 |
| AACCA Christmas Party |
Monday, December 15, 2008
Christmas Party 2008
Friday, May 16, 2008
Schelley Brown's News From The Road
1937 BUICK SPECIAL “OLIVIA”
Named after the Mother on the Walton's TV show.
OWNED BY SCHELLEY BROWN MINDEN, LOUISIANA
BUICK EIGHT SERIES-40
FIRST DAY OF UNVEILING 10/24/36 PRICE: $765.00
SPECIFICATIONS WHEELBASE: 122” LENGTH: 199-11/16
HORSEPOWER: 100 @ 3200 R.P.M. FIRING ORDER: 1-6-2-5-8-3-7-4
TANK CAPACITY 18 Gal.
FINAL PRODUCTION NUMBER DOMESTIC 82,440 / EXPORT 2,755
SERIES 40 4-DOOR 1937 TRUNK-BACK SEDAN
For all of you that don’t know me let me introduce myself.
I’m Schelley Brown and I love old cars.
I have a special attraction to the ones with the p
aint falling off and cotton coming out of the seats. I was the 2004 Vice President and 2005-2006 President of the Ark-La-Tex Antique and Classic Car Association in Shreveport. I currently serve (2008) as Jr. Vice President of MOTTA. I am a member of several other National Car Clubs and a few more local clubs.I have loved old cars since I was a kid. My first car in 1975 was a 51 Pontiac Chieftain, bought f
rom Mr. Wayne Chance. It didn’t always run, but that wasn’t the most important thing, because where I was going was only two blocks from home. The local hang-out back in the 70’s in Minden was the Dixie Cream (now Cotton’s Chicken) and the Dairy Queen. I could usually get the car to the Dixie Cream, even if I had to push it or coast out of the driveway. I would just sit in it, till I could get a ride, with someone else with a more dependable set of wheels. This worked out pretty good on the weekends, for awhile. I would just abandon it at the Dixie Cream parking lot for Friday & Saturday night, until Sunday when Mr. Joe Guthrie would tell me to drag it home. This ar
rangement also worked out for others that didn’t have a car. The Chief was like the covered seating area at the bus station. You just sat in it till someone came along and picked you up to make the loop through town. You could even use the horn to stop someone if you didn’t run the battery down. A sure way to keep this from happening was to slide a match book cover under the voltage regulator. In the summer it would vapor-lock so you carried milk jugs of water and ran clothes pins up and down the fuel line. It works every time!Today kids have it made. I don’t see many kids out pulling their car home anymore. No
w that I’m older I’ve figured out why my Daddy bought me the ‘51 as my first car, other than the fact that I wanted it. Number one was that it was only $200.00, 2nd it was made out of solid iron you could beat it with a baseball bat and it wouldn’t dent, 3rd it would only go about 40 miles an hour, 4th you wouldn’t dare try to go out of town in it (or would you). I put 10,000 miles in one year on that old car just making loops from the Dixie Cream to the Dairy Queen. It was cheap transportation. I still have the keys to the old Chief and maybe even the log-chain that was standard equipment with it! That old car started a life-long love of antiques and anything old and in need of repair.I now have a twelve year old niece that I have passed the love of old things to. She likes old cars,
old houses and antiques.Notice the cake this was my 16th birthday cake!
“Daddy Let Me Drive”
Do you remember the car that your learned how to drive in? Times have changed! I can remember my daddy letting me drive to Brownies in his old work car, a ’62 Plymouth named Ms. Pretty (she didn’t live up to her name). I don’t remember the model, but, I do remember that it was pale blue with push-button shift on the dash and not much on take off. Daddy would sit in the middle and I would drive to Lakeview Methodist where we had Brownie meetings. I was the only 2nd grader that got
to drive to Brownies! I was also the only Girl Scout that drove to the Scout Hut at Victory Park. I don’t think you can get away with that these days. I’m sure the “Chief” (Police Chief T.C. Bloxom) would have something to say about it now. I wonder what the statute of limitations is on driving without a license? I guess driving came natural to me, until I drove my first car with power-steering and power-brakes. My Aunt Bobbie had a Plymouth Furry III. I told her I was a good driver and she believed me!! Her first mistake was that she did believe me. We were in her driveway and she said, “Are you sure you can drive this car?” The whole time I was nodding my head “yes” and telling her I could. I put it in reverse and shot across the road into the neighbor’s driveway. She screamed, “STOP, STOP!!” I hit those power-brakes and she hit the dash. That wasn’t enough for her; she still let me drive to Sander’s Gulf Station on the Lewisville Road. I almost hit the gas pump when we turned in, not being used to a car with power-steering.She gave me some money and let me walk next door and get an ICEE. We only had one ICEE machine in town back then. It was the hot spot in town, especially during the summer. That store was in the building where they keep the voting machines now. That was the end of driving her car. Until I was a legal driver anyway!
I graduated on to an old 60’s Ford truck with “three on the tree” as they used to say. I didn’t know how to drive a standard the day my Daddy told me I could drive his truck. That didn’t stop me. It had wheels, gas and it was Friday night. I got in it and we jumped all the way to the end of the street to the Dixie Cream. For the first few days that was as far as I would go. I didn’t want to risk catching a light, especially the red light by the library or the one coming back the other direction by the Chamber Office. I didn’t do hills very well, especially if a car was right behind me. I could only take off if I had someone else with me, to hold their foot on the brake while I let off on the clutch. I sat through more than a few red lights and made quite a few people mad while I just sat there frozen with fear. I’m glad I finally learned how to drive a standard. Sports cars wouldn’t be as much fun if they all came with automatic transmissions.
