

1955 Mercury
1929 Ford Model A Pickup
1934 Chevy Sedan
1956 Ford F100
1946 Chevy rat rod with tequila bottle coolant reservoir

1967 Chevy C-10
1956 Chevy Bel Air Gasser

Finally, this photo of kids playing on a lifted Ford F250 is pretty funny:

Early 2000s Ford F250

For the record, no children were harmed in the making of this blog post (not even the one wrapped around the rear tire)!

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Early Brockway Trucks

Brockway had long been in the business of making carriages when, like many similar concerns, it transitioned into making self-propelled vehicles in the early 1900s. After a few years of dabbling in the truck-making business, Brockway Motor Truck Company was formed in 1912. Here is the notice in a list of new incorporations that appeared in the August 23rd edition of the New York Times:

This advertisement appeared the following year:

The climb, reported at the time to be the most difficult in the Connecticut city of Meriden, was made from a “standing start.” The truck carried three prominent local businessmen, in addition to the driver, and it had no problems tackling the 12-14% grade. The new Brockway had driven to Meriden directly from the factory in Courtland, New York, and had made the one-hundred-mile trip in nine hours and fifteen minutes using ten gallons of gas and two quarts of oil.

This wonderful photo of a 3-1/2-ton Brockway Truck appeared six years later in a 1919 edition of the Baltimore Sun:

It was owned by Arillo Construction company of Baltimore, and you can just make out that company’s name on the box of the truck. The caption stated that it was equipped with a Rodenhausen power hoist and had a “short wheelbase” for loading and unloading in narrow areas. The 3-1/2-ton Brockway was available in multiple wheelbases at this time, 120″ to 164″, according to B. F. Goodrich’s 1918 edition of Motor Trucks of America, a source that provides a wealth of information about early trucks. Here is the excerpt on Brockway Trucks:

The Brockway pictured below was one of a fleet of twelve owned by H. D. Bahr Trucking Company of New York City. This photo appeared in a 1920 publication. Notice the sign on the building advertising Bahr as the Bronx Agency for Indian Tires.

Finally, in January of 1920, a large truck show was held in New York City, and Brockway was there along with International, Dodge Brothers, Reo, and something like sixty-two other makes. The show was held in the enormous armory at the corner of Jerome Avenue and Kingsbridge Road in the Bronx and, fortunately, the occasion was documented with this photo in a publication called Highway Transportation: