We bought a box of radiator caps the other day, and in the bottom were not one, but two, 1929 Essex radiator caps. Back then, these distinctive, twelve-sided caps were described as “faceted in semi-modernistic design,” whatever that means.
The full name for the automobile in ’29 was “Essex the Challenger,” and it was powered by an L-head inline 6. This label was conceived, according to the Hudson/Essex organization, when test after test revealed that the Essex could match more costly cars on every count including speed, acceleration, hill climbing and gasoline consumption. Dealers who had gathered at the Detroit factory for a private demonstration were so impressed by its performance that one dealer enthusiastically proclaimed that the new Essex could challenge anything, and thus a new slogan was born.
Every dealer in the Hudson/Essex organization took part in a National Challenger Week, putting the automobiles to every conceivable test and even taking suggestions from the public as to which tests the cars would be subjected.
In Wichita, for instance, an Essex underwent a five-day continuous run on a treadmill in the Mosbacher dealership window.
In Albuquerque, an Essex was driven the 302-mile stretch to El Paso in five hours and 57 minutes with state highway police clearing the way, and in Akron, an Essex was given to a traffic cop to use in place of his motorcycle for the week. In Chattanooga they focused on hill-climbing with demonstrations given on Lookout and Signal mountains. The subject matter of the following advertisement is all the new records set by the Essex during Challenger week, including a new record for climbing California’s Mt. Baldy by covering 8.05 miles of hairpin turns in 10 minutes 16.4 seconds.
The promotion was a successful one, and enough cars were sold to make Hudson/Essex third in the industry behind only Ford and Chevrolet.
The full name for this particular piece of equipment is the Vacomat Automobile Mileage Tester, and it was manufactured by Donat A. Gauthier of Detroit. It came with quite a lot of hose, which this one is missing, that was used to by-pass the fuel pump. It held 1/10th of a gallon of fuel so that a car didn’t have to travel very far (and use much gas) in order to obtain a result. A result, incidentally, that was 99-2/3% accurate, at least according to the label:
According to the inventor’s 1988 obituary, Donat A. Gauthier was a French-Canadian engineer who relocated to Detroit as a young man in search of employment. He ended up staying for 63 years, during which time he worked as a consultant to automobile companies, served as a French consular official, and founded his own company to manufacturer this device to test gas mileage. This is a photo of Gauthier from 1950:
In 1958, the Vacomat was utilized in a Ford dealer’s weekly contest. To participate in the contest, entrants simply took a Ford for a test drive. The Ford was equipped with a Vacomat, and the driver achieving the best miles per gallon won fifty gallons of gas:
The Vacomat surfaced again when gas prices began going up in the 1970s. In this 1973 advertisement, the tester was used to determine the mpg capability of the automobiles on the lot:
A hundred gallons of gas was offered as a very nice reward for purchasing one of this dealer’s cars, but that would only take you about 680 miles if your automobile of choice was that ’69 Lincoln Continental.
We picked up this amazing gas pump the other day, and I am afraid I am going to have to keep this one. That original patinaed finish is simply irresistible.
This is a Bowser Red Sentry Long Distance Pump, and the patent dates cast into the base are from the years 1911 and 1914.
A quick search of the company’s namesake, S. F. Bowser, revealed that he was the inventor of the automobile gas pump, that the “S. F.” stands for “Sylvanus Freelove,” and that this is an actual picture of the man:
At this point, I am seriously intrigued.
Bowser was born in 1854 and started his kerosene oil tank company in 1885. He had many years’ experience as a traveling salesman and was heavily involved in the management of the business. The company was successful, and Bowser became a prominent citizen in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
1905 was the year he first developed an outdoor, self-measuring pump for dispensing gasoline conveniently and, more importantly, safely.
These pumps, aptly called “filling stations,” were located at the curb in front of garages and general stores.
You may be wondering about the Footloose reference in the title. Apparently, S. F. Bowser was the John Lithgow of the Industrial Age in that he severely disapproved of dancing. A condition of employment with S. F. Bowser & Company was compliance with the posted “Rules That Govern This Office,” and one of those rules forbade this activity. In 1907, newspapers reported that five employees of the firm had been terminated for “tripping the light fantastic” and being “addicted to the dancing habit.” I have no idea what Bowser was doing in the above photo, but I guess we can safely rule out the rhumba.