Today you would be surprised at how many people can’t drive a vehicle with a standard transmission. Nobody wants to learn. I’m glad I did because I have a lot of funny memories about trying. Going to the Sonic was a challenge in itself. Senior Day at Minden High I got a Chevy Vega stuck at the Sonic because I couldn’t get it in reverse! But I still remember how funny it was and how everyone left me because they couldn’t drive a standard either!
Alan Jackson’s song “Drive” reminds me of how much driving means to you; especially when you are too young to be driving! So the next time your kids ask you to let them drive, remember they got’ ta learn sometime. Make it fun and with someone they care about. It may be something they’ll write about later! It’s something you always remember no matter how old you are or how bad or good a driver you think you are. Make a memory and a smile!!
email me at iluvoldcars@yahoo.com.
Tell your mama-n-em I said hello and ya’ll come see me real soon!
Cars, Car Clubs and most of all life-long friends!
I have loved cars since before I was able to drive them. My first car was a 1951 Pontiac Chieftain. I later would be fortunate enough to be able to purchase a 1937 Buick Special, 1958 Cadillac and a 1928 Ford Model A Roadster. All of these are great cars but one of
the added bonuses that came with most of these cars is the people that I met or became acquainted with because of them.As with most antique and classic car owners we eventually join a car club. This again acquaints all of us with a unique group of people with one common interest the love of old iron. The first club I joined was the Mid-America Old Time Automobile Association (MOTAA) this national car club’s headquarters is located at the Museum of Automobiles on the top of Petit Jean Mountain in Arkansas. I wanted to join this club because when I was a kid my parents had taken me to the car museum and this was where the first spark was ignited that later would turn into a full-fledged fire in my heart for old cars and antiques. I was honored in 2005
to be elected to the board of directors of MOTAA! I was amazed and overwhelmed when I was elected to become Jr. Vice President for the 2006 term! Here I now sit on a board with all men that know a whole lot more than I ever hope to know about antique cars. I guess they realized that I do have a true love and appreciation for the history and preservation of the antique automobile even if I can’t change my own oil! I have met some great people and friends through the MOTAA organization. I look forward to all that the next year will hold.The second club I joined was the Ark-La-Tex Antique and Classic Car Association in Shreveport, La.
When I joined this club I had just purchased my 1937 Buick and just wanted to meet a few people and have some fun. Boy was I in for a treat and not only did I meet members of this club I meet hundreds of people from the Ark-La-Tex to boot.I think when folks join a club they think, ok I’ll go to some meetings drive my car some and that will be about it. It can turn in to a way of life and life-long friends. The first folks I meet and became close to are my friends Ray and Linda Shaw the proud owners of an Model A Ford. Ray and Linda took me under their wing and Ray made sure that I had a trailer and anything else I needed to get to my first car show on Petit Jean Mountain. Ray later helped me purchase a 1928 Ford Roadster that he worked on and got it running and ready all for no charge. Ray is a Model A whiz and the greatest when it comes to wanting to help. He is what being in a car club is all about. People helping people and sharing their knowledge on a particular car with others is why most folks want to join a club.
Going to that first car show was a thrill for me. As I drove thru the judging stand with the Buick I had such an overwhelming feeling of finally making it! To top it off I had a group of friends from the AACCA cheering me on. I also had Mr. Wayne Chance the man that sold me my first car the 1951 Pontiac when I was in high school watching.
The 37 would later go to Senior Car status which I was so proud of. The man that I bought her from Mr. John R. Young from Eunice, Louisiana said he felt like a proud Grandpa. This man has become another friend. He owns 1937 and 1938 Buicks and introduced me to the 1937-1938 Buick Club of America. I would later be honored by this California based club when I was asked if they could publish a story that I had written about my Buick. That meant Olivia and I would be internationally known. This club has many members world-wide and is growing everyday.
Then in 2003 I was asked to serve as vice-president and later stepped into the presidency position of the AACCA until 2006. These last three years I have met so many folks and been involved in so many things from watching a one of a kind car the Bour-Davis come close to completion to creating my own car show the Minden Cruisin’ For a Cure for St. Jude car show in Minden, La.
From car shows to overnight trips and weekend getaways all of these car folks have banded together to form a tight knit family of sorts. We care about each other and when one of us is sick or our car is sick we care. We try to help and sometimes all we can do is just be there for someone. But the important thing is that we all have a common love and that gives us a little bit of happiness. I believe all car club members would agree nothing gives you a since of belonging than when you are going down the road and ahead of you is maybe a 1963 red Corvette with a good friend behind the wheel and when you look in your rearview mirror you see a
1957 Chevy Nomad with two more of your good friends waving at you. When you see a long caravan of antique cars going over a hill in front of you, you just have to smile and thank God for letting you know all of the great folks behind the wheels and in the passenger seats.If you aren’t a member of a car club look on the internet for a club close to you are give me a call or contact me at iluvoldcars@yahoo.com I’ll try to help you out on the right club for you. You will be making a life changing decision when you join a club! It can turn into a lot more than just a Sunday meeting and a drive or two! Until next time be safe and keep it between the ditches.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
A King Midget Or Two or Three By Sam Thomas
As a boy, I was an avid
reader of the various mechanics magazines, and every month I would see ads for a neat small car that could be mail ordered. It seemed so perfect for a thirteen year old, and I wanted one terribly. My parents advised me that I was fortunate to have a Cushman scooter, and when the time came for an automobile, it would be a “real” car.
