Inside Speeding, Manslaughter, Stealing Cars

ourna The Society of Automotive Historians, Inc. Issue 212 September-October 2004

The Motor Bandits: 5 Cars, Crimes and Philosophy by Michael Bromley www.autohistory.org \aiming a first is a dangerous business, especially with automobiles. You never reall y know. So get out your pen and co rrect me on this one: the first time an C automobile was used for non-automotive crime was in ew York City in 1910. Inside Speeding, manslaughter, stealing cars ... these thrills were earlier perfected. lt wasn't until 1910 that professional criminals and gangs took to the automobile. My coll ection of Editorial Comment 2 New York Tim es articles gives the first as eptember 29, 1910 with "Fight Pistol Battle in Speeding Autos." These were not chauffeurs of rival steel magnates. Okay, before the ded icated refuters out there find some 1903 Kalamazoo bank heist with a getaway in a President's Perspective 3 curved dash Olds (ca lling Keith Marvin! calling Keith Marvin!), allow me a few thoughts on why 1910 marks the meeting of automobiles and professional crime. Anything before was isolated, and not ge nerally happening, for the si mple reason SAH News 4 that before 1910 thugs in cars would have been conspicuous. Thanks to the motoring President-my man William Howard Taft-automobiles in 1910 were normal, political Obituary 6 ly-correct and socially-acceptable objects of what Alexis de Tocqueville called every Merle "Mickey" Mishne American's glance of hope and envy on the enjoyments of the rich. Before Taft, automo biles were hateful envy-and anger and calls for the income tax and six m.p.h. speed limits, two around curves if one listened to Congressman Sims of Tennessee. If only the rich ran automobiles, only the rich could use them to commit crimes. Book Reviews 7 Following the logic, since the rich owned the banks, automobilists didn't rob them, at The Graham Legacy: least not through the front door. With more and more, and more common, people taking Graham-Paige from 1932 to automobiles in 1910, your average criminal could get away with being seen in a motor car without violating the social lists. All one needed now was a driver's license, not a Porsche: membership card to the Four Hundred. General licensing, in fact , was the states' en Excellence Was Expected dorsement of automobiling for all. When only chauffeurs required licenses, automobile Album Smochodow FSO owners were a distinct class in law, a privilege that was erased by universal licensing, which itself followed the general acceptance of automobiles. The various drive-by shootings and getaways by car that appeared in 1910 became Letters 9 commonplace in 1912, so much so that the Times announced on February 22, "200 Ex Convicts Run Taxicabs Here: They have licenses which can aid them in committing The Billboard 11 crime,' the police say." The horror wasn't so much the crimes or the criminals, but their empowerment by the automobile: "... the taxicab, as a means of getting away, has made the detection of crimes ... more difficult than ever before . . .. " Automotive exclusivity gone, so with it conspicuousness. Americans have always loved a good crime story. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid had not too long before scared the country with their wild and desperate train hold ups. But Americans don't like criminals for the crimes. The Hole in the Wall Gang mem Also Inside bers are not remembered for their crimes. This story struck the American heart for its Silent Auction Catalog-Deadline for rebellion against the closing frontier and, most importantly, for the fun of it all. They receiving bids is November 15th continued on page 6 Protecting Our Prized Possession

spread of DVD 's, cable programs and As stewards of automotive history Powerpoint presentations maybe a better we can enhance our role and further our sticker would be "Not Your Father's Auto cause by maintaining high standards of History." This might intrigue lovers of accuracy. It is mere coincidence that history and even snag a few curious his President joe Freeman's column on page 3 toryphobes. The fact is auto history has a and Aldo lana's letter on page 9 appear lot to offer: the beginnings and develop in the same issue of the journal. Together, ment of a technology that many today they reinforce the importance of accuracy consider to have had the greatest impact in reporting (Aldo, quite pointedly). Thomas S. Jakups, Editor on our society, colorful entreprenuers Our membership is made up of and their success stories, the thrills of the individuals with a wide range and breadth ast month at a car show in Stowe, racing circuits. And that is all from the of expertise. This expertise is our reason Vermont, I picked up a window previous century. What history is being for being, a large part of our mission. As L sticker that said, "Take a Kid to a written now in design studios and engi editor of the journal I thank those who Car Show." A much-publicized concern neering labs, company boardrooms, race contribute articles and I encourage more of old-car hobbyists has been attracting tracks around the world? members to do so. I also thank those who younger people. It is perfectly under So we have a good product but one lend their expertise by pointing our errors standable that we would like others to that won't sell itself. We need to increase and correcting the record. When irregu take up and enjoy our great hobby, and our visibility among hobbyists and histo larities are noted I hope that members will there is the added incentive of having rians. Our affiliation with the American take it as a challenge to provide more future buyers for our prized possessions. Historical Association, our loaning the information about a particular subject, to Auto historians have the same con Dunwoodie Archives to the AACA Library make it more complete and accurate.In cerns as automobile owners. "Take a Kid and Reseach Center and our yearly pres the end it will increase the value of our to an Auto History Conference" doesn't ence at Hershey are all steps in the right prized possession. have the same ring to it, but with the direction. -Tom]akups .. J QJ.J[..11~1Issue 212 September-October 2004 Officers Publications Committee SAH Journal (I SSN 1057-1973) Joseph S. Freeman President Christopher C. Foster, Chair is published six times a year by the Michael l. Berger Vice President Taylor Vinson Society of Automotive Historians, Inc. Darwyn H. Lumley Secretary Thomas S. Jakups Christopher C. Foster Treasurer Michael lamm Subscription is by membership Beverly Rae Kimes in the Society. Board of Directors Through October 2004 Membership dues are $40 per year. Michaell. Bromley Paul N. Lashbrook Past Editors Send dues, membership inqui ries leroy D. Cole Richard B. Brigham and changes of address to Through October 2005 Issues 1-29 Sept. 1969-(undated) 1973 Susan S. Davis John A. Marino Society of Automotive Historians, Inc. C. Marshall Naul Arthur W. Jones 1102 long Cove Road Through October 2006 30-50 Ju ly 1973-Dec. 1976 Cales Ferry, CT 06335-1812 USA Samuel V. Fiorani Robert R. Ebert John Peckham ©2004 Patricia lee Yongue 51 -59 Feb. 1977 -July 1978 Walter Cosden The Society of Automotive Historians, Inc. SAH Journal 60-87 Nov. 1978- Dec. 1983 Thomas S. Jakups Find the Society of Automotive Historians Editor, Advertising Manager Richard B. Brigham on the web at www.autohistory.org. 37 Wyndwood Road 88-117 Jan.jFeb. 1983-Nov.jDec. 1988 West Hartford, CT 06107 USA Christopher C. Foster Copy Deadline for Journa/213 860-236-0125 Fax 860-232-0468 118-157 Jan.jFeb. 1989-July/Aug. 1995 email: [email protected] Samuel V. Fiorani October 31st [email protected] 158-194 Sept.jOct. 1995-Sept./ Oct. 2001

2 SAH journal No. 212 Going to the Source

the highest standard of historical investi document it correctly is a crucial part of gati on. the "treasure hunt." Am I getting too highfalutin' here' Another particular problem in our Well , maybe, but to bring things back field , closely related to the lack of effort down to earth, I would like to make a to document fac ts, is the perpetuation of few comments about what I perceive to myth . I know l am not alone in picking Joseph S. Freeman, President be some failures in the way many of us up a new peri odical or book only to find do business, myself included. Certainly that some completely discredited story or number one is the way we deal with the fac t has reappeared once again as the nee again, greetings to you sources of our historical material. I would gospel truth. As we all know, the more all from your frazzled ask, how many times have we picked up these errors are repeated, the more they 0 President! Every year, once a book on an important automotive sub become "fac t. " the auto show, touring and vintage racing ject, only to find that the facts therein are Of course, in the pursuit of histori season ge ts started, I am swamped with either poorly documented or not sourced cal truth there will always be some po conOicts fo r events that I would like to at all . How many authors fail to take the tential for debate. Differing perceptions attend. I'm sure it is the same fo r most of time to offer a footnote or two as to the and reports of what went on decades ago you, and 1 guess all we can say is that provenance of a crucial piece of informa wi ll inevi tably offer the opportunity fo r such a wide range of choice offers a rather ti on' How many of us rely on secondary conOi cting interpretations. On the other nice way to be conOi cted. sources--compilati ons of history written hand, the more we can root out the obvi However, in this lovely summertime by others-without taking the time seek ous falsehoods and mistakes by using of gleaming metal and nice noises, my out the original documentation' The old primary sources, the more honor we wi ll thoughts continue to be focused on the academic rule is that every fac t should be bring to our hobby and pro fession. real reason why SAH exists: the retelling corroborated by at least two reliable pri One other aspect of this issue of automotive history. I would postulate mary sources, in the form of a direct comes to mind: the documentation of the that our goal is not just the pro motion of quote fro m a contemporary authority, histoti es of individual automobiles. With any auto history, but a dedication to the publi cation or record such as a letter or a ri si ng values and owners' prestige on the absolute highest quality of our product. dated photograph. Everything else should line, the authentication of originality of This is why we have a fine set of awards be regarded as an assertion or a fact in particular vehicles has often become a in the Cugnot, Benz, Brigham and other question and presented as such. hornets' nest of claims and counter honors to bestow upon those who have ow I know that there are many claims. Shading of the truth and outright offered us books, articles, periodicals and whose eyes will gloss over at this sugges fraud are always potential problems. other informati on wi th a superb level of tion as too academic. After all , we have Once again, however, reliance on the old accuracy and scholarship. all seen historical texts where the actual rules of proper sourcing and documenta In some ways, of course, this com writing takes up four lines on a page tion can go a long way toward maintain mitment to quality goes wi th out saying: with the rest devoted to endless footnotes ing the integrity of the fiel d. "improvement of the breed" is what we're in tiny print. Others will say that double So I suppose what all of this all about. Yet it is important for other rea corroboration is often times impossible amounts to is another sermon from sons, too. As our field continues to move when tracing the history of a fast-moving Parson Freeman. I feel strongly that we into the mainstream of American social business such as the automoti ve industry should insist that our hobby cum profes and economic history, we need to garner in the twentieth century. To be sure, sion maintain a true standard of quality the respect and trust of our academic col many records have been destroyed and in the demand for accuracy and proper leagues. If we are to support our con key fi gures are no longe r alive. Also , we documentation. Thankfully our resources tention that the history of the automobile know that important information was are in most cases more than adequate to industry and the people who made it are suppressed or distorted for any number accomplish this goal. We just need to essential parts of social and economic of good or bad reasons at the time. take the time to use them effectively and development during the twentieth centu onetheless, a serious historian's tena to record clearly that we have done so. ry, we need to do so in a way that meets cious effort to track down the truth and -joe Free man September-October 2004 3 cars, trucks, tractors and more, a few WSAH members arranged to record Chet:s casual and unscripted comments on the vehicles and his life. Chet is the founder of Krause Publications and the lola Old Car Show. He is a long-time member of the Wisconsin Chapter and our only Honorary Member. The final editing of the VHS and DVD recordings was completed in time to be available for purchase at the auction of Chet:s collec tion in june and at the lola Old Car Show in July [See 'just Out" on page 6.] Annual Meeting and Banquet ity Chair Paul Lashbrook at 954-587- The lola Old Car Show and wap -at Hershey on October 8th 5785 or lashbrook®mindspring.com Meet is the site of our annual summer The 36th SAH annual meeting and to sign up for a two-hour shift. meeting. If any SAH members would awards banquet will be held on the like to join us next year, the meeting is Friday evening of Hershey weekend, Wisconsin Chapter Activities held at 5:00 P.M. on the aturday of the October 8, 2004, at the Hershey Golf Val V "Doc" Quandt, M.D. (ret.) was hon car show in the historic Thorsen House Club, 1000 East Derry Road, Hershey, ored for his many years of service to the adjacent to the show grounds. Members Pennsylvania. Members and guests will Wisconsin Chapter at our annual spring are also invited to stop at our table in gather for the Fluid Drive social hour at meeting, May l, 2004. Doc served as an the main Theme Exhibit tent-look for 6:30P.M. and dine at 7:15. The Society's officer and took charge of production of our banner near the center of the tent. annual publication and service awards the Chapter's book, Wisconsin Cars and For the fourteenth year, the Wisconsin will be presented after dinner. Trucks, which is still being sold and is Chapter has volunteered to staff the Menu for the evening will be the tra bringing in funds for the Chapter. Doc Theme Exhibit area, including parking ditional three-entree Imperial Buffet, with was presented with a plaque, an automo cars, selling merchandise for the car beef, chicken and salmon entrees and all tive history book and a cake before the show along with WSAH books and the fixings at the all-in-one price of $42.00 meeting was adjourned for the annual videos, and determining the theme for per person Reservations with payment spring dinner at the nearby Mineshaft. future shows. shonld be made by September 30th to The spring meeting is held at the Our annual fall meeting is held on SAH Banquet-Attn: Kit Foster Wisconsin Automotive Museum in Hart the grounds of the Hill and Valley Tour 1102 Long Cove Road ford, Wisconsin, just north of Milwau and Field Day in Cross Plains, Wiscon Gales Ferry, CT 06335-1812 USA. kee. Hartford is home to the Kissel, as sin, just west of Madison. This years Banquet hot line 860-464-6466 documented in Doc Quandt's 1990 book, event is Saturday, September 18th, and as (until October 4th) The Classic Kissel Automobile. always includes the morning tour of the To reach the Golf Club from the The Chapter's most recent project beautiful "driftless" (un-glaciated) area of flea market fields, take Hersheypark is a video recording, A Walk Through southwest Wisconsin, arts and crafts, his Drive east to the end. Tum right, cross Automotive History with Chet Krause. torical displays such as blacksmithing over the railroad overpass and tum left at When informed in ovember that Chet and a show which includes large num the next stop sign. The Golf Club is the Krause would be selling his collection of bers of Ford Model Ts and 1\s, trucks, next driveway on the right. Enter via the tractors and small engines. upper doorway and walk straight in to -Ken Nimocks , President the SAH registration table. Wisconsin Chapter-SAH

Rest Your Feet, Meet a Friend, Radebaugh Exhibition Recruit a New Member at the at NAHC/Detroit Library History Tent WAY ll-12 The Palace of Culture and the Frends of the The History Tent will again offer respite, ational Automotive History Collection are shelter and good company at White Field presenting a major exhibition of mid-twenti spaces WAY ll-12. Light refreshments eth century illustrator Arthur Radebaugh. will also be available. Volunteers are need Ken Nimocks, WSAH President, (1) pres Radebaugh was a top-notch com ents a plaque to Val V. "Doc" Quandt as ed to staff the tent on Thursday, Friday part of a ceremony celebrating his years mercial illustrator based in Detroit from and Saturday Please contact Hospital- of service to WSAH. the 1930s to the 1960s. His work amici-

4 SAH Journal No. 212 pated design revolutions in the automo tive and other industries. From flying cars to glamorous Art Deco skycrapers, his renderings were both pragmatic and fantastical, showing possibilities unimag ined, derived from the technology of the day. The exhibition will feature the col lections of the Palace of Culture and Lost Highways Archive. The NAHC will con tribute rare prints, photographs and ephemera, making this by far the most comprehensive overview of the artist's work yet. The exhibition opened to the p~blic on july 19th and will run through October 22, 2004. For more infom1ation, call 313-628- 285l or go to www.detroit.lib.mi.us/nahc. You can also check out the exhibition 1924 Studebaker Light Six manufactured by the Shanghai Horse Bazaar &: Motor Company of Shanghai, China, now on exhibit at the Studebaker National Museum online at www. palaceofcu lture.org. miles on the odometer. The Light Six entry-level offering for 1924. lt featured New Arrival at Studebaker Demi-Coupe has a one-piece metal roof, a 40-horsepower inline six-cylinder Museum Has Oriental Twist hardtop-type fold-down window, one engine, genuine leather upholstery, The Studebaker National Museum has shot lubrication and a V windshield with a "theftlock" locking transmission, all for announced the arrival of a new vehicle to sun visor. All these features were well in just over $1,000. Custom bodywork on the collection, a 192 4 Studebaker Light advance of the industry. Light Six models is exceptionally rare. Six. This coupe was manufactured by th e The Light Six was Studebaker's lf one desired a custom body, an expen- Shanghai Horse Bazaar&: Motor Com pany, Ltd. of Shanghai, China, and was donated to the museum by the estate of The Fisher Body Craftsman's Guild: George Goodrich of San Carlos, An Illustrated History. by John L. Jacobus California. THIS IS THE ONLY DEFINITIVE WORK ON THE HISTORY OF THE FBCG! ln the second decade of the 20th century American automobile manufac ISBN:0-7864-1719-6 • 336 pages • 150 photos, charts, index, turers began to turn their attention to appendices, bibliography, hardcover, 7x1 0" • $49.95 + $4.s/h markets in the Far East. This growing The Fisher Body Craftsman's Guild was a national auto Western determination to "motorize" design competition sponsored by the Fisher Body Div. Asia brought Coy Goodrich to Shanghai of General Motors for teenagers to compete for college in 1916. Mr. Goodrich was sent by scholarships by designing and building scale model Studebaker to the Shanghai Horse Ba "dream" cars. Held from the 1930s through the 1960s, zaar Company to manage the plant and to promote Studebaker automobiles. designers and executives. When he returned to the United States seven years later he brought with him a memento of his years in Shanghai. He shipped to San Francisco a special coupe body, which was mounted on a Li ght Six chassis. Only five others of this style were built at the Shanghai Horse Bazaar. [email protected] The car remained in the Goodrich EXPECTED FALL 2004 famil y until the death of George Good Author: FBCG Friends & Assoc. • 10103 Gates Ave • Silver Springs MD 20902 McFarland & Co., Inc. PRE-ORDER ONLINE: www.mcfarlandpub.com rich. This coupe was driven daily until MAIL PRE-ORDER: Box 611, Jefferson, NC 28640 •l-800-253-2187 • Fax 336-246-4403 its retirement in 1937 with over 100,000

September-October 2004 5 Motor Bandits continued from page 1 jacked en route from the Champs Obituary wanted money, yes, but what they really Eiysees showroom to a customer. The Merle "Mickey" Mishne wanted was what the money brought by gang used the car to hold up a bank (1931-2004) way of excitement, parties and girls. western-style, complete with a guns-a Mickey Mishne told me more than once, Criminals who displayed no glam blazing getaway. "I never met a Bugatti owner I didn't like. or or adventure, such as the extremists of The Motor Bandits' demise was clas Bugatti owners are special people. Al the labor movement, used a violence too sic: first the girlfriends were taken in, then, ways interesting" purposeful for romance and Hollywood. one or two at a time, the gang, the last of Mickey was one of those special and Anarchists shooting the Presi dent and whom went down in hours-long shoot most interesting people. He owned, blowing up capitalists' offi ces were going