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Inside This Issue Michigan Region 2018 Activities Calendar………...…..………....………….…….…4 From Your Editor…..…….….……….……….….….….….….…..….…….…………5 Cover Story: Larry Pumphrey’s 1937 Packard 1508 Twelve Convertible Sedan…….7 Back Cover Story: Tom Brace’s 1938 Packard 1607 Twelve Club Sedan…..…...….11 Packard Twelve: The Rest of the Rest of the Rest of the Story………..…………….16 Fred MacArthur - Packard Body Engineer .………….………………….…………..18 A Classic Saturday at the Henry Ford…………………………………..……………20 Richelieu: The Most Obscure Classic?…………………………………...…..………23 Book Review - Michigan’s C. Harold Wills.……………….….……..……………...28 New Member Profiles………………………………………………………………..29 ReTorque…………………………………………………………………………….30 The Steering Column…………………….…………………………………………..32
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2018 Leadership www.classiccarsofmichigan.com 4717 Maddie Lane Dearborn, MI 48126
Board of Managers Director
Publications Committee
Tlanda McDonald
Torque Editor
Rich Ray (810) 333-2498 richray2@hotmail.com
(248) 563-5651 tlmcdonald999@comcast.net
Assistant Director
Phil Fischer (734) 377-6553 corbuck6147@att.net
Treasurer
Bob Ferrand (248)722-8375 Bobish1@comcast.net
Greg Kosmatka (313) 882-7980 grk129@sbcglobal.net
Secretary
Torque Cover Editor
Club Photographer
Greg Stachura
(586)201-3391 donwoodiii@gmail.com
(734)397-3000 gstachura@comcast.net
Membership
Jerry Medow (248) 737-0637 medowg@aol.com
Projects/Advertising
Wally Donoghue (734) 455-0177 wally@plaidpants.net
Annual Meeting
Classic Vibrations Editor Staff
Ara Ekizian Paul Wise (313) 492-0284 sandrawise@me.com
Grand Classic
Jay Fitzgerald (313) 885-3641 jayf3641@ sbcglobal.net
(248) 851-4069 dlekizian@yahoo.com
Activities
Don Wood III
Paul Ayres
Bram Over
Wally Donoghue
Ed Meurer III
Janet Welch
Diane Ekizian
Cover Photos: Don Wood III
Nancy Seyfarth (313) 436-8327 nancylouseyfarth@gmail.com
Grand Classic
Lee Barthel (248) 476-0702 lfbarthel@yahoo.com
Torque Editor
Area Head Judge
(810) 987-8977 ternest@sbcglobal.net
Rich Ray (810) 333-2498 richray2@hotmail.com
Terry Ernest
Assistant Area Head Judge Marcus Shelley (313)881-5109 red.auburn851@gmail.com
Classic Vibrations/Website Jay Fitzgerald (313) 885-3641 jayf3641@sbcglobal.net
Historian
Bruce Thomas (248) 594-6499
Torque Magazine
March - April 2018
No.454
Torque Magazine is published bi-monthly at 24000 Research Drive, Farmington Hills, MI 48833-2606. Change of address and all correspondence should be mailed to Torque, c/o Rich Ray, 12664 Lashbrook Lane West, Brighton, MI 48114. Subscription price is $35 per year for members and $50 per year for non-members. Periodicals postage paid at Farmington Hills, MI and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send PS Form 3579 to 12664 Lashbrook Lane West, Brighton, MI 48114. Written or pictorial material in the Torque Magazine may not be reprinted without permission from Torque Magazine or its authors and credit given to the Michigan Region Torque.
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Michigan Region 2018 Activities Calendar March - TBD April 11-14 - CCCA National Annual Meeting, Branson, MO May 20, Sunday - Spring Tour: Bicycle Collection June 3, Sunday - CCCA Museum Experience July 11-14 - Ohio Mini-CARavan & Grand Classic July 22, Sunday - Ice Cream Social July 27-29 - Concours d’Elegance of America at the Inn at St. John’s September 9, Sunday - Annual Steak Roast October 21, Sunday - Fall Color Tour November 3, Saturday - Annual Dinner Meeting
Stay in Touch! If your email, mailing address or telephone numbers change notify Jerry Medow at medowg@aol.com or call (248) 7370637. This assures that you will receive your Torque Magazine as well as activity notices in a timely fashion. This also applies to those seasonal moves, either up north, down south or out west.
