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1919 Grant Six Touring G Series, 5-passenger, 4-door

Original cost: $1,220.00

Previous owner(s): Car came from an owner in Canada

Number made: 10,000 (all models)

Engine, etc.: 6 cyl.; L-head; 180.2 cid; 22 hp; 114 in. wheelbase

Grant Motor Company: Detroit, Mich. (1913), Findlay and Cleveland, Ohio (1913 – 1922)

Production began in December, 1913. By April, 1914, the company was turning out 25 – 30 cars per day.

Manufacturing began with a four cylinder, 12 hp, water-cooled engine; a shaft drive; a sliding gear transmission; and full elliptic springs in front, with semi-elliptic in the rear. It was priced at $495.

A six-cylinder was added in 1915. Manufacturing output doubled to 40 cars per day. The company began advertising in the Saturday Evening Post among others, to tout the Grant Car and cars were being shipped to California, New York and England. It cost $910 to ship six cars via Wells Fargo to Los Angeles, California.

By 1915 over 200 men were employed and the company planned to turn out 10,000 cars during 1916.

By 1916 the Grant was making six-cylinder cars only. The engine was the smallest of any six so far produced in the U. S. The car weighed less than many four-cylinder cars, carried five passengers, was provided with electric lighting, starting, and other features such as a one-man top, for $795,the lowest price of any six-cylinder so far produced.

Grant Motors closed their Findlay office in 1916 and moved to Cleveland, Ohio.

Production increased to a peak of 21,000 in 1919. The postwar depression then hit and production in 1920 fell to 5,400.

Parts inventory, ordered in anticipation of a postwar boom, continued to flow into the factory but orders for cars plummeted.

Finally, there were no financial resources left and the Grant factory in Cleveland was sold in 1923 and the company dissolved.

Sources: Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1805 -1942. Beverly Rae Kimes, et al. 3rd ed. Krause Publications, 1996.

http://earlyamericanautomobiles.com/americanautomobiles11a.htm  (Scroll down)

https://socialfindlay.com/grant-motor-company/

1968 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu Convertible

Original cost:  $2,885.00 (base price)  (In 1968:  Average car cost, $2,822.00; average household income, $7,850.00; average home cost $14,950.00; gallon of gas, 34 cents)

Donated by:  Danny and Sandra Grim, Kearney, NE

Number made:  10,600 (including SS-396 model)

Engine:  350 hp, 327 cu. in. V-8; automatic; 116 in. wheelbase; 3,245 lbs.

The Chevelle was introduced in 1964 and produced until 1977.  It was introduced as a mid-sized vehicle for Chevy and was basically a smaller version of the Impala.

When the Chevelle was introduced, the “muscle car wars” were beginning – small vehicles with low weight, few amenities, but large amounts of horsepower from massive engines.  In 1963, the Chevelle’s 327 cu. in. V-8 produced 300 horsepower but was no match for the 389 cu. in. V-8 the Pontiac GTO had.

Chevrolet answered the challenge with larger more powerful engines.  By 1966 the 396 engine became standard, with between 325 and 375 horsepower depending on the configuration.  Suspensions were made stiffer to counter handling problems.

The Chevelle was restyled for 1968 and gained an additional body style, a station wagon.  The design had a long hood and short deck with swept back front fenders.  Horizontal dual headlamps mounted in individual square metal bezels were on the front and the full-width grille featured cross-hatched moldings.

The Malibu was the top-of-the-line non-high performance car in the Chevelle lineup.  It had unique taillamps with back-up lights repositioned into the back bumper.  The front fender sides had Malibu script and chrome trim.

Interiors featured a deluxe steering wheel, hide-away two-speed wipers, illuminated heater controls, ignition alarm system, side marker lights, and high level ventilation.  Also featured were all-vinyl seats, lockable glovebox with light, extra thick foam-cushioned seats, and wall-to-wall carpeting.  The outside was enhanced with chrome wheel moldings, black-accented wheel openings, and lower body accents.

Federal safety mandated equipment included the side marker lights on each fender and shoulder belts for front seat occupants.

In 1978 GM downsized its intermediate models and the Chevelle name was dropped with all models taking on the Malibu name.

Source: http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z7053/Chevrolet-Chevelle-Series.aspx

http://www.classiccardatabase.com/specs.php?series=6571&year=1968&model=30658

See also:  http://oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/Chevrolet/1968_Chevrolet/1968%20Chevrolet%20Chevelle%20Brochure(Rev)/index1.html  (Original dealer brochure)

1956 Chrysler New Yorker St. Regis, 2-dr. hardtop

Original cost: $3,889.00  (In 1956: average car cost, $2,050.00; average household income, $4,450.00; average home cost, $11,700.00; gallon of gas, 22 cents)

On loan from: Brad Kernick of Kearney; Ross Woods, Buffalo County

Number made: 6,686 – St. Regis model

Engine, etc.: 354 cu. in.; V-8 Hemi, 280 bhp; 4,175 lbs.; 126″ wheelbase

Chrysler used the New Yorker nameplate from 1935 through 1966 making it, at the time, the longest lived car nameplate in history.

The St. Regis was introduced in 1955 as an upscale version of the New Yorker and was designed by Virgil Exner who also designed the Chrysler 300 series.

The 1956 New Yorker series was tastefully restyled using a finer detailed grille and different bumpers to set it apart from the Chrysler Windsor series.  The rear fender had eight chromed teeth. Chrysler designer Virgin Exner’s fascination with jet aircraft shows in the “Powerstyle” 1956 Chrysler.  It had “flight-swept” rear fenders with a new wedge-shaped “forward look of motion”.

The St. Regis had a new, larger Hemi engine with 354 cubic inches.  The Hemi engine was first used by Chrysler in 1951.

The “PowerFlite” transmission was controlled by push-buttons located on the dash. It had “Power Pilot” steering and “Powersmooth” brakes.  It was billed as “18 gleaming feet of power eager to call you master”.

All St. Regis models were tri-tone color combinations set off by chrome moldings, a choice available only in the St. Regis.  Nine color combinations were available.  The three-tone color combination did add slightly to the car’s price.

The 1956 models were the last ones to use front coil springs with rear leaf springs.

Options included power steering and brakes, power front seat, air conditioning, electric windows, power radio antenna, and Solex safety glass.

A 1956 Chrysler 300B set the World Passenger Car Speed Record at Daytona Beach, Florida in 1956, averaging 133.9 mph.

Sources: Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1946 – 1974. John Gunnell. Krause Publications, 2002. http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z9164/Chrysler-New-Yorker.aspx

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/1955-1956-chrysler-new-yorker-hardtop-and-convertible.htm

See also:  http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/Chrysler_and_Imperial/1956_Chrysler/1956_Chrysler_Brochure/dirindex.html  (Original 1956 brochure)