outs against hundreds of gendarmes and among other classic cars, a Bugatti T3 7, too far. Americans have little taste for Republican Guards, to the crowd's chants which had been delivered from Molsheim philosophy, especially to rationalize mur of A mort! A mort I The leader of the gang, to Joseph Zigrand, the Luxembourg Bu der. As Tuco said in The Good, the Bad Jules Bonnot, a chauffeur, mechanic and gatti dealer and racer, as a T35B (2.3 liter, and the Ugly, "If you're gonna shoot, car fence, had the good sense of irony to 8 cylinder, SOHC, supercharged chassis Shoot. Don't bother us with all that talk. " stage his final stand in a garage. Their story #4955). Mickey purchased the car in From Paris in the spring of 1912 soon faded to such things as world war, 197 4 and was finally having it restored to came a magnificent and a deliciously and it has survived only in anarchist lore. its original condition when his li fe ended slow-revealing story of a vile and danger We know of the Motor Bandits only tragically- and ironically-as the victim ous band of Motor Bandits. The previous because for a very few months in 1912 of a homicide on May 31st. Mickey's sev December, this loose gang of anarchist they terrorized good society with stolen enteen-year-old daughter, Jolynn, had thieves, criminals who rati onalized their automobiles. lt was not the crimes or the been the victim of a homicide in 2002, crimes as protest against property, anarchist philosophy that so outraged, so and Mickey had been spending the inter became known in the press as the Motor intrigued and made such good news print. vening eighteen months financing his cru Bandits after their theft of a Delaunay Gone the outrage of the automobile, gone sade against violent video games, which Belleville limousine which they used for the outrage of the Motor Bandits, and we he believed had contributed to the fatal cover and getaway in the holdup of a never heard of them. assault on his daughter. bank messenger. The crime shocked Back in America, home to the Most auto historians do not Paris, but not for the daylight hit and purist of egalitarianism, universal envy have the luxury of combining auto histo near murder of a clerk. That happened trumped outrage. Cars? Crime7 ry and livelihood. Mickey was no differ all the time. It was the automobile that Whatever. Where the Motor Bandits stole ent. Since 1962, he had been in the busi did it-what a storyl (And who could it for a wild, brief protest of a ride, ness of selling "synthetic paper," what he miss that gorgeous curved radiator?) American popular culture seized the called "printable plastic." But at home in A sympathetic biographer of the automobile from its exclusive hold by the Ohio he had assembled a wonderful, if ga ng wrote, "The theft alone of such a rich and gave it to all. Here, the joy ride eclectic, auto historian's life. He is most car was, for the illegalists, a radically was in happy contrast to anarchist dis well-known as a regular contributor to conscious gesture. " He also bragged that content. Americans would have better the sports pages of regional newspapers, the robbery was the first of its kind. Your enjoyed the Motor Bandits if they were in especially the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The author disagrees. ew Yorkers beat 'em it for the fun , not the philosophy easy, enjoyable style of his classic cars to it, as , likely, did Chicago gangs, al Imagine, Butch and Sundance essays, many to be found under the though that's mere speculation, however missed the automobile by just a few rubric "Cleveland's Most Interesting solidly grounded in logic and knowledge years! That window closed quickly. Soon Cars," belies the wealth of information of Chicago. Yes, stealing the limousine enough, automobiles were so prevalent contained in those essays. He had com was a supremely conscious gesture. It that it didn't seem odd that Bonnie and pleted perhaps his last contribution, an was damned useful. Clyde delighted in fast getaway cars. • article on a 1950 Healey Silverstone, in The Motor Bandits went on to April, 2004. Mickey was also a former swipe more cars, including a Peugeot SAH News continued from page 5 editor of Pur Sang, the journal of the limousine, an unknown make that they sive undertaking, one would usually opt American Bugatti Club. In 1999, his stole in Holland and that broke down in for the more expensive and luxurious essay, "Ettore and Jean Bugatti," was in Belgium, another Delaunay-Belleville , Special Six or Big Six models. cluded in the substantial catalog accom this time a double phaeton (from which The Studebaker ational Museum panying the Bugatti exhibition at the they shot dead a policeman who jumped is located at 535 South Main Street in Cleveland Museum of Art (Henry H. on the running board), and a brand new South Bend, Indiana. For further infor Hawley, ed. Bugatti. Cleveland: Cleveland DeDion Bouton limousine driven by the mation call888-39l-5600 or check its Museum of Art [Dist. University of Wash Marquis De Di on's chauffeur and car- website www.studebakermuseum.org. ington Press, Seattle], 1999, pp. 80-118)