The Bowser Red Sentry operated with a hand crank and was not a visible pump. One that has been restored was auctioned off by Bonham’s a few years ago:
Mine is missing many of the parts seen on the one pictured above, but it does still have a number of the original brass plates:
Sylvanus Freelove Bowser died in 1938 at the age of 83. Interestingly, gas pumps are STILL referred to as Bowsers in some parts of the world like Australia and New Zealand.
This incredible 1953 International Travelall made an appearance at Kearney Cruise Nite ’22.
For 1953, International introduced an entirely new line of trucks, the R-line, with 168 basic chassis models in 296 wheelbases. It was a complete line of light, medium and heavy-duty trucks providing what International described as truck-to- job specialization to a degree never before achieved. The line was powered by seven different valve-in-head engines with horsepower ranging from 100 to 162.
This first generation Travelall had two passenger doors with additional rows of seating that could comfortably seat eight. Those center and rear seats could be removed for quick conversion to an all-purpose carrier with a payload approximately seven feet long by five feet wide. The original power plant would have been a 100-hp Silver Diamond 220 engine, but the one pictured above has gone an entirely new direction with a 6.0L/6L90E, and that would make this ancestor to the modern SUV an absolute blast to own and drive.
I found this stunning vintage shift knob in the basement of an old dealership building a while back. It is made of onyx, and the markings on the base indicate that it was made by Southwest Onyx & Marble Co. That company, located in San Diego, California, operated the quarry at El Marmol on the Baja Peninsula until it closed in 1958.
The onyx deposits at El Marmol were discovered around 1900. Great blocks of the unique stone were loaded on freighters to be shipped to other parts of the world for use in manufacturing beautiful items like clocks, tables, desk sets and this shift knob. One story reported that the managing director of the company, Kenneth Brown, would accompany the blocks to the freighter to direct the loading and then dive overboard and swim back to shore right before the freighter sailed away. Some of those blocks were also used to build a schoolhouse in the little mining town and, according to this article, some of that school building is still standing today.
Sadly, the prolific use of plastics lessened demand for onyx, and the mining towns became ghost towns. It is a shame, because I have never seen a plastic shift knob that could outshine this butterscotch beauty.
There are 820 lots of trucks including brands like Reo, Federal, Studebaker, Osh Kosh, and so many Diamond Ts. Truly, it will take you all day just to look at the photos. Many COEs are also part of this auction, including a couple of highly sought-after ’39 Fords:
I found a story in a 1953 newspaper about a general contractor and architect named Hal B. Hayes who turned a Cadillac into a rolling office in the 1950s. The article describes the convertible Caddy as being built three feet longer than usual, with no explanation of how that was accomplished, in order to accommodate equipment like a typewriter, telephone and Dictaphone, not to mention a living, breathing secretary. Ten folding chairs were carried in case Hayes wanted to stop the car and entertain business associates at the curb, and built into the trunk compartment? A full stocked bar, of course.
I had never heard of Hayes, so I did a little research, and it turns out that he was one crazy cat. He built a mansion that Popular Mechanics termed “a house for the atomic age.” Hayes billed himself as something of an expert on the subject, and the home was supposed to be atom bomb-proof. The details are pretty hilarious. The house, perched on a Hollywood hilltop, included an underground bomb shelter that was accessed by swimming through a tunnel in the indoor/outdoor pool. Hayes reasoned that any radioactive contamination would be washed off people’s bodies as they swam to the sanctuary. At the push of a button, the living room carpet, a lovely green shag, would creep up the glass wall to act as a blackout curtain. The home featured five dance floors, and kitchen faucets served up not just champagne, but also the George Thorogood trifecta of bourbon, scotch and beer. It would appear that the mansion was as much swinging bachelor pad as atomic bomb shelter. If you are dying to know more, additional details and pictures are available in the 1953 Popular Mechanics.
Hayes standing next to movie starlet Kay Spreckels. Photo from the LA Times article “That was one boss bachelor pad” by Sam Watters, photo credit to Seaver Center for Western History, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
Hayes rubbed elbows with movie stars like Peter Lawford and was even engaged to Zsa Zsa Gabor at one point. Then a military housing project he was developing became a tangle of bribery charges, lawsuits and countersuits between Hayes, the federal government, subcontractors and bond companies. After the dust settled, Hayes vamoosed to Mexico in the early 1960s and lived there for the last three decades of his life.
