Featured

1914 Locomobile Roadster, Model 48, 2-door

Original cost: $5,100.00 ($120,827.00 in 2016)

Number made: 1,000 (total Locomobile production for 1914)

Engine, etc.: 6 cyl.; 48.6 hp; 4 speed transmission; 140 in. wheelbase; weight:  3 tons

Locomobile operated from 1899 – 1900 from Watertown, Mass. and from Bridgeport, Conn., 1900 – 1929.

This 1914 Locomobile roadster was part of a long line of expensive and beautifully made touring cars. This particular model sold for $5,100 in 1914, at a time a Model T could be bought for $360.

The Locomobile Company was incorporated in 1899 by John Brisben Walker, editor and publisher of Cosmopolitan magazine, and Arnzi Lorenzo Barber who made a fortune in asphalt. The name “Locomobile” was based primarily on  the likeness the machine had with the railroad locomotive with its two pistons and connecting rods located in the rear axle. The car was actually a Stanley Steamer with the name Locomobile on it.

In 1905 they began producing race cars and, in 1906, built two 90 horsepower race cars that were entered in the prestigious Vanderbilt Cup races that year. In 1908 one of the two Locomobile race cars won the race, the first international race won by an American built car.

William C. Durant purchased the Locomobile Company of America in 1922.

Locomobile was later known for building some of the finest automobiles in the country and was considered the American Rolls-Royce. It was called the “best built car in America”. Its primary competition came from Pierce-Arrow, Peerless, and Packard – all prominent car makers, but Locomobile was the most expensive. The cars were built for quality rather than quantity.

When a car was ordered from a Locomobile dealership, a team of six highly qualified mechanics went through the factory and gathered the parts and pieces needed to build the car to order. The lead mechanic would stamp his initials in the main bearing caps as he assembled the engine. Locomobile never built their own bodies.

The company’s first six-cylinder production car was the Model 48 introduced in 1911.  It was one of the most expensive and elegant cars ever manufactured in the U. S.

The 525 cubic-inch, T-head engine featured a square design with a bore and stroke of 114mm. Many of the powertrain components were cast in bronze and the chassis was chrome-nickel steel.  It was built until the company’s last year, 1929. It could cruise at 55 mph on the occasionally encountered truly good road.

Octagonal shapes such as the lamps and instruments were a common theme for Locomobiles and helped differentiate it from other cars. By 1914, custom body builders were often contracted to build bodies for wealthy clients. Accessories by Tiffany Studios were not uncommon.  It was an expensive, old-fashioned vehicle for wealthy, conservative, old-fashioned people.  Owners included names such as Vanderbilt, Wanamaker, Mellon, and Gould on the East Coast.  On the West Coast, Charlie Chaplin, Tom Mix, and Cecil B. DeMille owned Model 48’s.

After several changes of ownership, Locomobile ceased production in 1929, largely a result of the stock market crash which caused its market to disappear.

Mr. Taulborg bought this car at an auction and it is the only one he went “upside down” restoring. The cost of the restoration was more than the car was worth.

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

http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z7417/Locomobile-Model-48.aspx

http://www.locomobilesociety.com/history.cfm

http://oldcarmanualproject.com/pix/L/Locomobile/1914Locomobile.jpg  (Original ad)

1959 Ford Edsel Ranger

On loan from: S.L. Hagan Mack

Original cost: $2,314.00 base price

Number made: 7,778

Engine, etc.: 223 cu. in.; 147 hp; valve-in-head 6 cyl; 3-speed manual transmission with overdrive; 120 in. wheelbase; 3,448 lbs.

The Edsel was introduced in September, 1957 in showrooms across the country. With an extensive advertising campaign, everyone was wondering about the mysterious new vehicle. Ads began running months earlier and featured only a hood ornament or covered car with the text “The Edsel is Coming”. Dealers were liable for fines or loss of their franchise if they revealed the vehicle prior to the release date.