6 SAH Journal No. 212 Often Mickey invited friends to his "big old horse bam," a museum in Me dina, Ohio, open to the public on request, called "Portholes into the Past Museum," where his true eclecticism was on display Classic autos, scale models, all forms of transportation art including paintings, posters, lithographs and original photo graphic images and a 4000-plus volume library of magazines and books on cars, Boo I< planes, World War II fighter aircraft and auto and plane racing constituted the majority of the collection Unfortunately, Revie\Ns Mickey had to sell a number of the cars, in@[uding his 1926 140 Bugatti, his 1928 The Graham Legacy: Graham-Paige renee and remained in the picture for an ALTA, his 1950 Maserati AGC 1500 Pinin from 1932, by Michael Keller; Karl Zahm unusually long time for an independent. Farina and his 1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia and Bill McCall. 2003 ISBN 0-9324- Graham had a varied existence dur Veloce 1600 roadster. 3909-9. Hard-bound, 280 pages, 181 ing the 1932-41 period, starting with its Mickey was generous, and he loved illustrations. M.T. Publishing Company, "Blue Streak" series of cars of 1932, the to surprise his friends with some gift he PO. Box 6802, Evansville, IN 47719- first American production cars to feature thought suitable to their pursuits-person 6802, www.mtpublishing.com, 1-888- fender skirting. Two years later it intro alized stationery with the image of a 263-4702 $39 95 plus $6.50 s&h. duced a supercharged "Custom Eight" favorite marque, a book, a journal, a series for 1934 at a reasonable price. In poster. l was in Prague, when Mickey died, This is the second book in a two-volume 1938 came its "sharknosed" series, enti searching diligently for a "Zlahta Praga" set. l wrote of the first volume, The tled the "Spirit of Motion," which by 1939 poster reproduction he wanted-to thank Graham Legacy: Graham Paige to 1932, that could be had in closed models domesti him for the Walt Herip poster honoring "it was one of the finest chronicles in cally whil e some stunning open cars were the golden anniversary of Rene Dreyfus' automotive history that has ever come built by noted European coachbuilders on 1930 victory at Monaco in a Bugatti. across this desk." That sentiment applies Grahams export cars. -Patricia Lee Yongue in every way to the current volume. Its last production cars took the This volume takes the company and form of the Cords of 1936 and 1937, Just Out cars of the three Graham Brothers, joseph, which were initially made available to The Wisconsin chapter of the Society of Robert and Ray, from the nadir of the Hupmobile in its last ditch effort to Automotive Historians is offering A Walk Depression to the company's final days remain in active production with its Through Automotive History with Chet and, as we see, Graham fought for its exis- Skylark series in 1938. Hupp agreed to Krause in both DVD and video formats. ln the first part of this video history Chet Krause takes the viewer on a tour of • the Krause Auto Collecti on, which in • cludes a Sternberg truck, the predecessor Most literature is eventually destroyed. of the Sterling, a 1918 White dump body, When it is no longer of interest it often deteriorates a USA "Liberty" truck, a 1945 Dodge in attics, basements and garages. gasoline delivery truck, a 1912 Case Why store it when you can sell it? automobile and several original and low Let other collectors enjoy your literature. mileage Model T's. We preserve it in our climate-controlled building. ln the second half Chet talks about No collection is too large. how he began collecting and the origins Contact the world's top buyer of all types of automotive literature. of Krause Publications and the lola Car Show ROBERT C. McLELLAN The DVD's and videos cost $15 SAH Member #1011 (1984) plus $2.50 s&h. Checks, payable to WSAH , can be mailed to Ken Nimocks, Mail: 9111 Longstaff Drive, Houston, TX 77031 E-Mail: [email protected] 3765 Spring Green Road, Green Bay, WI Phone: 713-772-3285 Fax: 713-772-3287 54313-7565.