In 1952 my great aunt gave me her beloved 1938 standard 4-door Chevrolet sedan. I grew to love this old car, but I vowed that someday I would own a King Midget. After college, Graudate School, and a 30+ year career, I finally acquired that King Midget. I now own three, and have learned a lot about their history. Two are restored and have achieved Grand National status in the Antique Automobile Club of America. The third is yet to be a done project.
The King Midget was built in Athens, Ohio form 1946 through 1969. The first model was a single passenger car that resembled a midget racer. It was available as a kit from 1946 to 1951. The car was powered by a six horsepower single cylinder Wisconsin engine.
The second model was av
ailable from 1951 to 1956. It was a two passenger convertible, also with a single cylinder Wisconsin engine, this time with a 9 horsepower. This time the model could be purchased either as a kit or a factory built auto.
The third and final model, built from 1957 to 1969, was also a convertible, with a single cylinder Wisconsin nine horsepower. This engine was later upgraded to a twelve horsepower Kohler. Improvements were made with the most significant being the development of an electric starter.
The founders of the King Midget Company, Claud Dry and Dale Orcutt, wanted to build a small, lightweight economy car. Although they accomplished this, they did not seem interested in becoming a large company and continued the sale of cars by mail order. One ad stated that if you were careful in the uncrating process, the box could be used as a garage.
In 1966 the company was sold. The new owners experienced insurmountable difficulties, and subsequently the company changed ownership three times. Eventually production ceased as other manufactures embraced the small car market and created a much more sophisticated product.
Although the Midget had a loyal following, admittedly its appearance never progressed beyond a plain, amateurish “homemade” look. While the car had distinctive features such as hydraulic brakes, independent suspension, and automatic transmission, there were only minimal mechanical changes and improvements, while other companies were making significant advances in their products.
In 1970 a prototype that was to be a better auto was created, but it was destroyed by fire before it could be produced. At this point the company simply folded.
It has been reported that during the last year of production (1969) only fifty cars were made. The total production of the company during its durations seems to be lost, with estimates ranging from three thousand to nine thousand for the entire run.
My first restoration began about six years ago, with a wrecked 1969. At that time parts were available from Midget Motor Supply In Waverly, Ohio. The second restoration is a 1962, and was begun about three years ago. Parts were and I think are still available from Midget Motors in Norwalk, Ohio. Many parts can be purchased from the local hardware store, and because of the crude simplicity, fenders, hoods, floor pan, etc. can be crafted by any good sheet metal shop. An important feature is that the Midget can be worked on alone. Larger restorations require more hand to lift, pull of push. Because it is so simple and basic, the King Midget is an excellent starter car for a neophyte restorer. By Sam Thomas owner of 3 King Midgets
reader of the various mechanics magazines, and every month I would see ads for a neat small car that could be mail ordered. It seemed so perfect for a thirteen year old, and I wanted one terribly. My parents advised me that I was fortunate to have a Cushman scooter, and when the time came for an automobile, it would be a “real” car.In 1952 my great aunt gave me her beloved 1938 standard 4-door Chevrolet sedan. I grew to love this old car, but I vowed that someday I would own a King Midget. After college, Graudate School, and a 30+ year career, I finally acquired that King Midget. I now own three, and have learned a lot about their history. Two are restored and have achieved Grand National status in the Antique Automobile Club of America. The third is yet to be a done project.
The King Midget was built in Athens, Ohio form 1946 through 1969. The first model was a single passenger car that resembled a midget racer. It was available as a kit from 1946 to 1951. The car was powered by a six horsepower single cylinder Wisconsin engine.
The second model was av
ailable from 1951 to 1956. It was a two passenger convertible, also with a single cylinder Wisconsin engine, this time with a 9 horsepower. This time the model could be purchased either as a kit or a factory built auto.The third and final model, built from 1957 to 1969, was also a convertible, with a single cylinder Wisconsin nine horsepower. This engine was later upgraded to a twelve horsepower Kohler. Improvements were made with the most significant being the development of an electric starter.
The founders of the King Midget Company, Claud Dry and Dale Orcutt, wanted to build a small, lightweight economy car. Although they accomplished this, they did not seem interested in becoming a large company and continued the sale of cars by mail order. One ad stated that if you were careful in the uncrating process, the box could be used as a garage.
In 1966 the company was sold. The new owners experienced insurmountable difficulties, and subsequently the company changed ownership three times. Eventually production ceased as other manufactures embraced the small car market and created a much more sophisticated product.
Although the Midget had a loyal following, admittedly its appearance never progressed beyond a plain, amateurish “homemade” look. While the car had distinctive features such as hydraulic brakes, independent suspension, and automatic transmission, there were only minimal mechanical changes and improvements, while other companies were making significant advances in their products.
In 1970 a prototype that was to be a better auto was created, but it was destroyed by fire before it could be produced. At this point the company simply folded.
It has been reported that during the last year of production (1969) only fifty cars were made. The total production of the company during its durations seems to be lost, with estimates ranging from three thousand to nine thousand for the entire run.