What the public found on the release date was just another 1958 model which did not live up to the hype which preceded its public introduction. Its new look with a big ring in the middle of the front, two headlights, and horizontal grille weren’t enough to boost sales. Many reviewers thought it was a large gas-guzzling car with strange styling.

Adding to the problems was a late 1957 release with 1958 prices which were higher. Edsel also chose to push their largest, most luxurious, and most expensive model. With an on-going recession and the public more interested in smaller cars, this proved disastrous. Only 64,000 Edsels were sold the first year.

Edsel was launched as its own division, separate from Ford, with brand-new dealerships. But Ford used the same plants for the Edsel as it used to make its Ford and Mercury lines. Employees resented having to build another division’s vehicles and intentional vandalism was common. Vehicles would come to the end of the production line with missing parts and faulty brakes. Many were unsafe on the road. Wrong parts were put in and the cars shipped to dealers, resulting in a reputation for mechanical problems. Lists were put on the steering wheel saying which parts were missing. Design flaws contributed to the problems also. The hood ornament became a safety problem – when the car reached 70 mph, the ornament would fly off the car.

The Ranger was produced on the shorter Edsel platform. It had the basic trim level and was offered as a two or four door sedan. It had a standard rear-view mirror, two coat hangers, a cigarette lighter, arm rests, and rubber floor mats. A heater and air conditioning were optional.

Rangers had chrome around the rear quarter panel cove molding. An optional “Teletouch Automatic” transmission with drive-selection buttons on the steering wheel hub was offered. Mechanics were confounded by the complexity of the new automatic which tended to be trouble prone. It was dropped in 1959.

Styling became more conservative for the Ranger in 1959. Body styles included 2-door coupes, 4-door sedans, and 2 and 4 door hardtops. Also available that year were the Corsair model and a station wagon.

By 1960 the Ranger was the only model offered and four days after the introduction of the 1960 model, Edsel was discontinued by Ford.

Sources: http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z14487/Edsel-Ranger.aspx
http://www.classiccardatabase.com/specs.php?series=5508&year=1959&model=26165
See also:  http://www.oldirononline.com/brochures/Edsel/1959/index.htm  (Original 1959 Edsel sales brochure)
http://uniquecarsandparts.com/lost_marques_edsel.htm (Edsel history)

1965 Ford Mustang Convertible, Body/style 76A

Original cost: $2,614.00

Number made: 73,112

Engine, etc.: Ours has the optional V-8; 289 cid; 200 hp; 108 in. wheelbase; 2,650 lbs.

Marketing for the Mustang began in April, 1964. Ford saw the need for a new small sporty car in the lower price ranges – a working man’s Thunderbird. It was launched in 1965 at the New York World’s Fair.

The Mustang looked refreshingly different from the usual large and bulky American cars. It was compact, chic, and weighed about 2,550 lbs. It had a classic hood, sleek blade bumpers, and a short rear deck combined with a forward leaning grille. It also had fully exposed wheel openings, a sculpted body, and controlled use of bright trim.

The Mustang’s style and sporty design combined with relatively simple engineering made it “eye-candy” for many Americans. It was the automobile that touched off the entire “pony car” craze of the 1960’s and the first automobile to win the Tiffany Award for Excellence in American Design.

The Mustang was offered with a choice of three V-8 engines with relatively good performance. It appeared on the covers of both Time and Newsweek magazines, due to its attractive body and good performance.

The Mustang was built on the Ford Falcon’s chassis and used many of its components. It was an instant success with 263,434 sold in 1964.

By its first birthday on April 17, 1965, it had established a new world record of over 418,000 sales in the first year sales of a new model. This exceeded the previous record set by the Falcon by about 1,000 units. Model year production for 1965 was 559,451 and 53.6% were equipped with an automatic transmission.

Sources: Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1946 – 1974. John Gunnell. Rev. 4th ed. Krause Publications, 2002.

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/1965-1966-ford-mustang.htm

http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z418/Ford-Mustang.aspx

See also:  http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/Ford/1965_Ford/1965_Ford_Salesmans_Fact_Book/dirindex.html (Original 1965 brochure)