September-October 2004 7 share the body style provided it could serious student of endurance racing, must be difficult reading for insiders. have its cars built at the Graham plant. where Porsche has had a central role Although most of the text from the These last Grahams were manufactured as since the early 1950s. It isn't possible to first edition remains intact, Ludvigsen has "Hollywoods." Hupp closed down in early accurately evaluate classics like the Ford revised some information. The history of 1940 and Graham soldiered on for few GT or the Dino 206SP without an in the early Glaser roadsters differs from his more months before ending its automo depth understanding of their rivals from first edition, and there has been a major bile manufacturing with its final cars list Stuttgart. rewrite of the Abarth Carrera section. ed as 1941 models. Ludvigsen lays the book out in A welcome change is the use of boldface Graham-Paige produced "alligators," chapters that cover specific models or subheads to make it easier to find what or amphibious landng vehicles, during types, rather than in a strictly chronologi you are looking for. Another nice touch is World War II and after the war it made cal order. This makes it easier to research the inclusion of a complete index in the among other things Rototiller garden a given model, at the expense of a clearly back of each volume. machinery delineated timeline. No problem. This Excellence Was Expected is a land The fina l volume of the The Graham book is a researcher's dream. mark book in the automotive category 'i.egacy is an educated study of a company Volume One takes off with lt is one of the most in-depth histories that, despite its relatively short life, ac Ferdinand Porsche's adventures in the of a single manufacturer and its cars that complished a great deal. Its pages include German automoti ve industry at the dawn has ever been written. Full of the minuti the Graham family genealogy, year-to-year of the 1900s. Although there is a brief ae that fascinate historians, it never loses producton figures, engine data, serial mention of his time spent at Mercedes track of telling an interesting story as numbers, sales literature and advertise and Auto Union, the gist of the story are well. A must-have tome for Porsche fans. ments. the cars built by the Porsche company -Harold Pace -Keith Marvin This volume takes the reader through the birth and development of the 356 street cars and the Spyder and Album Smochodow FSO, by jerzy Porsche: Excellence Was Expected Formula One racing cars of the 1950s Dembinski. 2004ISBN 83-920912-0-5 The Comprehensive History of the and 1960s, leading to the landmark 911 Softcover, 112 pages, 198 photographs Company, its Cars and its Racing series and the 904 to 908 racers. mainly in black and white, text in Polish. Heritage, by Karl Ludvigsen. 2003 ISBN Volume Two kicks off with the Published by Wydawcy Klub Pracowni 0-8376-0235-l. Hardcover, three vol LeMans-winning 917, then describes the kow i Przjaciol FSO, ul. Nowy Swiat 35, umes, 1,566 pages, 1,480 black and development of the bewildering variety PL-00-029 Warszawa, Poland. For price white and 140 color photos and illustra of street and race models built in the contact publisher directly tions. Bentley Publishers, 1734 Massa 1970s to the early 1990s. This is not a chusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, coffee-table rah-rah book written by a It has to be admitted, this is hardly a book www.bentleypublishers.com, 800-423- one-marque wonder (there are plenty of with a great selling potential in America, 4595. $239.95 those on the market already). Ludvigsen but it is covering new ground and there also takes an unOinching look at fore most interesting for automobil e histo This book had to come back sooner or Porsches failures, like the attempted rians and specialized collectors. later. Karl Ludvigsen's first edition of 1984 reorganization of its North Ameri For many, many years hardly any Excellence Was Expected was published in can sales operations, the aborted Indy car body in the Western world knew anything 1977 and instantly became THE refer project and the difficulties it had market about the many various models of passen ence book for Porsche enthusiasts the ing the 928. ger cars produced in Poland. Yet there world over. It has been out of print for The final volume brings the was a big variety and some of them were years, and clean used copies began sell Porsche story up to date, including the rather pretty. This new book covers them ing for three figures practically as soon as "new" 911, the Boxster that saved all and is illustrated with good black and the last new copy left the bookstores. But Porsche from extinction and even the white period photographs and some color a lot has happened in the Porsche world Cayenne SUV Once again every Porsche pictures as well. It shows not only the since then, and author Ludvigsen has not racing and street car is given a thorough more popular models but also prototypes only brought his classic text up to date, technical examination, but more than and special bodied versions. Included are but he has revisited some of his previous that, the cars are put in perspective with the Warszawa and Syrena models of their entries in light of recent investigations. observations on the times they were built own design but also the Polski-Fiat and Obviously, with three volumes in and the personalities who designed Polonez based on Fiat License. totaling 1,566 pages, this book is aimed and manufactured them. The descrip Not mastering the Polish language at dedicated Porschephiles. However, it tions of the infighting between various is a handicap, of course, but some techni should also be required reading for any factions of the Porsche and Piech families continued on page 10, column 3

8 SAH Journal No. 212 Despite being a collection of items only loosely linked, I confirm that the article is nice to read, yet only as fiction without any historical value and signifi cance. I do think that, in a publication aimed at motor historians and wanting to honor a prominent member who passed away, some additional words on the huge collection of factual, historical and techni cal mistakes and fantasies in the article should have been a must to warn readers. - Aida Zana