Classic & Exotic Service Experts in the Restoration and Maintenance of Prewar Cars Supplier of Specialty Parts for Prewar Cars
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Classic & Exotic Service, Inc. 2032 Heide Dr., Troy, MI 48084 USA Phone: 1-248-362-0113 Fax: 1-248-269-9365
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GENERAL SERVICE MAINTENANCE DETAILING RESTORATION WORK MECHANICAL SERVICE Pickup and delivery is available in an enclosed trailer for Classic Car repairs
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Ed & Emica Syrocki Phone: 586-754-3728
March - April 2018
From Your Editor By Rich Ray
But Mr. Musk, Where Will We Drive our Classics®? People like Tesla CEO Elon Musk and many others are working to obsolete the internal combustion engine and cars driven by people. Bob Lutz, the retired automotive executive and consummate car guy, recently wrote an opinion piece for Automotive News about the future of the automobile. Entitled Kiss the Good Times Goodbye (http://www.autonews.com/article/20171105/INDUSTRY_REDESIGNED/ 171109944/bob-lutz%3a-kiss-the-good-times-goodbye), he sadly laments the approaching end of the automotive era. He sees a future with standardized, fully autonomous modules with no driver control capabilities. We will call for a module, it will arrive at our door, we will get in, input our destination and it will head for the freeway where it will merge seamlessly into a stream of other modules traveling bumper to bumper at 120 to 150 mph to our destination. Arriving at our destination, the module will charge our credit card and go to its next client. We won't need to own a vehicle since these modules, owned by Uber, Lyft or some other such entity, will provide all our transportation needs. Some of us may elect to own a module, but human driven vehicles will be legislated off the roads in 15 to 20 years. Once autonomous vehicles reach 20-30 percent of vehicles on the road, governments will look at accident data and determine that humans are causing 99.9% of the accidents. The transition will be driven by the big fleets: Uber, Lyft, UPS, USPS, Amazon, etc., who will be buying and setting the specifications of several million vehicles a year. Since these modules will carry the fleet's brand name, auto manufacturers like GM, Ford, Toyota will become like Nokia, basically building handsets for Apple, etc. Performance will be irrelevant since no one will be passing anyone else in these "module trains" going down the road. Now, Bob Lutz's motto is "often wrong, but never in doubt" so you don't have to agree with him, but having personally worked for Lutz during his Chrysler years, I can say that he is right more than he is wrong. Additionally, several countries and major cities, in an effort to save the planet, are already decreeing that the internal combustion engine will be banned from the road at various points in the not too distant future. So while the steam-powered Doble might be safe, the rest of our Classics® are in trouble. In this future world, where will our CARavans be held? We avoid freeways anyway, so that is not an issue, but all other highways will also be off limits. Lutz believes that this transition will be largely complete in about 20 years. It all seems like Flash Gordon, but all of the automakers and half of Silicon Valley are working on this technology, so it is hard to argue the outcome, only the timeframe. Bob Lutz, who is 86, feels his timing is impeccable, since he probably won't be around to see this boring automotive future and many of us CCCA members are in a similar age situation. But what about our Classics®? Lutz predicts that auto enthusiasts, us, will probably be joining private automotive "dude ranches" where we can drive our cars. Dan Neil, automotive writer for the Wall Street Journal, similarly predicts that performance cars "will lead an equestrian life, from barn to paddock to track, washed and curried, never seeing the road." Maybe the CCCA should be working with other clubs and major automobile museums to establish future homes where our Classics® can be driven. After messing up your day with the previous sad outlook, the rest of this issue celebrates the well known Packard Twelves and introduces the Richelieu, a Full Classic® automobile of which you may never heard of.
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Ad copy should be submitted in print ready PDF X-1a format with all fonts embedded. Contact the editor for specific ad dimensions. Copy should be suitably CCCA Full Classic® oriented. Ad will appear in the first non-assembled Torque issue following receipt of payment and camera ready art. Torque closing dates are: January 1, March 1, May 1, July 1, September 1 and November 1. Make check payable to: Michigan Region CCCA Mail to:
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Wally Donoghue, Torque Advertising 5130 Curtis Road Plymouth, MI 48170
The Classic Car Club of America A club founded for the development, publication and interchange of technical, historical and other information for and among members and other persons who own or are interested in fine or unusual foreign or domestic motor cars built between and including, in the main, the years 1915 and 1948, and distinguished for their respective fine design, high engineering standards and superior workmanship, and to promote social intercourse and fellowship among its members; and to maintain references upon and encourage the maintenance, restoration and preservation of all such Full Classic ® cars. Contact the CCCA at P.O. Box 346160, Chicago, IL 60634 or www.classiccarclub.org
What is a “Full Classic®” car? A Full Classic ® as defined by the Classic Car Club of America, is a “fine” or “distinctive” automobile, American or foreign built, produced between 1915 and 1948. Generally, a CCCA Classic was high-priced when new and was built in limited quantities. Other factors including engine displacement, custom coachwork and luxury accessories, such as power brakes, power clutch, and “oneshot” or automatic lubrication systems, help determine whether a car is considered to be a “Full Classic®”. The complete list of the Club’s recognized Classics may be obtained by writing the CCCA, P.O. Box 346160, Chicago, IL 60634 or at www.classiccarclub.org.
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Larry Pumphrey’s 1937 Packard 1508 Twelve Convertible Sedan
By Larry Pumphrey Images by Don Wood III and the Author
My interest in Classic® cars, and Packard in particular, began when I saw my first Classic Packard at a Fourth of July Parade in 1980. What really caught my attention was the massive size of these stately automobiles. That is why I chose the 1937 Twelve convertible sedan as my first restoration project. With a 144 inch wheelbase the convertible sedan is a very big car. My Packard Twelve convertible sedan is the 36th of around 41 produced in 1937. That year was the best year of sales for the Twelve with exactly 1300 leaving the Detroit factory. From 1932 to 1939 there were a grand total of 5466 Twelves produced. The improved sales for 1937 were due to the refined styling, addition of independent front suspension, hydraulic brakes, disc wheels and vacuum assisted clutch. The convertible sedan at 5680 pounds and $4650 was the third heaviest and costliest of the body styles, just behind the Town Car and Cabriolet. My car is number 236 (they started numbering at 201) and was sold new in Chicago, Illinois but spent most of its life in Reno, Nevada. I surmise that near the end of its useful life the car belonged to some college boys at Brigham Young University in Utah as there was a large BYU decal in the center of the windshield. The car may have been a chick magnet, but more likely was used as a hot rod as it was dinged up on all four corners and the front grill was caved in a bit. Some off- roading was may have been done as the crossmember holding the transmission was bent. The good March - April 2018
news was that due to its long storage in Nevada there was no rust at all and the wood was excellent. The car needed a complete restoration, but everything was there except the connecting rods! Back in 2005 when I became a member of CCCA, I became friends with several members who were restoring Classic cars, especially Packards. Restoration work appealed to me even though I knew nothing about what was involved. These friends looked to me like they were having lots of fun in the process so I decided to look for a car to restore. I knew I wanted a 1937 Packard to restore, and I wanted it to be a V-12, and I wanted it to be one with a long wheelbase and a convertible. A convertible sedan fit the bill. My friend Bill Miller told me about such a car which was to be at auction in Michigan soon. I did not attend the auction, but Bill did and he was the runner up bidder. The car sold to a dealer in Connecticut and that person swapped it to another Connecticut collector/dealer. During this period a gentleman from Connecticut called me and professed an interest in a 1934 V-12 Limousine I owned. To make a long story short we made a deal for the limo partly because I told the buyer I would deliver the limo for free. A deal was made for the convertible sedan and I picked it up on the same trip. Now the convertible sedan was in my car barn and for almost a year I would look at it and think “what the heck have I done?”. I was 9
trying to get up enough nerve to begin the restoration. Luckily I discovered that there was an exact model Packard being restored just 50 miles away. I began making several trips to that shop to get an idea of where to start and to see what exactly was involved. I decided I wanted to do as much of the restoration as possible. There were two reasons for this. If I hired all the restoration done I knew I would be terribly upside down. I knew I could not do the body work or the painting of the body, but I figured with a little help from my friends I could accomplish everything else. The second reason was that I didn’t want someone else having all the fun of restoration. And I did have lots of fun! Every task was a challenge. I did not have to wait until the car was completely finished to be rewarded. As an example, successfully applying a crinkle finish to a generator gave me a real sense of accomplishment and gave me confidence to try another more difficult task. I had to do several projects over before I was satisfied with the result. I wanted my restoration to be as well done as what a professional would do. At least, in my mind, I accomplished that.