My first restoration began about six years ago, with a wrecked 1969. At that time parts were available from Midget Motor Supply In Waverly, Ohio. The second restoration is a 1962, and was begun about three years ago. Parts were and I think are still available from Midget Motors in Norwalk, Ohio. Many parts can be purchased from the local hardware store, and because of the crude simplicity, fenders, hoods, floor pan, etc. can be crafted by any good sheet metal shop. An important feature is that the Midget can be worked on alone. Larger restorations require more hand to lift, pull of push. Because it is so simple and basic, the King Midget is an excellent starter car for a neophyte restorer. By Sam Thomas owner of 3 King Midgets
Mike Deeter's "The Old Chevy"
1940 Chevrolet Special Deluxe “The Old Chevy” (Driven over 410,000 Miles)
This car was sold new, in Corpus Christi, Texas. When the lady that owned the car, became unable to drive, she gave the car to her grandson. He immediately threw a rod out through the oil pan and parked the car. I bought the car from the grandson in Beeville, Texas for $75 and bought an engine for parts for it out of a friends’ wrecked Che
vrolet for $15.
Since 1964, I have put over 340,000 miles on “The Old Chevy” as the car has come to be known. I drove the car regularly to work from 1964 until the mid 1990’s. During my career in the Navy, the car was driven across country numerous times. At one time, just after I retired from the Navy, and was working in Los Angeles I was commuting 120 miles daily in the car. During a four year period from 1981 to 1985 I pout over 130,000 miles on “The Old Chevy” when she was over 40 years old. She got a grease job and oil change very other weekend in those days. In addition, the car also survived the loving care of my daughter and son while they were teenagers.
“The Old Chevy” is a national traveler and has been driven in many different areas. The following is a chronological list of the places she has performed service- Corpus Christi, TX., Beeville, TX., Sanford, FL., Lemoore, CA., San Francisco, CA., Jacksonville, FL., Memphis, Tenn., Pendleton, IN., Monterey, CA., Pensacola, FL., El Centro, CA., Mexicali, Mexico, Lemoore, CA., Fallon, NV., San Diego, CA., Tijuana, Mexico, Mission Viejo, CA., and Shreveport, LA.
“The Old Chevy” was maintained instead of restored. She has been repainted twice, upholstered twice, transmission rebuilt twice, and the engine rebuilt four times. “The Old Chevy” still runs with the original rear end and on the original wheel bearings. All of the sheet metal is original and selected items have been re-chromed over the y
ears.
This is currently painted the original color 1940 Chevrolet “Gulf Blue” and the upholstery kit provided by Hampton Coach was fabricated using 1940 Chevrolet original patterns and materials. “The Old Chevy” is in well-earned semi-retirement now and is driven infrequently and to car shows.
By Mike Deeter owner and operator of “The Old Chevy”
This car was sold new, in Corpus Christi, Texas. When the lady that owned the car, became unable to drive, she gave the car to her grandson. He immediately threw a rod out through the oil pan and parked the car. I bought the car from the grandson in Beeville, Texas for $75 and bought an engine for parts for it out of a friends’ wrecked Che
vrolet for $15.Since 1964, I have put over 340,000 miles on “The Old Chevy” as the car has come to be known. I drove the car regularly to work from 1964 until the mid 1990’s. During my career in the Navy, the car was driven across country numerous times. At one time, just after I retired from the Navy, and was working in Los Angeles I was commuting 120 miles daily in the car. During a four year period from 1981 to 1985 I pout over 130,000 miles on “The Old Chevy” when she was over 40 years old. She got a grease job and oil change very other weekend in those days. In addition, the car also survived the loving care of my daughter and son while they were teenagers.
“The Old Chevy” is a national traveler and has been driven in many different areas. The following is a chronological list of the places she has performed service- Corpus Christi, TX., Beeville, TX., Sanford, FL., Lemoore, CA., San Francisco, CA., Jacksonville, FL., Memphis, Tenn., Pendleton, IN., Monterey, CA., Pensacola, FL., El Centro, CA., Mexicali, Mexico, Lemoore, CA., Fallon, NV., San Diego, CA., Tijuana, Mexico, Mission Viejo, CA., and Shreveport, LA.
“The Old Chevy” was maintained instead of restored. She has been repainted twice, upholstered twice, transmission rebuilt twice, and the engine rebuilt four times. “The Old Chevy” still runs with the original rear end and on the original wheel bearings. All of the sheet metal is original and selected items have been re-chromed over the y
ears.This is currently painted the original color 1940 Chevrolet “Gulf Blue” and the upholstery kit provided by Hampton Coach was fabricated using 1940 Chevrolet original patterns and materials. “The Old Chevy” is in well-earned semi-retirement now and is driven infrequently and to car shows.
By Mike Deeter owner and operator of “The Old Chevy”
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
1967 Oldsmobile Toronado Deluxe By Mark & Yvonne Bandy
This car as many of you know was the first front wheel drive car since the Cord 810 and 812 of the elate 1930's. 