One Company's Demise; Anothers Stumble More on the Franklin Olympic (Letters, A Fine Work of Fiction report, which is on German racing cars ]oumal 209), adding a bit to contributors Receiving the SAH ]au mal is always a only. Yes, the headline of the report he Bolan, Woudenberg and Loysen s comments. pleasure and good reading. Many thanks mentions is different from the Cameron A search of both my memory bank and of for keeping it going. And so well. C. Earl one, yet, how could a report on my photo archives brings to the surface I found the cover story by the late 1939-1945 items have been published in several Olympic four-door sedans. C W Bishop (joumal 211) a good piece of 19437 And, again, Cameron C. Earl My inquiries brought a response writing, nice to read. I can imagine the wrote ony one report on German cars. from Canada in the form of a photo of a amount of hard work to edit it. The key I can hardly imagine that in 194 3 beautiful1933 Franklin Olympic con issue to have been edited or, at least, be someone on the Allies side could have vertible coupe owned by Richard given a warning by the editor, is that it's toured Nazi Germany, meeting people and Coulombe. [See page 10.] The car was a fictional story, based on fantasy, mis visiting companies to write a report on the restored over a decade ago and has been takes and some facts , yet out of context German car industry, while no U.S. sol used regularly since. During the restora and randomly amassed. dier, least of all General Patton, was still tion Mr. Coulombe did considerable From the text it appears that the in Sicily in 1948-1949, when someone research on these cars. Of the 1500 author was in Sicily after the U.S. land could have had some faint chance to read Olympics built, only 50 were convertible ing on july 10, 1943, while the Cameron the Cameron C. Earl report. coupes. Of these 50 units, there are eight C. Earl report was first published by I also doubt that CWB was so for survivors that are either serviceable or HMSO (His Majesty Stationery Office) on tunate to get ahold of sets of the so restorable. Percentage-wise their survival October 18, 1948 as BIOS Final Report eagerly sought Rapiditas magazine, even rate was better than that for the sedans No. 1755. Item No. 19. Its author went if he was one of the winners of the war. and coupes. The Olympics far outsold to Germany on April 22 , 194 7 and Also the presence of Gordon Crosby the regular Franklin range of cars. But stayed there until May 20, 1947. No paintings in the Palermo Automobile volume doesn't help if you are losing where in the report are the words quoted Club HQ is hard to swallow because in money on every unit you sell. by CWB. The report is solely the work of Fascist Italy no public agency would have Franklin geared up to sell 5,000 Cameron C. Earl, who at the time of the even dared to buy art from the "enemy. " Olympics in 1934. They needed to buy Sicily landing was a 21-year-old recruit Maybe, due to my scarce knowl the bodies for $500 to $600 per unit working in the Army Tank Design Dept. edge of the subleties of the English lan rather than the $800 they were paying He was so clever to become a captain guage, l don't understand the point: Reo . At $1,500 retail per unit with vol before 1945. He never had any link with "Only Bernd Rosemeyer escaped, and he ume of 5,000 plus the small volume but Vauxhall Motor Company. Cameron C. only for a time ." As is well known, Res profitable markup on the big Franklins. Earl wrote only the above mentioned meyer was killed in an Auto Union on the company hoped to move into a favor report on German cars. january 28, 1938. Only one other AU able profit structure. But it was not to be. I didn't have the chance to meet driver died while racing: Ernst von For different reasons neither Reo nor CWB, who, unfortunately, cannot answer Deli us after crashing at the Ring in the Hayes Body would make these bodies anymore, yet I doubt that he had such German GP on july 25, 1937. Others available to Franklin. Franklin's one powerful divinatory resources, unless he died in war, yet this is another story. chance for survival had disappeared. writes about something different from And, anyhow, it ran quite differently from The surviving upper-end marques the above mentioned Cameron C. Earl what CWB's words seems to deliver. weren't necessarily smarter. Packard's first

Se pte mbe r- Octobe r 2004 9 seven-passenger Ford. One was at Ford's 100th anniversary show in June 2003 (very close to my 1936 English Ford 10 Tudor phaeton). -Hayden Shepley Editor's Note: In the text below the ten passenger Cadillac it says these cars are used, in operation only a few months with low mileage. Would someone ven ture to explain the reason for the unusu ally quick turnaround on these cars.

Book Reviews continued from page 8 cal specifications, the year of production and the clear language of the good pic tures still give fairly impressive informa 1933 Franklin Olympic convertible coupe owned by Richard Coulombe tion on the history of the works. To the attempt to go down-market, the 1932 their financial situation ruled this out. best of our knowledge it is the first time series 900 shovel nose car, was a disas They drove down the road to oblivion these cars are presented in a chronologi ter. lt was too good of a deal to be instead and the American automotive cal manner with all the details. believed. Why7 Packard didn't under scene would never be as interesting again. The book was compiled with the stand how to make a medium-priced - Fred Summers help of the club and had the full support car. After losing $400 to $600 on each of the FSO-factory 1t is nicely produced 900 series sold, they learned quickly More on Limos and well printed with clear and informa enough. ln 1935 Packard offered the l am sending you an illustration [see ad tive pictures. For any member interested in 120 se ri es car, which allowed the com below] of what is undoubtedly the Hess the production of the Eastern European pany to live another 20-plus years. & Eisenhardt limousine mentioned by passenger cars, this book is a mine of The GM!LaSalle down-market mis Phil Campbell (Letters, journal 210). information and definitely recommended. takes were on a grander scale. The 1933 ln 1934 the ew Era Co. built a -Ferdinand Hediger LaSalle failed for the same reasons as the Packard 900. GM's response was a com pletely new avante garde design for the F'OR SALE 1934-36 model years. lt was a gorgeous art-deco styled car that was right for Paris I 0-TEN-P ASSEN GEH CA DII . LA < : ~ but wrong for Peoria. Sales were disap pointing. Development costs were high. The cars had all new mechanicals, not to mention bodies that were constructed in GM's underutilized Fleetwood custom body plant with high unit build costs. lt flopped. But not to worry GM/LaSalle gets a third chance with the 1937 LaSalle , and they finally get it right. The car was nothing special, a GM B-body with a - ALL J 94 7 MODEL S - Cadillac V-8 engine and a new front clip.