work. I guess you could say I was the general contractor and head flunky as I did the disassembly, cleaning, small parts restoration and reassembly.
I purchased the car in 2009 and began the restoration in 2011. At first I was pretty intimidated at what it would take to restore the car as I had no experience with restoration. John Klein taught me how to paint and I was able to paint everything on the car except the color on the body which was completed by the shop that did the body
I was lucky to have a good friend who is an excellent mechanic rebuild the engine. While he had rebuilt hundreds of engines he had never rebuilt a Packard V-12. To familiarize him with that engine, I had him rebuild a spare engine which I mounted on a test stand. The rebuild was so successful that he has since rebuilt several V-12
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Top row: the 473 CID (3.44” bore and 4.25” stroke) V12 engine put out 175 HP. The driver enjoys a full complement of instruments and a banjo style steering wheel. Above from left: comfortble driver’s cockpit, driving lamps complement the front end, commodious rear compartment. Below from left: sidemounts add style, the Packard horsecollar grille theme is repeated in the luggage rack, bullet taillamps enhance flowing lines. Bottom from left: Carol was ready for a picnic, the rear compartment is as luxurious as they come .
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Above: Larry ready to load his Packard newly purchased from the Connecticut gentleman on the right.
Clockwise from above: the Packard stripped of sheetmetal in Larry’s shop; Larry’s rotisserie holding the body and frame; the big Twelve is almost finished; the V12 in front the awaiting body and chassis; the body disassembled; Larry & Carol with their Packard Twelve at the CCCA Museum Experience; the frame completely painted; the body on the rotisserie.
and eight engines for several CCCA members in several states. My convertible sedan engine was one of those. The restoration was completed in 2015 and I have shown the car at two Grand Classics so far and was very proud to receive 100 points each time. The car has received some nice awards at Ault Park, St. John’s, Geneva and Milwaukee. My goal during the restoration was to be as true as I could to restore the car to be just like it came from the factory. Having a freshly restored Classic presents a dilemma for an owner who has spent so many hours restoring a car and his real passion is driving. I have been taking the car to a few shows and will continue to do so for a year or so more and then it will be a driver. You can bet I am going to be a half mile back from any trucks hauling gravel! 12
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Tom Brace’s 1938 Packard 1607 Twelve Club Sedan
Article by Tom Brace
There is one name that keeps appearing throughout this saga that spans over 31 years. Mr. Tom Crook has sold more Full Classic Packard automobiles than any other seller of collector automobiles. At one time he was the largest seller of used cars in the Pacific Northwest and one of his themes was “Would you buy a used car from a man named Crook.” It does not have the same ring as “Somewhere west of Laramie”, but it was memorable. How he got into Full Classic Packards is another story, but I digress. Tom purchased the old Dean Spenser shop on Pacific Highway South (Seattle) and converted it into a wonderful sales salon. Moving cars from his previous location required a number of drivers and I was one. At that time Tom had three 1938 Packard V-12 Club Sedans. I drove one of them. It was the first time that I drove a Packard V-12 and I was impressed with the power and the smoothness. Packard made a total of 566 V-12 cars in 1938. According to Dr. Charles A. Blackman, Packard made 70 V-12 Club Sedans for 1938. On that day, we moved over 4% of the total production of them. I had just finished a total restoration of a 1938 Model 1603 Super Eight Touring Sedan when Tom Crook told me of a man who had purchased one of the Club Sedans and was looking for a totally finished car. I took my Super Eight and drove it to Mt. Vernon, Washington and we made a deal for a trade and cash from him. I drove the V-12 Club Sedan back to my then home in Federal Way, Washington.
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Photos by Don Wood III & the Author
The car drove well but there seemed to be an occasional very slight miss. My friend John Sauser and I thought it might be electrical in nature and no real problem. The search for this “miss” ended up in a total engine rebuild. Further research showed that Charlie Last had done the bottom end of the engine but not the top. A dispute over money caused the engine to be put back together and removed from the shop in California. Our total rebuild included new heads, new cap and rotor, stainless steel valves, hardened seats, new oil filter system, high speed rear end and the list goes on. We were able to do a complete mechanical rebuild as my goal was to drive it on many CCCA CARavans and Packard Club events. There are many stories about the rebuild that was started in 1986 and several of the men who worked on it have passed. One aircraft mechanic and machinist was of wonderful help (“Ed” Edwards) and of course my long-time friend John Sauser. Further complications ensued when I took a job in St. Paul, Minnesota as the Minnesota State Fire Marshal having left the same job in Washington State. I would travel back to Seattle to help with the progress and visit the car in Bob LeCoque’s shop in Renton, Washington. Finally, the engine was done, and all of the other mechanicals renewed such as brakes, transmission etc. The car was shipped to St. Paul on a U Haul trailer that was too small for it was hanging over both ends of the trailer. Some damage occurred but at least I had it at my new home. The Packard ran and performed well. With 300 miles on a fresh engine I set off for Troy, Michigan and the 1989 Packard Club Annual Meet. We took the northern route going and drove around 13
Clockwise from left: the flowing lines of the front fender envelop the sidemount tire; the front end leaves no doubt this is a serious Packard; cooling doors accent the side of the hood; the luggage rack enhances the rear of the car.