The first year of production was 1966. Ours was the 1967 model year and was offered with front disc brakes and radial tires. There were only 20,020 of the Deluxe models made that year with the total production including the standard model only reaching 21,790. The car is powered by a 425 cubic inch 385hp super rocket V-8 engine. It features power windows, power front bench seat, remote trunk release, tilt/telesc
opic steering, a "no hump" floorboard, rear door handles for opening the "two-door" car from the backseat and a barrel speedometer. My fifth grade teacher bought this car new while I was in her class and I thought it was the most beautiful car I'd ever seen. She owned it for over 20 years and traded it in at the Springhill Motor Company in Springhill, Louisiana where she originally purchased it. The owners (The Colvin's) kept the car for several years and eventually sold it to a man in Springhill who was the president of Springhill Bank and Trust Company. He own
ed if for a few years and said he had many good drives in the car. Eventually he sold the car to someone else who started a restoration but never completed it. We purchases the car from him a little over 10 years ago and it has been a love/hate relationship ever since. Love the car but hate to try and find parts for it. That really became evident in April of 2004 when it caught fire on the way to the Red River Street Rod Show. Luc
kily there were some out of town firemen at a local fast food restaurant in town for a competition and they came and had the fire out before the local unit got there. It has really been an uphill battle since that time but I believe (after having to recently buy a donor car for the motor---Thanks Dick and Doug--- that wasn't repaired properly after the fire) and having it rebuilt I think we're on our way to the sunny side once again. We haven't had the car in our possession for more that a couple of months since the fire of 2004. They say this Toronado is one of the last big sleepers of that generation and will soon come to be a valuable classic and achieve collector status. We sure hope so because we think is deserves to be recognized as the icon and pioneering automobile that it is.
The first year of production was 1966. Ours was the 1967 model year and was offered with front disc brakes and radial tires. There were only 20,020 of the Deluxe models made that year with the total production including the standard model only reaching 21,790. The car is powered by a 425 cubic inch 385hp super rocket V-8 engine. It features power windows, power front bench seat, remote trunk release, tilt/telesc
opic steering, a "no hump" floorboard, rear door handles for opening the "two-door" car from the backseat and a barrel speedometer. My fifth grade teacher bought this car new while I was in her class and I thought it was the most beautiful car I'd ever seen. She owned it for over 20 years and traded it in at the Springhill Motor Company in Springhill, Louisiana where she originally purchased it. The owners (The Colvin's) kept the car for several years and eventually sold it to a man in Springhill who was the president of Springhill Bank and Trust Company. He own
ed if for a few years and said he had many good drives in the car. Eventually he sold the car to someone else who started a restoration but never completed it. We purchases the car from him a little over 10 years ago and it has been a love/hate relationship ever since. Love the car but hate to try and find parts for it. That really became evident in April of 2004 when it caught fire on the way to the Red River Street Rod Show. Luc
kily there were some out of town firemen at a local fast food restaurant in town for a competition and they came and had the fire out before the local unit got there. It has really been an uphill battle since that time but I believe (after having to recently buy a donor car for the motor---Thanks Dick and Doug--- that wasn't repaired properly after the fire) and having it rebuilt I think we're on our way to the sunny side once again. We haven't had the car in our possession for more that a couple of months since the fire of 2004. They say this Toronado is one of the last big sleepers of that generation and will soon come to be a valuable classic and achieve collector status. We sure hope so because we think is deserves to be recognized as the icon and pioneering automobile that it is.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
AACCA FALL CAR SHOW 2008
Right Click on Picture Save and Print Flyer. Hope to see you October 11, 2008!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Bour-Davis Model "21-S"
Not Just One Man’s Dream
Back in the early seventies Philip Pedro a member of the Ark-La-Tex Antique and Classic Car Association was interested in finding a rare Bour-Davis car for the club to restore. The hunt for the illusive car was on. The idea and dream turned into a project that has lasted from the early seventies till 2004!
In the beginning the Bour-Davis; named from the two founders, Charles J. Bour and Robert C. Davis, was originally manufactured in Detroit till 1916, before the company was sold to the Shadburn Brothers in 1917. They moved to Frankfort, Ind., and promptly went bust. It was proposed at the time that a car be manufactured to sell for $800.
The Louisiana Motor Car Company was formed in 1917 in Shreveport, La. and they promptly purchased the rights to the Bour-Davis in April 1918. The LMC Company opened their doors for business in the old Merchants Building on the corner of Milam and Market Streets in Shreveport. A new name was wanted for the Louisiana car and a contest was undertaken in the “Shreveport Times” newspaper.
The contest had a nice gimmick, name this automobile and you can have it! This first place prize of a Bour-Davis auto had a value of $1,550.
Mrs. A.R. Kilgore of the Cedar Grove area of Shreveport, with the name “Louisianne” was the winner of the car. The name was briefly used or maybe never used because the Bour-Davis logo was still on cars until 1922. Second prize would be $500 worth of stock in the LMC Company. Third prize $300 worth of stock, fourth and fifth would also land you $100 worth of LMC stock. Not worth much in the years to come.
One stipulation in the rules of the contest was that you had to own at least one share of stock to enter the contest! This small detail was clever on LMC’s part. The newly formed LMC Company was formed by a struggling but enthusiastic group.
The LMC Company had a plan to sell shares of stock to bu
ild a proposed plant in the Cedar Grove area. They had a wonderful layout of a seven buildings to be built. They also included what investors should profit by joining in with LMC Company. They wanted to compare with the other new manufactures such as Ford, REO, Stutz, Chevrolet, Overland, Hupp to name a few. The car business was still in the beginning stages, just a little over 12 years old at the time.
