Title: Orphan Babies
Subtitle: America's Forgotten Economy Cars, Volume 2 1927 - 1943
Description: DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION, America's well-to-do children traveled in Red Bugs, Custer Cooties, Shaw Speedsters, National Junior Racers, Maytag Toy Racers and many other expensive playthings. Some were even licensed for use on the streets. Volume 2 of ORPHAN BABIES, America's Forgotten Economy Cars tells the untold stories of the many "baby cars" that tried to carry us through those stressful times. Arguably, the car that single-handedly prepared America to welcome the Depression-era baby car was the brainchild of the one man who had enough talent, diligence, technical background, fame and intestinal fortitude to get the job done. Captain James V. Martin adapted many of his patented ideas for lightweight airplanes to create a completely new type of lightweight automobile. Martin called his 600-pound Dart "the smallest car for practical purposes ever made." He said they would sell for $200 each when production reached 3 million cars per year. Meanwhile, cyclecar builder Clayton E. Frederickson partnered with Iowa politicians Herbert and Ralph Thompson to deliver the Littlemac. It was larger than the Dart but smaller than any production car in the country. It was clean, contemporary and conservative. The 1,999-pound car could reach 35 miles per hour in just 75 feet and advertising boasted of being "the fastest small automobile in the world." The American Austin Car Company was incorporated in 1929 to build the English Austin Seven in Butler, Pennsylvania. American Austin styling and innovative body engineering were conceived by Count Alexis de Sakhnoffsky. Body shells were built and upholstered by the Hayes Body Company of Grand Rapids, Michigan, and shipped to Butler for final assembly. Investment in Martin Motors, Thompson Motors and American Austin appeared to be sure money makers. But it was a bad time to build a new car company. By the mid-1930s, all were history and a new crop of baby cars burst onto the scene. American Austin salesman Roy S. Evans acquired the bankrupt company in 1936 and introduced an updated version late the following year. The new American Bantam was faster, stronger and more streamlined than its predecessor, but even less successful. But the boys at Butler responded to the Army's call for a small, 4WD combat car and created the Bantam Reconnaissance Car in just 49 days. Bantam had built only 69 of these first "jeeps" before the government awarded production contracts to Ford and Willys-Overland, cutting the creators out entirely. Radio manufacturer Powel Crosley, Jr., also offered a miniature car. His two-cylinder convertibles debuted at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and were sold beside Crosley refrigerators and other appliances at Macy's and other department stores. Crosley hoped for government contracts and he built a few special prupose vehicles for the military. Of all the baby cars introduced during the 1930s, only the Crosley survived World War II. A PARTIAL LISTING OF CARS COVERED IN ORPHAN BABIES, VOLUME 2, 1927-1943: American Austin; American Austin-Overland Gun Carrier; American Bantam; American Dye Works Delivery; Austin Hi-Way King; Bantam Cyclecar; Batchelor; Borntraeger Silver Bullet; Brauks; Broadway Melody Town Car; Bury; Checker-Bantam BRC 40; Chevrolet Extra Light "Jeep"; Continental Beacon; Chevrolet Pennsylvania Dump Truck; C.R.A.D.; Crosley; Custer; Dart; Davidson Gun Carriage; DaVinci Pup; De Cross Cycar; Fearless Greggs' Stunt Car; Flying Squirrel: Ford GP; Ford GPW; Ford Extra Light "Jeep"; Ford Model A; Ford Pygmy; Freedman; General Motors Martia; Golden Bear Pickup; Griffin; Hamilton Light Cross Country Car; Hearst Davies Baby Boat tail; Herds; Hormone Eight; Howie-Wiley Gun Carrier; Indian Automobiles; Kaiser Extra Light "Jeep"; La France Stunt Car; Littlemac; Little Mystery; MacKenzie Junior Racer; Martin, Martin Aerodynamic Auto; Martin Aerodynamic Autoette; Martin Motor Truck; Mathis; Maytag Toy Racer: MHC; Midget Special; M-M Sport Roadster; Motor Bob; National Junior Racer; Olympic; Pepito's Roadster; Red Bug; Rena; Reo Baby; Reo Doodlebug; Scootmobile; Shaw; Shotwell; Smith Flyer; Victory; Victory Taxibus; Weber Moon; Willys 37; Willys 77; Willys MA; Willys MB; Willys MB-L; Willys Quad; Willys WAC; Wright-Martin.
Subjects: antique car, automobile, baby car
Places: Manson Iowa, Muscatine, Des Moines, Marion Indiana, Detroit
People: Powel Crosley, Roy S. Evans, James V. Martin
Time periods: 1927-1943