Chicago on the return trip. The car ran well except I could smell gas at times. The expansion dome on the fuel pump had a small crack at the base where someone had tried to tighten it with an ordinary wrench. The correct tool when it is in the car is a crow foot wrench. We went to a machine shop and had the dome cut off, base smoothed and then using JB Weld, fastened a penny in place of the dome. The machine shop bill was $5. It allowed me to attend all of the events and drive back to St. Paul, Minnesota. When the car was being judged, I shut the front passenger door and the door handle spring broke. Never-the-less, the car did win a Second Place in class. In 1990, I met my wife to be, Gunta, at a dinner party. Our first date was in this Packard and we drove along the St. Croix River on the Minnesota side and then returned on the Wisconsin side. I told her that I had two passions that I would admit to in public; The Fire Service and Classic® Cars. One year later, Gunta and I were married and the Packard was in the wedding. Some “friends” had filled up the car with balloons and we had to remove them to journey to the reception. I had not planned to sell this wonderful Packard but we bought an old house and we were doing a lot of remodeling. A dealer in Minnesota made me an offer that I could not refuse and I sold it. The dealer sold it to the President of Waldorf Paper, Gene Frey. He had a new interior put into it by the then premier upholsterer in the Twin Cities. I would see the car at various events and get a lump in my throat. 14
I was helping a woman collector sell a 1938 Packard V-12 Formal and Ed Quinn from Florida came to view it. He asked if there were any other Packard V-12’s in the twin cities and I heard that my old Club Sedan had been repurchased by the dealer. I took the Florida couple to the dealer and Ed Quinn purchased it. I enjoyed communicating with Ed Quinn and he was just going to drive it. He found some rot in the roof insert and decided to redo the body and paint it Packard Blue. I have the pictures of his progress. He never had to do anything mechanical to the Packard. Through the years I lost track of Ed and then found out that the car had gone to a man in New Jersey The Packard has Senior # 2267 and found its way to New Jersey and ownership by Mr. Frank Goodhart. It spent time at the Hibernia Auto Restoration facility getting a refresh. The Packard was in New Jersey by 2011. In August of 2015, I received a call from none other than Tom Crook telling me that he had purchased “my” old Packard in New Jersey and could he use me as a reference for potential buyers? I told him I would be pleased to. Returning home, I related the call to my wife Gunta. She always loved the car and was sorry that we sold it. She asked me if we could buy the V-12 Packard back. I said we could but it would be for more that what we sold it in 1991. When your spouse wants you to buy a Full Classic Car®, only an idiot would not consider it. A March - April 2018
Clockwise from left: the rear quarter view shows that, by 1939, even sedans had beautifully flowing lines; the finish of the big V12 engine is a work of art; the instrument panel offers a full complement of guages in an art deco design theme; the rear passenger compartment promises complete luxury for its occupants including armrests, courtesy lights, cigarette lighter, ash tray and support strap.
phone call to Tom and the shipment from New Jersey to Seattle was stopped in St. Paul, Minnesota. I had seen a video of the car, but I did not see it in person before I bought it. Early one morning I am watching it being backed off a huge transport by a driver from Texas. He was wearing shorts in the late fall in Minnesota. The car was beautiful. We drove it home and looked it over well. I took the car to Headquarters, a local restoration shop, and did a very careful review because I was anxious to drive it. We went through the brakes and cleaned up the wheel and master cylinders. We removed the steering gear and had it gone through by the Lares Corporation. We removed the transmission and rebuilt it for the second time using the bearing set developed by Pacific Northwest Packards. The heater was completely rebuilt including the fan. The front end was aligned, and the tires balanced. A correct oil filter system was installed. It was great to have this Packard back and we took it to the Packard Nationals in Traverse City, MI. We drove it every day on the tours and cleaned it up for judging on Friday. On the required drive to the judging field, the nut holding the water pump shaft came loose and traveled around the engine compartment taking out the radiator, fan, denting the hood, etc. As the reader may recall, the door handle March - April 2018
spring broke years before on the judging field. I was beginning to think I should not take it to any judging event. The wonderful insurance company Hagerty stood behind the loss and paid for the repairs. I am an unabashed fan of the service I received. My past experiences with other insurance companies has not always been as friendly. The cause was determined to be the large nut that was cross threaded by only a few threads giving the appearance that it was tight, but it was not. Just in time, repairs were completed and off we went to the New England CARavan. The CARavan was terrific, and we pulled a 1936 Mullins Trailer as we had four adults with lots of luggage. The Packard 12 operated with great strength in the mountains and I only had to down shift once on a long uphill grade. To be driving down a two-lane road with Full ClassicsÂŽ in front and behind you is a real thrill and clearly a time warp. To listen to the sound of the engine is beautiful music. There are still some cosmetic things I would like to do to improve this old friend with which we have been reunited. I am sure that there will be many more adventures yet to come. We will continue to improve this wonderful automobile for which we have been given a second opportunity for stewardship. Our 1938 V-12 Packard Club Sedan is finally back home to stay. 15
Clockwise from above left: the Packard Twelve, painted maroon, as it was acquired by Tom Brace in 1986; the body stripped and ready for paint by Ed Quinn, the second owner after Tom’s original ownership; Tom and his bride, Gunta, at their June 29, 1991 wedding with the Packard; Tom with his Twelve at the CCCA Museum Experience; the Packard Twelve hubcap; the passenger compartment of the Packard as it nears completion; the new wood roof structure during Quinn’s restoration.