Many men had high hopes and big dreams of making it rich with this new venture. It was a once in a life time opportunity for the people in the area to jump on board and make it big. “The manufacture of automobiles is the most profitable and safest business enterprise in the world.” Is a claim printed on the LMC Co. proposed plan.
The Bour-Davis show room would be located on a site at 1035 Texas Ave. The factory never quite made it to the seven building plan. It was first just a few tents, in June of 1918 at 1648 Texas Ave. Later two buildings would be constructed at the proposed Cedar Grove site. This site was later occupied by the J.B. Beaird plant and then Kast Metals Corp.
Unfortunately, production never grew beyond a few hundred units
because of mismanagement. The result: 267 cars built in 1916, 22 in 1917, four in 1918. These early models were to be priced against the Hudson and Cadillac at $1,200. Twenty were produced in Frankfurt, Ind., and one in Shreveport in 1919, and 296 were produced in 1920. Figures were unavailable for 1921 and 1922 and by the time the 1921 seven-passenger models rolled off the lines they were priced at $2,385, compared to $525 for a Chevrolet touring car, $935 for a Buick and $3,150 for a similar Cadillac. This price jump would put the company into receivership due to slow sales and an inventory of parts for 700 cars.
On May 18, 1921 the assets were sold to Commercial National Bank and the stock of 4700 investors became worthless. J.M. Ponder of Shreveport purchased the entire assets of the Louisiana Motor Car Stock from the ban
k on May 29, 1922 and organized the Ponder Motor Manufacturing Company, Inc. with all former stock-holders having stock in the new company. Not enough new capital, $1,500,000, nor sales enough to sustain the new beginning, Ponder and Bour-Davis ended and era in 1923.
They sold the cars, made a profit, but the profit was drained off by the upper management. It was a good car, just not very attractive, and pricier than what had been planned in the beginning stages. This would be the end of the line for Bour-Davis, until the 1970’s when the dream was brought to life again by the Ark-La-Tex Antique and Classic Car Association.
Philip Pedro thought he had found one of the extinct cars in the early ‘70’s when he received a letter from a man in Dahinda, Ill., claiming to own the illusive auto. Pedro misplaced the letter, but found it again twenty some
-odd years later in 1990! Pedro told Dick Nelson, A.A.C.C.A. car member, about the car.
Nelson, a car enthusiast and auto historian, located the owner and made the deal. In November 1990, Nelson and car club members Joe Greene and Robert Smith drove to Illinois to pick it up. They found the car was actually a Davis, not a Bour-Davis. Although built by different companies, the car was similar in wheelbase, engine, body design and other components because different auto makers purchased these components usually from one company. This gave A.A.C.C.A. a good foundation to recreate a Bour-Davis.
The car’s remains were brought home to Shreveport and inventoried. They had a Davis chassis, Bour-Davis windshield frame, and the correct radiator, engine and assorted pieces, and they also had the most important part a Bour-Davis emblem.
Nelson said, “It’s like making an apple pie. You have a recipe book and you have some of the ingredients and you know how to get the rest to put it all together. You put it all together and you have an apple pie.” The body will have to be fabricated from sheet-metal. As a guide, A.A.C.C.A. used a Studebaker body; which car club members; Mike Deeter, Harold Coburn along with Nelson traveled to San Diego, California, in an adventure filled trip, to retrieve. Salvaged pieces from other cars were meshed, throughout the years, in this assembly process that the club called “Bour-Davis work day”. “Bour-Davis work days” have seen temper tantrums and high-fives all in one day. A lot of blood, sweat and tears have gone into this project.
“We are making sure the dimensions and physical characteristics are identical. We’ve done some ad-libbing, but we now have a 1921 seven passenger model “21-S” Bour-Davis automobile.” This is the only one known to exist. Club members hope that with the completion of this car another car will surface one day.
The restoration has taken many years to complete, with an on-again off-again process. The process of refurbishing or building every piece of the car, including wheels, engine, electrical system and interior has been exten
sive and painstaking. Many club members over the years have worked on this project with more than a few not living to see their dream roll off the “A.A.C.C.A.” and I guess you could say the resurrected “Louisiana Motor Car Company” assembly line.
The restoration has cost in excess of $10,000, with money coming from club fund-raisers. We place the value of the car at $20,000-$30,000. “However, when you add the uniqueness and rareness of the car, it may inflate considerably,” Nelson said.
The 1921 Bour-Davis will once again have a permanent home i
n Shreveport, Louisiana. This one of a kind auto will tour throughout the country at various car museums and auto shows. The club is proud of the recognition that the car received as a feature car at the 2005 Mid America Old Time Automobile Association annual Father’s Day show held each year atop Petit Jean Mountain in Morrilton, Arkansas at the Museum of Automobiles. This museum will one day house the Bour-Davis for display. This show was also the maiden voyage of the Bour-Davis for a drive around the field. The excitement on Dick Nelson & Doug Olson’s face was evident that day as they got behind the wheel and took off under the cars on power.