With Buick moving relentlessly Body specially designed to seat two passengers in front <" ' t up-market, Cadillac's companion car fell separate from driver- four in second .eat and four In t·car :'dH in the middle of the Buick lineup, but Extra large luggage compartment in rear. Cars \\'~·re I n op..r·at :' ' ' · nobody seemed to notice. LaSalle sur on ly a few months- !{re just like new mec han ically and 111 appt-a r · vived until 1941, when it was morphed anc~ . Mileage as· low a ·7,000 miles. into Cad illac as the 61 seties. o Franklin, along with Pierce F o r furthe r informatio n write o r w ir t> Arrow, Marmon, tutz and other players, 1\1. A. H lJND L2 4 Sproat St. DETR O I T 1. .:\ I ICH . just needed another crack at survival, but 10 SAH Journal No. 212 received a major award. A search of peri od English journals has uncovered no evidence that such an award was actually presented to a loreley car. German publi cations give details of the events and, once again, I have drawn a blank. The loreley cars were described a number of times, but the descriptions only re late to the car and not the events it competed in. Gordon Brooks, 22 Cinques Road, Gamlingay, Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG19 3NW England

Material Wanted On the concepts of Michael Worthington-Willimns, Glas Information Wanted I am currently aerodynamics and streamlining in '30s pant Farmhouse, Capel Iwan, New writing a history of automobile lighting American Automobile design; their evo casde Emlyn, Carmarthenshire SA38 1895-1955, and while European manu lution, development and embodiment of 9LS, Wales-UK, +44 (0)1559 370928, facturing history is reasonably avai lable, European characteristics. David Edy [email protected] American-manufactured automobile vean, P.O. Box 363, Rotterdam jet, head, side and rear lamp information is NY 12150. [email protected] Information Wanted I am currently harder to come by. I would appreciate searching for information on the Loreley originals or photocopies of appropriate Material Wanted Originals or copies car that was manufactured in Germany manufacturers' or retailers' brochures, of automobile registration books from from 1905 to 1928 by Rudolph Ley. articles about factories, anecdotal stories most states for the years 1904 to 1928. I am particularly interested in the per and personalities. Peter W. Card, If you would like to swap vehicle reg formance in the Russian Reliability Trials 351 Sutton Common Road, Sutton, istration information I have over 60 reg of the 1910-1912 period. There is evi Surrey, SM3 9HZ England istration books. Also wanted: Smith & dence that a Loreley was competing and [email protected] Mabley and Simplex Automobile Co. lit erature, pictures, information, etc. n 1915, journalist Emily Bill Bell, 2602 East Hill, Marcellus, Post set out from New York NY 13108, 315-673-3605, I to investigate whether it [email protected] was possible to drive comfort ably across the country in an automobile. This is a reprint of Material Wanted On the motor car Post's only travel book, original racing of Briggs S. Cunningham. My cur ly published by Colliers' rent project is compiling a complete Magazine seven years before she motor history for which we now have became famous for her book on over 680 race entries including event, etiquette. A charming ftrst-hand account of elite automotive trav date, car, driver, results, etc. Any info , el before the process was democ articles, photos would be greatly appre ratized after World Wa r I, it also ciated. A website is in the process of shows the history of the south being created at www. briggscunning west, particularly in the myths ham.com to honor Mr. Cunningham and that made towns such as Santa Fe "authentic" tourist destina his huge contributions to automotive tions. history. Lawrence W. Bennan, 1155 Emily Post Walnut Street Newton, MA Edited by Jane Lancaster 02461- 1242, 617-964- 0000 278 pages $29.95 softcover 60 photos & illustrations, maps, [email protected] notes, appendix, index ISB 0-7864-1940-7 2004 Information Wanted Does anyone have a copy of Motor Life for October ll, 19247 I'd like a decent copy of page 25 , on McFarland which is an article entitled "Road Impres Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640 · Orders 800-253-2187 · FAX 336-246-4403 • www. mcfarlandpub.com sions of the 14-50 Sports Sunbeam. "

September-October 2004 11 FIRST CLASS PRESORT U.S . Postage Theournal Society of Automotive Historians, Inc. JIssue 212 September-October 2004 PAID Hartford, CT The Society of Automotive Historians, Inc. Permit #751 37 Wyndwood Road West Hartford, CT 06107

Inside Silent Auction Catalog-Deadline for receiving bids is November 15th.

ELECTRIK SLIDE: The nose of this Volkswagen pickup says "Elektro-Transporter," and the Varta logo on the door belongs to the battery company supplying most auto manufacturers in Europe. An electric vehicle history page at www.econogics.com says that VW "produced about 70 electric vans for fleet research purposes." This must be one of them. Does anyone know more? Kit Foster collection