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1939 Packard Twelve Convertible Victoria: The Rest of the Rest of the Rest of the Story Article by Rich Ray
Color Images Courtesy of The Blackhawk Collection
Above: The 1939 Packard Twelve 1227-2014 Convertible Victoria as Bob Mellin towed it away in February 1962. Left: The Packard “as found” in September, 1958 by Charles Blackman.
I recently received an email from Brian Murphy, Director of Sales at the Blackhawk Collection in Danville, California requesting copies of a pair of articles that ran in Torque in May/June 2000 and January/February 2001. I dug out the articles entitled the Rest of the Story by Dan Phenicie of the Indiana Region CCCA and the Rest of the Rest of the Story by our own Charles Blackman. In the first article, Dan Phenicie told about a a photo of a "dark bluish green 1939 Packard Twelve Convertible Victoria” taken on the north shore of Michigan's Houghton Lake in 1948. In the photo, six month old Dan, held by his mother, is attracted to the Twelve in the background. The car was owned by John Balcomb, a retired friend of his father, who dredged sand from the lakes to rebuild beaches. Since his parents lived on the lake for a period, he always remembered the Packard. Dan's father told of deer hunting with Balcomb in the Packard. "They had traveled a short distance when they saw a big buck from the road around a bend. John jammed on the brakes, jumped out and shot it with a 30-30 rifle. Balcomb and Dad loaded the buck into the car and took it home." This Packard was certainly no "trailer queen". Years later, Dan was talking to a co-worker who mentioned that "when he was a kid, he dated a girl at Houghton Lake whose father had an incredible 1939 Packard Twelve convertible." After Dan mentioned the old photo of he and his mother with such a car, they compared names and realized that it was indeed the same car. Dan learned that eventually, Balcomb sold the car to a "guy out of Lansing or Jackson and (who) paid John $50 for the car....and later resold it to a professor in California for big bucks." In the March - April 2001 issue of Torque, Michigan Region's Charles Blackman, of Lansing, responded with The Rest of the Rest of the Story: "Sometime in 1958, I was told about the Packard. Late in the summer of 1959, a friend and I drove to 18
Houghton Lake, completed the purchase and trailered it home. My wife, Margaret, cried when she saw that "hulk"... Balcomb had kept three sections of the green leather seats inside and I was able to bring them back to life. I stored the car and began to plan how to attack restoration." Two years later, Blackman had the chance to buy a 1938 Packard Twelve Convertible Victoria and sold the Balcomb car to Michigan Region member Bob Mellin who "came to my rescue and early in 1962 he bought the car for $200 - what I had in it (Not "big bucks!"). Bob Mellin subsequently sold the Packard in the Detroit area and it eventually wound up in storage with a Lansing owner. Due to a dispute over storage and restoration, the car wound up sitting outside destroying the work that Blackman had put into the seats. The car eventually found its way to Indianapolis. In November 2000, Blackman and his wife were attending a Packard meet in Florida where Charles was talking to a group of men, one of whom, Gene Cohen of Sarasota, related that he was "working on a fairly rough 1939 Packard Convertible Victoria." When asked where he had acquired the car, he responded Indianapolis - it was the Balcomb Victoria! Up to this point, it is apparent that this Series 1707 Packard Twelve has survived an ignominious life. On May 26, 1939 it appeared on a list of "Available Seventeenth Series Cars" sent to all Packard Distributors by the factory distribution manager to encourage them to clean out his inventory. Wearing the 1227 Convertible Victoria body, it was the most expensive style in the series at $5,230. While some sources claim the factory only built these to a definite order with deposit, the distribution manager's letter lists six of these seeming orphans as available. The 1939 Twelves were virtually unchanged from the 1938 models and it was to be their last year in production. In any event, the Twelve was purchased on August 5, 1939 by some people named Miller. March - April 2018
Clockwise from lower left: two views of the beautifully restored Packard Twelve as it appears today in sunny California; Charles Blackman’s 1959 Michigan Title Application form showing a $50 purchase price and $2 use tax; the Cormorant hood ornament and radio antenna; Dan Phenicie with his mother at Houghton Lake with the Packard Twelve in the background; the driver’s compartment features plush red leather upholstery and wood grain instrument panel and door trim; the rear compartment with fold down center armrest and side armrest ash receiver; the Blackhawk Collection in Danville, California.
