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Cars of Yesteryear | Muscle Cars-Part One | Muscle Cars-Part Two | The Thirties Era | The Roaring Twenties
The Roaring Twenties
song playing "Winchester Cathedral "
The "Roaring Twenties" marked the era of big city mobsters,
prohibition, speak easys, bathtub gin, the flapper dress, ten cent
dance halls, marathon dance contests, and unusual automobiles as
the automakers were trying to find their way in a fast changing
industry. Some became successful but many more faded away.
I hope with this site to bring these cars back for your pleasure.
1925 Essex two-door coach
144.67 c.i. inline six
17.32 hp
Essex was a branch of the Hudson Motor Co.
Featured three speed transmission, multiple disc clutch, shaft drive,
two-wheel brakes, and wood spoke wheels.
Essex built 159,634 units in 1925
1928 Pontiac Sports Landau Sedan
This beautiful maroon and black Pontiac has been lovingly
restored by its owners, Frank and Rhonda Stirling.
They have graciously allowed me to present it on the web site.
The following lists the particulars of this automobile.
Congratulations to Frank and Rhonda for their excellent efforts.
1928 Pontiac Landau Sport Sedan
Standard equipment:
186.5 Cu. In. for 40 H.P. @ 2400 R.P.M.
L-head inline SIX Cylinder.
It was advertised that it could accelerate to 57 M.P.H. effortlessly!
N.A.C.C. hp: 25.3
Improved 4.9 compression ratio heads.
Cast iron block with bore & stroke 3 ¼ X 3 ¾.
Three main bearings; solid valve lifters.
New, Carter 1 Barrel “updraft” carburetor.
Manual transmission; speeds 3 forward & 1 reverse.
New improved dry disc clutch.
Semi-floating rear axle. Overall ratio: 4.18:1.
Shaft drive (torque-tube).
FOUR-WHEEL mechanical brakes (first year)!
This incorporated internal front wheel brakes.
12 spoke wood artillery wheels (oak).
Cross-flow radiator (first year).
New Oakland type muffler.
Improved steering gear.
Newly designed frame & front axle.
Newly designed thermostat, steering wheel and dash mounted fuel gauge.
AC fuel filter and fuel pump.
~ Optional equipment:
Front Nickel plated bumper, standard on Landau models
Rear Nickel plated bumper, standard on Landau models.
Single sidemount tire.
Heater.
Disc wheels.
Wind wings, front doors.
Delco “Lovejoy” front and rear shocks.
Pricing:
The Pontiac model ranged from $745 for 2 door roadster
to $875 for this 1928 Landau Sport Sedan model.
Here is a reproduction of a 1928 Pontiac advertisement furnished
by Frank and Rhonda Stirling.
Notice at the bottom of the ad that the maker was the
Oakland Motor Car Company of Pontiac, Michigan.
1928 Pontiac Sport Landau Sedan
185 c.i. straight six
40 hp @ 2400 rpm
Sold for $975 with Pontiac offering a trade-in allowance on a
Ford Model T of $100 to $325, saying "Never again will your
Ford be worth as much as we're offering". The car had four-
wheel braking, cross flow radiator, 4.9 compression ratio heads, and
improved carburation allowing it to accelerate to 57 mph effortlessly.
Notice the fender mounted spare, how would you like to change a
tire on a dark rainy night in this car?
1928 Pontiac Roadster
Sold for $835
Note the headlights are similar to the Ruxton on this page.
Some interesting triva about how the Pontiac got it's name. It was
built by the Oakland Motor Co., founded in 1907, in a buggy shop on
Oakland Ave. in the city of Pontiac, Oakland County, Michigan. In 1926
Oakland's general manager, Alfred R. Glancy was credited with the name
when upon taking over Oakland said, "When I got to the plant I found
designs for it hanging on the wall and over them someone had written 'Pontiac'".
Yet when he got ready to christen the first Pontiac in 1926 with a bottle of
champagne, he claimed the car was named after Chief Pontiac, who led the
Ottawas, Chippewas, Pottawatomis and Miamis in a powerful indian federa-
tion in the mid-eighteenth century. Glancy stated, "If this was Chief Pontiac
doing this, he wouldn't be breaking the only bottle of champagne in Oakland
County, he would be drinking it". Remember this was during prohibition.
So, take your pick. Was it after the city of Pontiac, or the name Glancy
found on the wall, or the Indian Chief Pontiac? I'm not sure which, myself.
1928 Franklin Series 12-B Sport Runabout
The Franklin was famous for having the only successful air-cooled
engine to remain in continous production. It had many unusual
features for it's era, such as padded dash, automatic back-up lights,
and four-wheel hydralic brakes.
The car shown here was reputed to have once been owned by
Jesse Lincoln Randolph, the granddaughter of Abraham Lincoln.
1929 Chrysler Series 75 Roadster
248.9 c.i. inline six
75 hp @ 3200 rpm
Sported radiator shutters, dual cowl ventilators, and hydraulic brakes.
Wire wheels, side mounted spares, and a trunk rack were options.
Only 6414 roadsters were built in '29
1929 Ruxton Two-seater Roadster
Produced by the Moon Motor Company.
This front wheel prototype was nicknamed "the Alligator".
Unfortunately I have no other information about this car.
1929 Ruxton 4 Door Sedan
Note the unusual shaped headlights with matching
parking lights on the fenders. The car was the idea of
Archie Andrews who served on the board of Hupp Motor Car
and designed by Joseph Ledwinka. Some 500 Ruxtons were built
by Moon Motor Cars in 1929 and 1930.
The car was named for William V. C. Ruxton, a wall street figure
who never invested in his namesake.
1920 Moon 5-passenger Touring
3208 cc. inline overhead valve six
20 hp @ 1600 rpm
Promoted as the "Ideal American Car", this one was ordered
by a buyer in Liverpool, England, which explains the right hand drive.
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