Deb Tracy

June 14, 2019

Velie Conquers Grand Canyon!

The outstanding Stuhr Museum in Grand Island, Nebraska, doesn’t have a large collection of antique cars (they are dedicated to the Prairie Pioneer after all) but they do have a few tucked away in the back of the farm implement building. Sitting among the mostly Fords and Chevrolets you will find this jewel, a 1922 Velie Model 58 Roadster:

It is well known that Velie started as a buggy company with John Deere money. The founder, Willard Lamb Velie, was the grandson of John Deere himself. For a time, the Velie was even marketed through John Deere dealerships.

You may not be so familiar with a man named Harry Lord of Lord Motor Car Company, a Velie dealership in Los Angeles. Lord wanted to set a new automobile record at a time when it was all the rage to do so, and he decided to use the Velie’s ruggedness and durability to achieve it. The year was 1921, and Lord’s goal was to conquer the Grand Canyon with a Velie by driving from the rim to the Colorado River, and then back out again, with no road and no assistance.

He rounded up a crew of three employees and grabbed a new “Velie Six” off the salesroom floor. One paper reported that it was a Model 34, and that means it would have had a 6-cylinder, 37-hp engine and a 112″ wheelbase. They loaded the stock Velie with enough camping and camera equipment so that the total weight carried was over 1600 pounds, and set off for Arizona. Once they arrived and announced their intentions, they were warned by both Forest Rangers and native guides that certain destruction awaited anyone foolish enough to try to drive into the canyon.

Lord was said to be “wise in the matter of publicity,” however, so turning back was not an option and they began a treacherous, twisting, 19-mile descent. They drove through deep sand and rough terrain strewn with rocks and boulders. According to Velie advertisements, “There were long stretches where moment by moment the life of the party hung on the dependability of the steering gear and brakes-where the slighted slip would have precipitated car and occupants into ugly, jagged chasms thousands of feet below.” That may be a bit of hyperbole, but they also reported that there were many times where two wheels of the car rested on boulders and the opposite two wheels were in the air. In spite of all the obstacles, the team made it to the Colorado River, not stopping until the front tires were wet. Then Lord’s crew turned around and made the trip back out, all under their own power.

I should interject here that newspaper reports probably failed to give credit where credit was due. I wondered if it was possible to drive into the canyon today and discovered that it is possible using the Diamond Creek Road on the Hualapai Indian Reservation. And guess what? It is also a 19-mile trip that starts at Peach Springs, the same place that Lord used as a starting point. Since native guides were briefly mentioned in the papers, I think it likely that one of them pointed Lord to an existing trail on the Reservation.

It was still quite a feat for the Velie, however, and there is no doubt that it made a great story. That 1921 automobile endured all the punishment the trip had to offer without needing repairs of any kind and without puncturing what must have been great tires, Miller geared-to-the-road cord tires. Lord and his crew also swore they didn’t even need to add a drop of water to the radiator before climbing back out of the canyon and driving the Velie right back to L.A.

Velie and crew overlooking Yaki Point (quite a ways from where they actually drove down).

If you want to recreate the Velie’s trip into the canyon, I am told you can do so after paying a per person fee of around $26 to the Hualapai Tribe. It is still a dirt road with water obstacles so a modern SUV is recommended over a ’21 Velie (but I guess it all depends on what kind of story you want to be able to tell).

Sources:

“Down the Grand Canyon to the Floor of the Colorado.” The Los Angeles Times, 17 April 1921, Part VI, p. 1.

D.W. Semple, “With the Autoists.” Los Angeles Herald, 11 October 1909, p. 12.

“Makes a Daring Automobile Trip.” The Washington Post, 5 June 1921, p. 23.

“To The Floor of Grand Canyon.” San Bernadino Daily Sun, 24 April 1921, Sec. 3, p. 1.

Velie. Advertisement. Gibson City Courier, 8 August 1913, p. 2.

Velie. Advertisement. The Caledonian Record, 28 May 1921.

Velie. Advertisement. The La Crosse Republican, 2 June 1921.

June 8, 2019

Henry J Hood Ornament

I was positively ecstatic to find this hood ornament while out bird-dogging car parts the other day:

It is an extremely rare one, originally found on a 1952 Henry J Corsair (or Corsair Deluxe). The Kaiser-made Henry J was introduced in 1950, and this hood ornament was one of many appearance and mechanical changes for the economically-priced sedan in 1952. It was described as “a new lance-style chrome and plastic hood ornament” and survivors this nice are not common.