John Balcomb bought the four year old Twelve on July 29, 1943 and, as we have seen, by 1948, its ninth birthday, this exclusive luxury car was reduced to "backwoods" duty. But the man that Blackman met in Florida, marked a turning point in the Twelve's life. Cohen's restoration brought it back to its original glory and in 2012 the Twelve found a home with Don Williams, owner of Danville, California's Blackhawk Collection and co-founder of the Blackhawk Museum. If you haven't visited the Blackhawk Museum, you should definitely put it on your bucket list. The impressive facility anchors an upscale shopping mall with a several nice restaurants.. The building is dramatic to say the least - a soaring glass design behind a huge terraced area with many water features. The Blackhawk's mission is to showcase the design of the automobile as an art form, featuring custom coachwork, limited production and concept automobiles. It certainly succeeds on this point. Thus, after reaching a down and out point in its life, the 1939 Packard Twelve Convertible Victoria that chased down deer in northern Michigan now enjoys a life of comfortable leisure in Danville, California among some of the most beautiful cars in the world. So now you know the "rest of the rest of the rest of the story". March - April 2018
19
Fred MacArthur Body Engineer By Donald MacArthur
From Torque Magazine July - August 1975 In this day of the committee and the computer, it may be of some interest to you, the reader, to hear the story of a man who grew up with the automobile industry when it was full of individuals. Today, the industry seems somewhat placid compared to the turbulent times when fortunes were made overnight and companies rose to the top and fell again in just a few brief and hectic years, even months. While talking to my father, Fred A. MacArthur, about his activities in those years, the single most interesting thing I noticed was the impatience everyone had with opportunities for advancement. If a person worked somewhere for an entire year without getting ahead, he would start looking elsewhere for a better chance to scale the ladder of success. My father was born in Port Huron, Michigan and raised in Sarnia, Ontario, across the St. Clair River. Before he was thirteen his family moved to Detroit and, to help the family income, he was put to work as an apprentice tool and die maker in Detroit at the Anderson Electric Company which produced electric cars. He worked six days a week and at age sixteen became a journeyman. After six months, the superintendent, impressed by his approach, which consisted of attending Cass Technical High School three or four nights a week, made him foreman of the machine shop. Here he had some trouble with older and tougher machinists, but his up-to-date school knowledge of metallurgy, shop practice and drafting kept him competitive and the troubles soon evaporated. At that time, he was seventeen and the machine shop did all the machining operations for all the parts on the Anderson Electric Car including gears, splines and etc. Anderson Electric Car was later taken over by the Townsend Body Company. Meanwhile, my father was working from seven in the morning until six at night in the machine shop and getting tired of it. All during this time he was learning body drafting at Cass Technical High School and he got the Townsend superintendent to promise him a job in the drafting room as a detailer. (My father later became a teacher at Cass and taught Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7 pm to 10 pm for seventeen years.) So he left the machine shop and entered the drafting room of Townsend making detailed drawings of body parts. At this time, the drafting room had eight or ten people in it including Gus Shutterasch who became lead man at Fisher Body and Fred Westrope who was the chief draftsman at Townsend. When Fred Westrope got a better opportunity at Briggs, which was 20
the largest independent body builder in Detroit, my father accompanied him. The opportunities undoubtedly looked better at the bigger firm. W.O. Briggs got his start trimming Ford bodies. That is, he put in the upholstery only, but like the camel and the tent, once he started he was hard to stop. Soon he was expanding into painting and then body building itself. My father went to Briggs as a detailer and moved up as a full sized layout man in a few months. The year was 1923 and Briggs was doing a lot of work for Ford Motor as well as Essex and Hudson. Everett Lundberg was chief engineer and he made my father the Briggs contact with Ford for the rest of his time with Briggs. Everett Lundberg was expecting to be promoted in 1928 and my father would then move up with him. Instead, a man from outside was moved in and my father decided he was blocked and he had better move on so he contacted Packard and Chrysler for job opportunities. Lundberg said the stalemate was only temporary, but father decided to move and Packard was the first interview. There he met Colonel Vincent and was hired as a full-sized body layout man under Archer L Knapp, Chief Body Engineer. The job he was hired to do was the rear end layout work on the 1930 Model 734 Boat-tailed Speedster. It was 1954 before Packard used full-sized clay models. Until that time, on a low production car, the layout draftsman worked from a 1/12 scale rendering and developed all the surfaces and then the full-sized model makers made up a model in pine or hardwood. The wood used was determined by how many copies were built. Sheet metal panels were then hammered out on the wood model. The metal was split, welded, heated and shrunk so that when finished the model was often burned or scarred. At this time, Packard was so interested in security that my father was not allowed into the area where the model makers worked. As he finished the surface development work, the model makers made templates from his full-sized draft and then carried them into the high security area and used them to shape the wooden model. Of course, that condition didn't last long, but he didn't see the finished boat-tail until it was a completed car and he never did see the model. As a theme, I might choose the "here today, gone tomorrow" motif so prevalent then in the industry. Every year at Packard, the company man tried to sell my father life insurance and he always said, "I won't be here long enough to bother with it." He stayed until they closed in June, 1956. In any event, my father finished the first project at Packard and within a few months, he succeeded Alfred Littleproud as Chief March - April 2018
A Packard Family Legacy By John F. MacArthur
The 1930 Packard 734 Speedster boattail was the Mr. MacArthur’s first assignment after joining Packard.
Body Draftsman. So he only did a limited amount of work as a layout man at Packard Motor. I think the system then in force at Packard was unique in that styling never used full-sized clay models. Werner Gubitz gave my father a 1/12 scale rendering and then the body engineering began. Full-sized drawings were done, templates were made and the wood models were built. For limited production, the metal was formed directly on the wood and if this was a production job, the full-sized plates were done on aluminum and painted with white hand rubbed lacquer. These drawings were accurate to 1/1000th of an inch per foot. From these body plates, hardwood models were made that were used in the Keller machines to rough out the dies. A Keller machine is a sort of three dimensional giant key-grinding machine that follows a contour on the maple wood model with a finger while a cutter shapes a cast iron block alongside the original wood model.
I was very pleased when Editor Rich Ray told me he was rerunning an article my father, Donald MacArthur, wrote for the Torque magazine in 1975. The article focuses on the Packard Motor Car Company career of my grandfather, Fred A. MacArthur, who began his career at Packard around Christmas of 1928. Like my father, I too grew up hearing about the automotive legend that was Packard and my grandfather’s experiences and friends at the company. It is ironic that I am currently working on an updated version of my grandfather’s Packard story for another publication. Recently, my good friend, Bruce Blevins, found a factory photo and company history of my grandfather among a massive amount of Packard archives to be stored and catalogued at the Packard Proving Grounds Historic Site. Enjoy this blast from 1975 which was written when I was 20 years-old and was not too long after I had spent time as a young teen helping my dad restore a 1935 Packard Twelve Club Sedan. That project and living very near Mount Clemens car enthusiasts Dr. Rufus Reitzel and Dr. Leo Parnagian got me hooked for life on Classic® automobiles of all makes.
