The fascinating history of American cars . . .one story at a time.
Awhile back, I wrote about the extravagant 1917 St. Louis auto show and some of the fine automobiles on display such as offerings from the Ben Hur Motor Company. That auto show included another noteworthy and opulent entry, a gold-plated car that was, at that point in time, the most expensive ever built.
The car was a Studebaker Series 18 seven passenger touring car with a Victoria top and a 6-cylinder engine, and it must have been an absolute vision in gold and white. The chassis was gold plated as were the other metal parts including the radiator, springs, lamps, wheel hubs, door handles and running boards. The body was gold and glistening white enamel. The Victoria top was made of the finest white leather with gold brackets. The upholstery was also white leather. The steering column, clutch, accelerator, emergency brake and other metal parts inside the car were also coated in gold. Even the speedometer was white with gold numbers.
In total, 400 ounces of 24-karat gold were used to gild the stunning Studebaker, and that much gold was valued at more than $30,000 in 1917. The Detroit News-Tribune effused, “That Croesus chariot – the golden car – gleams its prosperous presence behind a gold railing,” and it did draw a crowd. The floor of the display was covered with a rich velour, and on top of that sat on a huge French plate mirror. The Studebaker was parked on the mirror which reflected the chassis construction.
After touring the United States, the gold car went overseas, heavily guarded and even more heavily insured. After traversing the globe, the car was delivered back to South Bend, Indiana, via Pacific Mail steamer in 1919. It was reported that, “For the benefit of all posterity it will henceforth repose in all its golden splendor in the famous museum maintained by the Studebaker corporation at South Bend.” So is it still there? Perhaps someone from the museum can weigh in . . . .
I hear from many people seeking help with the identification of Packard hood ornaments, so I have started putting together a guide. I have begun with the Packards of the 1950s, which you will find below. If you are looking for the 1940s or earlier, either check back here later or heed Packard’s slogan and “ask the man who owns one.”
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
This fantastic old truck is a 1918 Republic, and it was part of the annual Old Trusty Antique & Collectors Show in Clay Center, Nebraska:
By the time 1918 rolled around, the Republic plant in Alma, Michigan, was the largest in the world devoted exclusively to the manufacture of motor trucks. With a thousand distributors in the United States and representatives in other countries as well, Republic had already sold 25,000 trucks throughout the United States and beyond. The company was continuing to expand and set an ambitious goal of 40,000 new trucks to be manufactured in 1918.
The Republic line included seven models of trucks in varying capacities to suit every business, and for every conceivable kind of hauling. This ad has pictures of those seven models, the Dispatch, 3/4-Ton, 1-Ton, 1-1/2 Ton, 2-Ton, 3-1/2 Ton and 5-Ton.
In addition to the dependability of the Republic-Torbensen Internal Gear Drive, Republic also advertised that their truck frames were built stronger, in proportion to size, than a railroad bridge:
Republic struggled in the years after the war and eventually merged with American LaFrance in 1929, so this well-preserved 1918 model is really representative of the company’s heyday.
Sources:
Jaquith Motor Co. Advertisement. The Daily Argus Leader [Sioux Falls], 8 Mar 1918, p. 7.
Prough Bros. Advertisement. Bakersfield Morning Echo, 8 Sept 1918, p. 4.
“Republic Motor Truck Company Give Alma World Wide Fame.” Lansing State Journal, 15 Oct 1917, p. 13.
“Truck Firms Unite.” The Pittsburgh Press, 21 April 1929, p.5.
A great photo of an L-Series Ford truck, surrounded by cows and sunflowers, that my daughter snapped as we were driving through Kansas:
I have written previously about the Nebraska State Patrol’s Fox Body Mustang, but the NSP also has this 1950 Ford in the lineup:
1950 was an important year in the annals of police car history because Ford introduced the first police package that included “heavy duty” parts like springs and shock absorbers, clutches, and interiors as well as “extra heavy duty” parts like generators and batteries:
The police car brochure included testimonials from various chiefs of police including Omaha’s own Chief Fred “Fritz” Franks:
Franks died in 1954 at the age of 67. According to his obituary, he immigrated to America from Danzig, Germany as an orphan and worked in Omaha’s Metz Brewery before joining the force in 1914. He was nicknamed the “Dutchman” and was a big, gruff man known for his granite jaw, good work ethic and thorough approach to detective work. In the letter above, Franks states that he was personally driving a new ’49 Ford. I hope he got to try out the ’50 Ford with the 255-ci 110-hp police-only engine. Franks once said, “You gotta be tougher and smarter than the dirty crooks, ” but it helps to be faster, too!
The Nebraska Junk Jaunt is coming up September 24-26. The Junk Jaunt is 350 miles of garage sales and vendors along a route that loops through the central part of the state and the uniquely beautiful Nebraska Sandhills.
You will find an amazing variety of antiques, collectibles and primitives along the way including lots of classic car parts. Pro tip: Don’t skip Cairo, a veritable hotbed of Junk Jaunt activity!
See you there!
I found this photo when I was researching my last post about the 50th anniversary Ford. It appeared in a June 1953 newspaper, and the caption reads:
“Fifty years ago, when Ford Motor Company was founded, the average man would have worked 17 months to earn enough money to buy a runabout consisting of little more than a two cylinder engine and a buggy frame. Today the cost of a Ford car similar to those above is equal to the wages an average man earns in 3 1/2 months.“
So, in 1953 the “average” man could purchase a new Ford with wages earned in the span of 3 1/2 months. How does that compare to today? According to the Social Security Administration, the average annual salary for Americans in 2019 was $51,916.27. Most new Fords would take every bit of that!
In 1953, Ford Motor Company was celebrating the 50th anniversary of its June 16, 1903, founding. The new Fords were given restyled, massive grilles and horn ring emblems that marked the occasion.
Ford called it the “Worth More” car because of the 41 “Worth More” features that made it “worth more” when both buying and selling:
Many events were held to commemorate the occasion, including a television special and the lighting up of the famous Ford Rotunda building like a birthday cake.
At the time of that 50th anniversary celebration, 168,000 Ford workers around the world were being paid more than $17 million on a weekly basis. To show just how far the company had come, some papers printed copies of the ledger page showing payroll for Ford’s very first week of operation; in June of 1903, the company’s seven employees were paid a grand total of $85.23.