The Henry J was really quirky. It had washable vinyl upholstery in “authentic Scotch tartan plaids” in 1952. Also, to save on production costs, early versions didn’t have glove boxes or even trunk lids. The trunk was accessed by folding down the back seats!

The introduction of the Henry J was poorly timed. The war and its accompanying gas-rationing was over and the public was looking for large and luxurious automobiles, not smaller, cheaply-made ones. The last of the Henry Js were sold in 1954.

I haven’t taken any pictures of a Henry J lately, but I do have this one of an Allstate and that’s almost the same thing (but that’s a story for another day)!

Sources:

“New Look For 1952 Henry J Sedans.” The West Schuykil Press and Pine Grove Herald, 29 February 1952, Sec. 2 p. 1.

Henry J. Advertisement. The Times Recorder, Zanesville, Ohio, 29 February 1952, p. 16.

June 3, 2019

New (Old) Grille

We finally found an original grille for our ’48 Dodge that didn’t have any cracks or breaks. It was heavily pitted, however, so we took it to Ace Irrigation in Kearney, Nebraska, and had them sandblast and paint it. We chose the color “nickel” to blend in with the flame job, and they did great work. We are really pleased with the finished product and happy to have a new (old) grille!

May 31, 2019June 1, 2019

Dodge Brothers 3-Window Rumble Seat (For Sale)!

This beautiful old gal is sitting on the prairie in northern Kansas and she is for sale.

It looks to me like it might be a 1930, and it does have the engine and drive train. If you are interested in taking on this project contact Stortz Auction in Smithville, Kansas.

May 27, 2019

1956 Corvette

My Dad has a shirt that says, “I may be old, but at least I got to drive all the cool cars,” and, boy, did he ever. Not only did he drive them, he owned many of the very coolest cars. One of his favorites was this 1956 Corvette.

He bought this ’56 Vette in 1958, while he was still in high school. And no, he wasn’t some spoiled rich kid. Quite the opposite, in fact. My Dad was what was known as a “South Sider”. The kids on the South Side had it a little tougher, so they had to be a little tougher. My Dad was only able to afford this dream car in 1958 because he had been working as many as 60 hours a week since he was 15 years old at Charlie’s Mobil, a car lot and service station located right on the Lincoln Highway in Kearney, Nebraska. Working at a car lot meant this Vette was just the latest in a long line of incredible horsepower he had already owned, cars like a 1936 Ford Tudor hot rod, a 1947 Merc, lowered and painted Bahama Blue, a 1949 Oldsmobile fastback and a 1933 Ford with suicide doors, 16 coats of black lacquer and a Cadillac engine, just to name a few.

This beautiful little Vette was painted white with red sides and a red interior. It came with both tops, the hardtop and the fabric one, and a Wonderbar radio. The transmission was the optional Powerglide automatic transmission. Under the hood was a 265-cubic inch, 225-hp “Turbo-Fire” V8 with duel 4-barrel carbs and factory high power exhaust headers:

Keep in mind that all that power was really just a safety feature (at least according to the sales brochure):

I am not sure how much “safety” was being practiced the day Dad raced his Vette against a new 1958 Pontiac down the Lincoln Highway at 138 mph. The Vette did come out the winner that day, albeit with a partially melted bumper from the heat of the exhaust.

Dad worked for Charlie until he was 19 and wouldn’t trade those days for anything, especially because he was working when he met his future wife. They have been married since 1961, and this is a picture of them taken around that time:

Two things stand out about this picture. First, my Dad is about 40 pounds lighter than usual because he had been dieting at Fort Leonard Wood boot camp, and second, he must have really loved her to let her sit on that 1957 Olds.

May 26, 2019May 26, 2019

World War II M2 Halftrack

Heartland Museum of Military Vehicles in Lexington, Ne
Photo credit: Delaney Tracy

This M2 half-track is on display at the Heartland Museum of Military Vehicles in Lexington, Nebraska. The half-track was produced by American truck manufacturers White, Diamond T and Autocar. It had an endless belt track instead of rear wheels, and power from the 147-hp gas engine was delivered to both the track and the front wheels. The crew was protected by armor plate and a steel visor could be dropped over the windshield to protect the driver. It was designed to carry three machine guns that were mounted on a swivel for firing in every direction. In a June 30, 1943, story, the half-tracks were credited with contributing to the Allied victory in North Africa by Brig. General Joseph E. Harriman. Harriman reported that, “Half-tracks attached to the Second Corps downed 78 German planes for sure – possibly more than 100 – in Tunisia in a three month period. “

In gratitude to all who have served.