In distinction from this process was that of the custom body shop; no engineering to speak of was done on a one of a kind job. The stylist's rendering would be used for a rough outline and from this the carpenter or body builder would build a body using a cut and fit method to get doors to open properly to get the right clearances and so forth. This in no way is a criticism of the custom body builder; the process of producing detailed body plates would cost far too much for limited production and especially on a one of a kind body. The custom sheet metal man worked over the wood frame using air hammers, air presses and skill to produce the metal panels. Packard had a custom body shop of its own (1928 on) but it was mostly custom touches on stock bodies like inlaid wood bars, special arrangements for wheelchairs, special make-up cases, etc. They did not regularly do special cars for customers but left that type of work for the many independent custom body shops. Packard weathered the Depression better than most of the independents but it looked grim for a long time. One story at Packard told of a clerk in the body engineering vault who was back in a corner filing a drawing. Mr. Macauley, the President of Packard, was often seen turning out lights all over the plant and he looked in the vault, saw no one and switched off the lights. "Turn that *0!* light on," said the clerk. "Sorry", said Mr. Macauley and restored the light. After he left, the clerk was told who turned the light off and he inquired, "Did Mr. Macauley know who was in the vault?" No, he was told to his relief. So with enough lights turned out, Packard lasted another quarter of a century. After 28 years of employment, Packard closed for my father, who was Chief Body Engineer at the time, and thousands of other employees. He went to Ford Motor where he was a senior project engineer, but the area of responsibility was much smaller and the March - April 2018
challenge much smaller too. Ford Motor at that time, 1956, had more people in engineering than Packard had total employees. So as the numbers increase the job gets more complex in communication and more distant from practical problems. Such is the trend today. Time marches on. things are probably better our way, but we must look back with affection on a simpler, more direct time in the automobile industry. 21
A Classic Saturday at the Henry Ford Article By Phil Fischer Images by Don Wood III & Rich Ray
On Saturday, January 13th, 2018, twenty eight Michigan Region members and friends kicked off 2018 with a visit to the Henry Ford Museum at Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan. The Michigan Region usually does not have a January event, as the CCCA National is normally scheduled in January. Because the 2018 National is scheduled for April, a January date opened for this Michigan Region event. Greenfield Village was established in 1933 by industrialist Henry Ford, who relocated or reconstructed buildings there from throughout the United States. The adjoining Henry Ford Museum houses a collection of Americana. Our visit to the museum was a pleasant break from the cold and dreary Michigan weather, usually the yearly January experience. The Museum has a variety of displays throughout the building, including a walk through history display of the automobile starting from early horseless carriages, up to contemporary automobile technology. Those of us who have lived in the Detroit metro area for a long time tend to take the Henry Ford, or should we say the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, for granted. During the visit with the Michigan Region, we were reminded of what a fantastic facility this is. From the bus where Rosa Parks took a stand by taking a seat, playing pilot in the flight innovations display including 22
the Wright brothers' achievements, or simply walking through Buckminster Fuller’s circular Dymaxion House, it is always interesting with a lot of fresh exhibits. Featured on this visit to the Henry Ford was a special exhibit called “Engines Exposed”. The museum opened the hoods of approximately seventy of the displayed automobiles, allowing us the opportunity to see what powered various vehicles and how this technology changed over the years. The raised hoods included a 1896 Riker Electric, 1903 Holsman Runabout, 1956 Chrysler 300-B Stock Car, 1951 Beatty Belly Tank Lakester. 1987 Ford Thunderbird Stock Car and a 2009 Ford Focus. The Packardphiles in the group enjoyed the 1904 Packard Model L Touring Car, the four-cylinder Packard with a Palladian-shaped radiator that became a Packard trademark.
Clockwise from above: Thomas Edison signed his autograph on this cornerstone at the September 29, 1928 dedication of the Henry Ford Museum; Ford Model T component display; many huge stationary steam power plants are on display; exterior of the museum resembles Independent Hall.
We were able to walk at a leisurely pace throughout the display vehicles, and enough time was allotted to check out the other amazing items throughout the museum. There is the history of aviation with airplanes suspended from the ceiling, displays of home furnishings, early electronics and all manner of “Americana” collected by Henry Ford. The Science Behind Pixar was another special display enjoyed by the kids. It was a unique look into the Pixar process and the science and technology behind some of the Pixar's animated films and their characters. This interactive exhibition showcased the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts used by the artists and computer scientists who help bring March - April 2018
Top row from left: Replica of the 1903 Wright Flyer; Max & Gracie Rector take a “drive” in a 1917 Overland (NC); a 1930 Packard with the Byrd Arctic Expedition aircraft. Clockwise from left: Oscar Meyer “Weinermobile” (NC); huge railroad equipment is a major part of the museum/ a 1939 Douglas DC-3; an early McDonalds’s sign; a 1931 Duesenberg J Convertible Victoria
Pixar’s award-winning films to the big screen. The exhibition’s eight interactive sections each focused on a step in the filmmaking process giving an unparalleled view of the production pipeline and concepts used at Pixar every day. After an enjoyable time at the Museum, everyone only had a short drive to Ford’s Garage Restaurant on Michigan Avenue. This unique eatery is a car lover’s dream. Open for about a year, the restaurant is decorated in the theme of a 1930s FORD service garage. Ford Model T and Model A automobiles are displayed above the bars as though on the service bay hoist for repair. Model A’s are also displayed out front of the building which also carries the early FORD service garage theme. The wait staff all wear Ford style automobile service uniforms, the silverware is rolled in a blue shop rag and held together by a radiator clamp. The menu is fashioned after a leather covered owner’s manual. The walls are covered with archive photos of Ford automobiles and several different Ford parts and signs.
Clockwise from right: Edsel Ford’s personal 1941 Lincoln Continental that he drove until his death in 1943; 1931 Bugatti Type 41 Royale; Alex & Faye Buchan with Sandy Wise and guest; 1929 Lincoln Convertible Victoria.
The menu offered a variety entrees, something for every ones taste. We all enjoyed a hearty lunch and were able to enjoy the company of our fellow members in a most entertaining, albeit NC, restaurant. Overall, a great way to kick off 2018! March - April 2018
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Clockwise from above left: Ford’s Garage entry doors feature gas pump handles; the building resembles a 1930s Ford service garage; a pair of Ford Model As (NC) parked in front of the building; a Ford Model T (NC) on a hoist above the bar; Larry & Nancy Seyfarth, guest and Kathy Kosmatka at lunch; Carol Bray and Helen Fischer enjoy the day; Floy Barthel, Kent Jidov, Tlanda McDonald, Greg Stachura, Brian Segrest, Bob Denk, Linda Pilous, Amy Jidov and Lee Barthel. Gracie Rector, Mary Ray, Faye & Alex Buchan, Sandy Wise; Kathy & Greg Kosmatka, Rich Ray, Max Rector and Becky Grigg.
