Car Questions - C
|
What type of car did Al Capone drive or ride in?Al Capone said he had no desire to die on the street riddled by a machine-gun. He had from five to fifteen bodyguards around him at all times and his automobiles were small tanks.
Capone's most famous car was his custom-built 7-ton Cadillac limousine, supercharged and steel-plated to discourage assassins, which cost $30,000. That was a lot of money in 1927 when a lb. of sugar cost $.07, a lb. chuck roast was $.25 and a lb. of coffee was $.47.
Where can I find information on a 1923 Chalmers car?CHALMERS; CHALMERS-DETROIT (US) 1908 - 1924 Chalmers Motor Car Co., Detroit, Michigan
The Chalmers was one of the most popular automobiles made in the United States for more than a decade. The company was founded in 1906 by E.R. Thomas (builder of the Thompson car in Buffalo, NY), Roy D. Chapin and Howard Earle Coffin (the two latter had previously served at Oldsmobile.)
The Chalmers was the successor to the Thomas-Detroit which had sold some 500 cars during the first year of production. The Thomas-Detroit was marketed through the parent firm in Buffalo which manufactured a larger line of cars under the Thomas emblem. It was a medium priced four-cylinder car which had been designed by Coffin.
In 1907, Hugh Chalmers, vice president of the National Cash Register Company and a noted salesman, entered the firm. Shortly afterwards, he bought a half of E.R. Thomas' stock and became president of the company. In 1908 the company was renamed the Chalmers-Detroit Motor Company and in 1910 it became the Chalmers. Open and closed models in two lines comprised the Chalmers four-cylinder cars with self-starters appearing in 1912.
In 1913, the Chalmers brought out its first 6-cylinder model, as well as the four. Apart from small mechanical and design changes, these were both continued until 1914. The four was dropped from the 1915 line however, and sixes were then used solely until the ending of manufacture. By 1915, some 20,000 cars per year were coming off the Chalmers production line and would even surpass that figure before the beginning of World War I. In 1917, an L-head motor replaced the earlier overhead-valve type.
Sales slowed following the end of the war. Hugh Chalmers realized that a competitor, Maxwell, wasn't faring well either and arranged to lease his plants to Maxwell. He used his skillful salesmanship to promote the two businesses and, in return, received the benefits of Maxwell tooling and manufacturing equipment.
By the early 1920s, however, many makes of cars were experiencing financial difficulties due to over-expansion and recession. Walter P. Chrysler was called in to try and reorganize Maxwell. At the same time Chrysler was planning his own corporation. Maxwell become a Chrysler subsidiary and in 1922 it took over Chalmers. The last Chalmers cars were equipped with Lockheed hydraulic brakes. Some 9,000 units left the factories in 1923, the last year of production. The Maxwell continued until 1925 when it became the Chrysler Four.
Source: The New Encyclopedia of Automobiles, 1885 to the Present
I am looking for information and photo of 1924 Chrysler 2 door sedan.The first car to bear Walter P. Chrysler's name was the 1924 Chrysler, a six-cylinder "70" with four-wheel contracting hydraulic brakes and 70 mph performance. It was something of a sensation, and at $1,645 for a sedan, 43,000 were sold in 1925.
We didn't have any photos of your car but you could check with the AACA / Antique Automobile Club of America at www.aaca.org Also you could contact some Chrysler clubs who may be able to help you:
Walter P. Chrysler Club, Inc.
Box 3504
Kalamazoo, MI 49003-3504
Contact: Fletcher Bowm
(616) 375-5535
Chrysler Products Owners Club
809 Nelson Street
Rockville, MD 20850
Contact: Tony Buscemi
(301) 340-7432