I was unable to find much more information about the mobile office. The Cadillac apparently won a trophy at a 1957 car show, but the photo in the paper is disappointing as it only shows the door of the car, Hayes, and some woman in a fur coat:
In order to save space at the mansion, Hayes created a parking space using steel beams that stretch into thin air over a retaining wall. Photos do exist of this innovative parking arrangement; the first photo features a Buick, but the second photo might just be of that Caddy:
I don’t know about you, but I would rather park a mile away and walk. I usually do that anyway to avoid getting door dings.
Sources:
“Builder Hits FHA, Military For $55 Million Shutdown.” Evening Journal [Wilmington], 21 Mar. 1961, p. 34.
“Finale of the Style Show.” The Desert Sun, 10 Apr. 1957, p.
“Hal Hayes Cleared of Bribery Charges.” News and Observer [Raleigh], 17 Mar. 1962, p. 15.
“Hal Hayes Switches Roles, Files $2,787,059 Suit.” El Paso Times, 29 Jul. 1961, p. 1.
“Hollywood Agape At Tarheel’s Mansion.” News and Observer [Raleigh], 25 Jul. 1954, p. IV-3.
“House For the Atomic Age.” Popular Mechanics, Aug. 1953, pp. 108-111.
“Latest Creation – Car With Built-In Office.” Ogden Standard Examiner, 6 Aug. 1953, p. 4B.
Mosby, Aline. “A-Bomb Proof Home in Hollywood Hills Would Make Air Alert Welcome.” The Knoxville News, 12 Apr. 1953, p. C3.
Watters, Sam. “That Was One Boss Bachelor Pad.” LA Times, 6 Nov 2010, p. E4.
Wilson, Liza. “America’s Most Amazing House.” San Francisco Examiner, 24 Jan. 1954, p. 12.
I don’t know exactly what I have here, but I do recognize awesome when I see it:
This incredible brass gas pump handle has a number of markings that provide some information. It is a Buckeye, manufactured by McGraw-Pennell, and it has a 1926 patent date. What is up with that woven, flexible nozzle, though?
I have not been able to find any information on that flexible nozzle, or even another one that looks like it. If you can point me in the right direction, I would appreciate a message sent to americancarhistorian@gmail.com.
Many an old-timer will reminisce about the glorious autumns in years past when the nation waited with bated breath for the unveiling of the new car models. Excitement built as people anticipated what Detroit would be offering in the way of powerful engines and dramatic lines. It was a celebratory time, often complete with donuts, live music and beauty queens.
Some of the beauty queens displaying 1952 models in Chicago.
Long before the 1950s, however, there was a time when the interest surrounding a new car design reached something of a fever pitch. The year was 1927, and Ford had just announced it would no longer be building the Model T.
1926 Model T
By 1927, 15,000,000 Model Ts had been produced with two-thirds of those tin lizzies still on the road. Edsel had finally succeeded in convincing Henry that it was time for a change, so in May of that year Ford Motor Company made the official announcement that it would begin production of an entirely new Ford car. Details were withheld with the company promising more information in the coming weeks, and that was when the wild speculation began.
Newspapers reported that a person could get a bet, an argument or a fight on virtually any street corner just by starting a discussion of the forthcoming model. Some people were sure it would be a two-cylinder car involving “some entirely new principle,” while others speculated it would be a baby Lincoln that would sell for $1000 and be named after Edsel or Edison.
With the rumor mill in overdrive, Edsel Ford was forced to issue a statement in July denying rumors purporting to give details about the new Ford. He explained that specifications were not even complete, and it would therefore be impossible for anyone in the Ford organization to discuss them with any accuracy or authority. In the meantime, the whole industry was in limbo. Automobile dealers complained that the public was not buying while they waited to see what Ford was going to do, and manufacturers also waited, alert to meet the new competition but with nothing but the wildest rumors on which to base their plans.
There were approximately 10,000 Ford dealers in the United States and, in August, some of those dealers began dropping tantalizing hints about their trips to the Ford plant in Michigan to test drive the new model. They reported that the new car would be a handsome one, available in a variety of colors, as well as fast, smooth and rugged. It could travel 65 mph and would be heavier and sturdier than the Model T. It was leaked that it would be known as the Model A, and that it would have a radiator shell that was highly nickeled. At the end of August, there were rumors that the new Ford would make an appearance at a dealership in Decatur, and hundreds of people showed up hoping to see it. The rumors were false, and they left disappointed.