If you would like to donate to the restoration and preservation fund of the Bour-Davis Automobile please mail your donation to:
AACCA
Bour-Davis Fund
PO Box 3353
Shreveport, Louisiana 71103
Ark-La-Tex Antique and Classic Car Association was formed to promote the restoration and preservation of antique, classic, milestone and special interest type automobiles in the Ark-La-Tex area. The club provides technical and social contacts for members by sponsoring shows, swap meets, special charity fundraisers and social functions for members. For more information contact us at iluvoldcars@yahoo.com A.A.C.C.A. is an affiliate club of M.O.T.A.A. “The Mid-America Old Time Automobile Association” which is based at the Museum of Automobiles in Morrilton, Ark. See the M.O.T.A.A. web site for more information on this fine organization. http://www.motaa.com/
The AACCA 1921 Bour-Davis team
The AACCA would like to acknowledge all the people that have made this project possible, throughout the many years of tireless work and dedication. If anyone has been overlooked, it is by accident. Please let the AACCA know of a name that should be added to this page. The following names are in alphabetical order.
Mark Bandy / Clifford Bayer / Bob Bitowski
Clifford Blackwell / Jim Bostic / Will Burns
Harold Coburn / Mike Deeter / Terry Dove
Charlie Elliot / Ralph Findley / David Freeman
Harry “Red” Gibson / Joe Greene / Archie Hardy
Chuck Henley / Noble Hoots / Bob Hunter
Victor Kunce / John Kreymer / Alan Law
Mike Matlack / Buck Monroe / Dick Nelson
Doug Olson / Bob Peterson / Bobby Platt
Tommy Rascoe / R.S. Robertson / Eddie Sangid
Erwin Sanchez / Ray Shaw / John Simons
Robert Smith / Bill Spahr / Herman Van Os
Maurice Wright
Deceased members that never saw the project completed.
Philip Cancelleri / Ralph Goldsby / Bobby Harper
Al Mauldin / Phillip Pedro (the man behind it all)
(We would also like to thank many of the ladies of the club that have sacrificed while their husbands were at the Bour-Davis work days!)
Back in the early seventies Philip Pedro a member of the Ark-La-Tex Antique and Classic Car Association was interested in finding a rare Bour-Davis car for the club to restore. The hunt for the illusive car was on. The idea and dream turned into a project that has lasted from the early seventies till 2004!
In the beginning the Bour-Davis; named from the two founders, Charles J. Bour and Robert C. Davis, was originally manufactured in Detroit till 1916, before the company was sold to the Shadburn Brothers in 1917. They moved to Frankfort, Ind., and promptly went bust. It was proposed at the time that a car be manufactured to sell for $800.
The Louisiana Motor Car Company was formed in 1917 in Shreveport, La. and they promptly purchased the rights to the Bour-Davis in April 1918. The LMC Company opened their doors for business in the old Merchants Building on the corner of Milam and Market Streets in Shreveport. A new name was wanted for the Louisiana car and a contest was undertaken in the “Shreveport Times” newspaper.
The contest had a nice gimmick, name this automobile and you can have it! This first place prize of a Bour-Davis auto had a value of $1,550.
Mrs. A.R. Kilgore of the Cedar Grove area of Shreveport, with the name “Louisianne” was the winner of the car. The name was briefly used or maybe never used because the Bour-Davis logo was still on cars until 1922. Second prize would be $500 worth of stock in the LMC Company. Third prize $300 worth of stock, fourth and fifth would also land you $100 worth of LMC stock. Not worth much in the years to come.One stipulation in the rules of the contest was that you had to own at least one share of stock to enter the contest! This small detail was clever on LMC’s part. The newly formed LMC Company was formed by a struggling but enthusiastic group.
The LMC Company had a plan to sell shares of stock to bu
ild a proposed plant in the Cedar Grove area. They had a wonderful layout of a seven buildings to be built. They also included what investors should profit by joining in with LMC Company. They wanted to compare with the other new manufactures such as Ford, REO, Stutz, Chevrolet, Overland, Hupp to name a few. The car business was still in the beginning stages, just a little over 12 years old at the time.Many men had high hopes and big dreams of making it rich with this new venture. It was a once in a life time opportunity for the people in the area to jump on board and make it big. “The manufacture of automobiles is the most profitable and safest business enterprise in the world.” Is a claim printed on the LMC Co. proposed plan.
The Bour-Davis show room would be located on a site at 1035 Texas Ave. The factory never quite made it to the seven building plan. It was first just a few tents, in June of 1918 at 1648 Texas Ave. Later two buildings would be constructed at the proposed Cedar Grove site. This site was later occupied by the J.B. Beaird plant and then Kast Metals Corp.
Unfortunately, production never grew beyond a few hundred units
because of mismanagement. The result: 267 cars built in 1916, 22 in 1917, four in 1918. These early models were to be priced against the Hudson and Cadillac at $1,200. Twenty were produced in Frankfurt, Ind., and one in Shreveport in 1919, and 296 were produced in 1920. Figures were unavailable for 1921 and 1922 and by the time the 1921 seven-passenger models rolled off the lines they were priced at $2,385, compared to $525 for a Chevrolet touring car, $935 for a Buick and $3,150 for a similar Cadillac. This price jump would put the company into receivership due to slow sales and an inventory of parts for 700 cars.On May 18, 1921 the assets were sold to Commercial National Bank and the stock of 4700 investors became worthless. J.M. Ponder of Shreveport purchased the entire assets of the Louisiana Motor Car Stock from the ban
k on May 29, 1922 and organized the Ponder Motor Manufacturing Company, Inc. with all former stock-holders having stock in the new company. Not enough new capital, $1,500,000, nor sales enough to sustain the new beginning, Ponder and Bour-Davis ended and era in 1923.They sold the cars, made a profit, but the profit was drained off by the upper management. It was a good car, just not very attractive, and pricier than what had been planned in the beginning stages. This would be the end of the line for Bour-Davis, until the 1970’s when the dream was brought to life again by the Ark-La-Tex Antique and Classic Car Association.