May 19, 2019

Goodbye, Winter . . . . . Hello, Beautiful!

May 12, 2019May 12, 2019

Terraplane

I absolutely love this unrestored 1934 Terraplane.

The Terraplane was first introduced by Hudson in 1932 as an Essex model.

According to ads, it was named “Terraplane” because it heralded something new and thrilling in highway travel, “skimming, dashing, mile-eating, safely close-to-the-road swift, smooth motion such as has not been enjoyed before except in planing on the water and air.

That first year, the Terraplane was powered by a 193-cubic inch 70-hp engine (the next year an 8-cylinder 243-cubic inch with 94-hp became an option). To drive home the idea of how driving this car was like “aeroplaning”, the company engaged Amelia Earhart to launch the new auto. Here is Earhart christening the Terraplane with a bottle of aviation gasoline instead of champagne:

After a record-making coast-to-coast flight, Hudson officials met Earhart at Newark Airport to present her with a new convertible coupe:

Earhart was not given the car she had christened, because that car was presented to one of the Wright Brothers, Orville Wright. How cool is that?

Hudson didn’t just have genius marketing moves like these, it also had an outstanding product. The Terraplane promptly began breaking stock-car records for both acceleration and hill-climbing (including a new record for an annual race up Pikes Peak).

Despite all of this success, Hudson decided to drop the Terraplane from its lineup for 1939. What a loss.

1935 Terraplane
*Photo credit: Delaney Tracy*

Sources:

“Champion Flyer Gets New Essex.” Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, 4 September 1932, p.70.

Kimes, Beverly Rae and Henry Austin Clark, Jr. Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1842. Kraus Publications, 1985.

“Miss Earhart Christens Car with Gasoline.” Democrat Chronicle, 25 July 1932, p. 12.

“New Car Awaited Amelia at End of Nonstop Flight.” Somerset Daily Herald, 2 September 1932, p. 2.

Terraplane. Advertisement. Clarion Ledger, 23 March 1935, p.7.

Terraplane. Advertisement. The Dothan Eagle, 23 July 1932, p. 3.

Terraplane. Advertisement. The San Francisco Examiner, 23 July 1932, p. 4.

“Terraplane Gift Delights Wright.” Detroit Free Press, 9 October 1932, p. 10.

“The Eyes Have It.” Kentucky Advocate, 26 September 1932, p 10.

May 4, 2019May 4, 2019

1930 Hudson

I recently picked up this striking instrument cluster:

It was originally in a 1930 Hudson:

The bold geometric shapes epitomize art deco style and represent the time period beautifully. I found a 1930 newspaper article that described the California debut of the ’30 Hudson that took place at the Walter M. Murphy building at the corner of Flower and Eleventh Streets in L.A.:

The Hudson’s premiere was apparently one auspicious occasion. It was a radio-broadcasted and star-studded event that included an orchestra, famous actors performing song-and-dance numbers and a fashion show featuring 26 beautiful models wearing everything from negligees to evening gowns.

Notice the odometer reads 90413:

That seems like a high number for the timer period, but not for this particular automobile. The Hudson was known for its reliability and won many endurance contests such as those listed in this advertisement:

The Hudson 213.8-cubic inch straight-eight was known as the “Great Eight” and was the best-selling 8-cylinder of 1930. It was offered in ten models on two chassis (119 and 126-wheel base) and prices started at $1050. Honestly, I would have bought it just for the dash.

Sources:

Film Stars Will Twinkle at Brilliant Opening of Walter M. Murphy Building Tonight.” Los Angeles Times, 15 January 1930, p. 11.

“Great Eight Novel Type in Hudsons.” Los Angeles Times, 15 January 1930, p. 11.

Hudson. Advertisement. The Santa Maria Daily Times, 11 January 1930, p. 8.

Hudson. Advertisement. Los Angeles Times, 7 August 1930, p. 7.

“U.S. Made Car Dominates in Stamina Test.” Oakland Tribune, 10 August 1930, p. 3.

April 26, 2019April 26, 2019

1949 Studebaker Truck

Whatever the job, this awesome 1949 Studebaker 1 1/2-ton truck would make the work more enjoyable. Studebaker described it as husky, handsome and trustworthy, and I can’t disagree!