By mid-September, orders for the new Fords were being placed all over the country even though the car had not been released. Dealers were put in the unenviable position of having nothing to exhibit at the fall auto shows.
By mid-October, it was estimated that more than 100,000 people, nearly one for every thousand in US population, had placed orders for the new Ford, sight unseen. Ford reported that another quarter of a million had placed orders without making a cash down payment. And the question on everyone’s lips was still, “When will the new Ford come out?’
Time drug on. Finally, on Wednesday, November 30, it was announced that the new Ford would be unveiled the following Friday, December 2, 1927. Some details were also released:
That same day, the new Model A was also demonstrated to journalists. The newspapermen were surprised that it was much simpler to operate, but the surprise was nothing compared to the thrill of the ride. The driver hurtled 70 mph down a dirt road made treacherous by slushy snow and made the car careen by jerking the wheel from side to side. One terrified correspondent covered his eyes. The Ford stayed upright, and Edsel explained after that the occupants had been perfectly safe as the car was very difficult to overturn with a low center of gravity and also featured shatterproof glass.
When the big day arrived, the public clamored to see the successor to the Model T. Lines stretched for blocks as thousands waited for the chance to see the new Ford. Streets around dealerships were jammed. In New York, people were searching out the showrooms as early as three o’clock in the morning. Mounted police had to be called in for crowd control in Cleveland, while in Detroit it was more of a party with two bands playing live music. In Kansas City, the new Fords were on display in Convention Hall, and 3,000 people crowded into the hall to view them during the first 30 minutes.
It is hard to imagine this type of excitement being generated by anything created by the predictable and homogeneous automobile industry of today. Cars are aerodynamic (but certainly not dynamic), artless creations that lack distinction and are offered in the same bland colors. Now it seems that fall is all about football and pumpkin spice, but it used to herald the arrival of exciting and individualistic new car models.
Sources:
Advertisement. Ford. Antlers American, 4 August 1927, p. 4.
Advertisement. Ford. Daily Deadwood Pioneer Times, 1 December 1927, p. 3.
Advertisement. Ford. Des Moines Register, 2 December 1927, p. 5.
Advertisement. Ford. Lincoln Star, 5 December 1927, p. 2.
Advertisement. Ford. Winona Republican Herald, 23 August 1927, p. 6.
“Detroit’s Real Interest.” Daily Argus Leader [Sioux Falls], 28 March 1927, p. 6.
Elliot, Harry. “Companies May Reveal New Auto Models Soon.” Bakersfield Californian, 8 August 1953, p. 7.
“Ford Announces Company Will Build New Car.” Minneapolis Daily Star, 26 May 1927, p. 1.
“Ford Makes Statement Regarding the New Ford.” Colfax County Press and Clarkson Herald Consolidated, 28 July 1927, p. 3.
“Ford To Produce Entirely New Car.” The Progressive Age [Scottsboro], 26 May 1927, p. 1.
“Glamor Enhances Car’s Beauty in Big Show’s Revue.” Chicago Tribune, 17 February 1952, p. 18, part 6.
“Huffman Waits for New Ford.” Ventura County Star, 14 September 1927, p. 4, sec. 2.
“Hundreds Visit Starr’s Hoping to See New Ford.” Decatur Herald, 28 August 1927, p. 11.
“New Ford Car Demonstrated Before Press.” St. Joseph Herald-Press, 30 November 1927, p. 1.
“Over One Hundred Thousand Have Ordered New Ford Car.” Tennessean Sun, 16 October 1927, p. 1.
“Ryan Delighted with New Ford He Has Driven.” Miami Daily News, 17 August 1927, p. 14.
“Simplicity Is Keynote of Model A Ford.” Cincinnati Post, 1 December 1927, p. 13.
“The Public Is Eagerly Waiting for the New Ford Car.” Tuskegee News, 29 September 1927, p. 1.
“World Beats Path to Ford.” Monrovia Daily News, 2 December 1927, p. 1.
It is getting unusual to see old workhorses still in service, even in my part of the world, but I recently spotted this big truck in an Orscheln’s parking lot and promptly fell in love with its vintage good looks. This turquoise classic is a 1961 Chevy C-60 Viking and would have been powered, originally, by either a 261 I6 or 283 V8. Kudos to Wildwood Mill for keeping it on the road!