Philip Pedro thought he had found one of the extinct cars in the early ‘70’s when he received a letter from a man in Dahinda, Ill., claiming to own the illusive auto. Pedro misplaced the letter, but found it again twenty some
-odd years later in 1990! Pedro told Dick Nelson, A.A.C.C.A. car member, about the car.Nelson, a car enthusiast and auto historian, located the owner and made the deal. In November 1990, Nelson and car club members Joe Greene and Robert Smith drove to Illinois to pick it up. They found the car was actually a Davis, not a Bour-Davis. Although built by different companies, the car was similar in wheelbase, engine, body design and other components because different auto makers purchased these components usually from one company. This gave A.A.C.C.A. a good foundation to recreate a Bour-Davis.
The car’s remains were brought home to Shreveport and inventoried. They had a Davis chassis, Bour-Davis windshield frame, and the correct radiator, engine and assorted pieces, and they also had the most important part a Bour-Davis emblem.
Nelson said, “It’s like making an apple pie. You have a recipe book and you have some of the ingredients and you know how to get the rest to put it all together. You put it all together and you have an apple pie.” The body will have to be fabricated from sheet-metal. As a guide, A.A.C.C.A. used a Studebaker body; which car club members; Mike Deeter, Harold Coburn along with Nelson traveled to San Diego, California, in an adventure filled trip, to retrieve. Salvaged pieces from other cars were meshed, throughout the years, in this assembly process that the club called “Bour-Davis work day”. “Bour-Davis work days” have seen temper tantrums and high-fives all in one day. A lot of blood, sweat and tears have gone into this project.
“We are making sure the dimensions and physical characteristics are identical. We’ve done some ad-libbing, but we now have a 1921 seven passenger model “21-S” Bour-Davis automobile.” This is the only one known to exist. Club members hope that with the completion of this car another car will surface one day.
The restoration has taken many years to complete, with an on-again off-again process. The process of refurbishing or building every piece of the car, including wheels, engine, electrical system and interior has been exten
sive and painstaking. Many club members over the years have worked on this project with more than a few not living to see their dream roll off the “A.A.C.C.A.” and I guess you could say the resurrected “Louisiana Motor Car Company” assembly line.The restoration has cost in excess of $10,000, with money coming from club fund-raisers. We place the value of the car at $20,000-$30,000. “However, when you add the uniqueness and rareness of the car, it may inflate considerably,” Nelson said.
The 1921 Bour-Davis will once again have a permanent home i
n Shreveport, Louisiana. This one of a kind auto will tour throughout the country at various car museums and auto shows. The club is proud of the recognition that the car received as a feature car at the 2005 Mid America Old Time Automobile Association annual Father’s Day show held each year atop Petit Jean Mountain in Morrilton, Arkansas at the Museum of Automobiles. This museum will one day house the Bour-Davis for display. This show was also the maiden voyage of the Bour-Davis for a drive around the field. The excitement on Dick Nelson & Doug Olson’s face was evident that day as they got behind the wheel and took off under the cars on power.If you would like to donate to the restoration and preservation fund of the Bour-Davis Automobile please mail your donation to:
AACCA
Bour-Davis Fund
PO Box 3353
Shreveport, Louisiana 71103
Ark-La-Tex Antique and Classic Car Association was formed to promote the restoration and preservation of antique, classic, milestone and special interest type automobiles in the Ark-La-Tex area. The club provides technical and social contacts for members by sponsoring shows, swap meets, special charity fundraisers and social functions for members. For more information contact us at iluvoldcars@yahoo.com A.A.C.C.A. is an affiliate club of M.O.T.A.A. “The Mid-America Old Time Automobile Association” which is based at the Museum of Automobiles in Morrilton, Ark. See the M.O.T.A.A. web site for more information on this fine organization. http://www.motaa.com/
The AACCA 1921 Bour-Davis team
The AACCA would like to acknowledge all the people that have made this project possible, throughout the many years of tireless work and dedication. If anyone has been overlooked, it is by accident. Please let the AACCA know of a name that should be added to this page. The following names are in alphabetical order.
Mark Bandy / Clifford Bayer / Bob Bitowski
Clifford Blackwell / Jim Bostic / Will Burns
Harold Coburn / Mike Deeter / Terry Dove
Charlie Elliot / Ralph Findley / David Freeman
Harry “Red” Gibson / Joe Greene / Archie Hardy
Chuck Henley / Noble Hoots / Bob Hunter
Victor Kunce / John Kreymer / Alan Law
Mike Matlack / Buck Monroe / Dick Nelson
Doug Olson / Bob Peterson / Bobby Platt
Tommy Rascoe / R.S. Robertson / Eddie Sangid
Erwin Sanchez / Ray Shaw / John Simons
Robert Smith / Bill Spahr / Herman Van Os
Maurice Wright
Deceased members that never saw the project completed.
Philip Cancelleri / Ralph Goldsby / Bobby Harper
Al Mauldin / Phillip Pedro (the man behind it all)
(We would also like to thank many of the ladies of the club that have sacrificed while their husbands were at the Bour-Davis work days!)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)