ORPHAN BABIES VOLUME 2, 1927-1943
Without the Model T,
America seemed ready for
a baby car.
ORPHAN BABIES
America's Forgotten Economy Cars
Volume 2, 1927 - 1943
Soft cover. 510 pages. 8.25" x 10.75"
Nearly 900 vintage black and white photos,
drawings and ads. 4 lbs. shipping weight.
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; DeCross 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.
All content on this website and in the book (c) Copyrighted 2012 by Robert D. Cunningham. No portion may be reproduced without
permission. All content is contributed by amateurs for general enjoyment; no guarantee of accuracy is guaranteed or implied.
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The 1927 Shaw Speedster weighed just 175
pounds. Its engine was rated at 2.5 horsepower.
Amusement parks featured Custer Cootie cars,
but the electrics could be driven on the streets in
some states.
The Plymouth Junior Special was created by an
employee of the Chrysler Corporation for his little
boy in 1933.
The Littlemac prototype was built in Moline,
Illinois, in 1929.
The American Austin was built in Butler,
Pennsylvania from 1930 through 1934. Nearly 20,000
were made in roadster, coupe, and various truck
body styles.
The 1932 Martin Autoette was built on a chassis of
"metal wood" and carried an American Austin
engine in the back.
The Willys-Overland Model 77 was the smallest,
least expensive automobile made in America for
1936.
The American Bantam was introduced for 1938 and
was made by the same folks who built the
American Austin.
Although Bantam's attempts to market a civilian
economy car were disappointing, the company
developed a light weight 4-wheel-drive combat car
we now call 'jeep'.
The Little Mystery, built by Ken Morehouse, of Detroit, Michigan,
on a wheelbase of just 52 inches, was driven across the United
States in 1927.
Miles Carpenter built three Dart cars for Captain James V. Martin
who unsuccessfully attempted to finance mass production for
several years.
Powel Crosley, Jr., introduced his 2-cylinder convertibles in April,
1939.
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 baby cars
that tried to carry us through those stressful times.
"I THOUGHT I COULD TRUST YOU!"
Zeke tossed his wrench onto the workbench as he stormed
into the garage. "Where is it? Where's the steering wheel?" In
recent days, rare auto parts had disappeared from Zeke's
collection -- a pair of Metz headlights; steam plumbing fixtures
from the Locomobile; a half dozen radiator mascots and hood
ornaments. When I first broke into Zeke's garage five weeks
ago, he thought I was a thief. Now he was sure.
"We're friends," I protested. "You know I would never swipe
anything from you."
The old man straddled his riding mower and slid down into the
seat. He cradled his forehead in his hands. His best years
were behind him. He couldn't hope to get more than one or two
cars running before Yancy and the sheriff came back to evict
him. And his leg was still throbbing from the day the garage
roof collapsed.
"Why don't you sell some of this stuff?" I asked.
"I'm trying to save my cars," Zeke snorted, "not part 'em out."
"But some are in really bad shape. And we can't restore them
all by the end of the summer. Maybe if you sold parts from the
cars that need the most work you can get some money to pay
your taxes. Or you could use the money to hire someone to
work on the cars you keep."
Zeke reluctantly agreed. "I suppose it makes more sense to
sell my stuff than to let a guy with a monkey wrench get it all."
Work on the Austin stopped but Zeke's stories about his old
cars continued.
THE CONTENDERS
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.
JEEPERS CREEPERS!
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. The incredible postwar
competition which Crosley encountered is covered in
ORPHAN BABIES, Volume 3: 1943-1969.