Clockwise from above: Kathy Kosmatka and Jean Stachura enjoy museum displays; organizer Phil Fischer relaxed after everyone arrived; Jean & Greg Stachura chat with Mary Ray in the Ford Garage lobby; Greg Kosmatka and Don Wood III take it easy after walking the museum.
Finally, a book of Full Classic® car road tests. From a mighty Duesenberg to a supple Franklin, twenty-eight road tests of some of the most desirable and some of the most obscure Full Classic cars. Road Testing Cars of Distinction puts you in the driver’s seat for a vicarious driving experience never before offered to the public. Discover how fast a Locomobile, Bugatti or Railton are and their suitability for touring in today’s conditions. Road Testing Cars of Distinction is a 220 page book worth reading while supporting the Classic Car Club of America ®. Although available through Amazon.com, purchase a copy directly from the author and use Promo Code: CCCA for a 5% donation of the retail price to the CCCA Education Fund. To purchase, call Ed Miller (239-253-7075) or email: edpackard33@aol.com . Black & white edition $29.95; full color edition $39.95 plus tax. Road Testing Cars of Distinction captures the very essence of pre-WWII luxury automobiles. Unlike other books, Road Testing Cars of Distinction, takes a very deep dive into the engineering, driving and performance that make our Classic cars extraordinary. David W. Johnson President, CCCA Education Foundation Former President, CCCA
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March - April 2018
Richelieu: The Most Obscure Classic?
By Rich Ray Images from National Automotive Historical Collection
The Classic Car Club of America recently expanded the era from which Full ClassicÂŽ cars would be recognized to include the years 1915 to 1925. While I don't own a car from that period, I am quite happy with the decision since a lot of interesting cars are showing up at Grand Classics that I have really enjoyed seeing. Moreover, there are many interesting brands of cars that I have never heard of. I was reading a book about the Fleetwood Metal Body Company that described the many automobile chassis manufacturers who used Fleetwood bodies (this was prior to Fleetwood being acquired by Fisher Body and subsequently General Motors) including Richelieu which used Fleetwood bodies exclusively. I had never heard of the Richelieu and checked to learn that all Richelieus were indeed recognized by the CCCA as Full ClassicsÂŽ at the June 6, 2015 CCCA Board Meeting. March - April 2018
It is difficult to find out much about the Richelieu Motor Corporation and the automobiles that it built. The Richelieu lived a very brief life, even by early automotive standards. The company started out with what seemed like a good idea for a premium automobile, but a number of circumstances, some beyond its control, led to its quick demise. The Richelileu was named for Armand Jean du Plessis, Duke of Richelieu and Fronsac, an early 17th century French clergyman, nobleman and statesman. He gained political power as King Louis XIII's foreign secretary in 1642 and established an extensive system of spies and other ruthless measures to maintain his control. He transformed France into a strong centralized state and supported Samuel de Champlain in France's efforts to colonize North Ameri25
Clockwise from above: 1921 Richelieu advertisement; 1922 Richelieu Model T-85 Tourer; Richelieu G-1 Roadster. Opposite: The Richelieu with its distinctive rounded grille and pedestal mounted headlamps.
ca's St. Lawrence River region. He is an honored personality in France and his ideas of a strong nation-state and aggressive foreign policy helped create the modern system of international politics including national sovereignty and international law. He has been mentioned in many historical novels including the Three Musketeers and in at least 94 films and television programs where he is usually portrayed as a sinister, cruel and scheming character. Given Richelieu's sinister characterization in popular U.S. culture, it is curious why such a name would be chosen for a new automobile for the U.S. market. The Richelieu Motor Car Corporation was incorporated as a Delaware company on March 4, 1921 with corporate offices in Wilmington, Delaware. It was capitalized with $3.5 million and $1,220,000 of common stock offered. The company's general offices and assembly plant were located at 809 Railroad Avenue in Asbury Park, a sea side resort town on the New Jersey coast known for its sandy shore and beachfront boardwalk lined with shops, arcades and cafes, which is not a typical site for an auto plant. It appears that some of the funding came from Asbury Park's resident Merchants National Bank. This plant location alone sets Richelieu apart from other auto manufacturers, given some of the godforsaken places where they were and are located, but, in any event, manufacturing location means little to the customer. The company's product strategy was built around two key elements: the Duesenberg engine and Fleetwood bodies. The Rochester Engine Company had acquired the rights to produce the famous World War I walking beam 4-cylinder engine from the Duesenberg brothers, Fred and Augie, who had decided to concentrate on developing what would become their iconic straight-eight engine. The Duesenbergs helped Rochester change the Bugatti inspired engine, that had been heavily promoted during World War I as "the power of the hour", from a 2-main bearing crank with ball 26
bearings to quieter plain babbitted bearings and an added center main resulting in a very powerful 85 horsepower engine appropriate for upscale automobiles. With the post-war economic recession wiping out many small automobile companies, Rochester needed a customer for its new engine. The highly regarded Fleetwood Metal Body Company was doing quite well at this time with its custom bodies being installed on a wide selection of premium automobile chassis. Richelieu's plan to feature Fleetwood bodies exclusively provided instant credibility in this important aspect of the automobile. The company also made much of the experience of its corporate leadership with an early ad stating that the company "entered the field of fine car production amply financed, with an executive board highly trained and experienced in the building and marketing of high grade automobiles" and even featuring the names of its officers. The management and board of directors were dominated by employees of the engine manufacturer, Rochester Engine Company and former Duesenberg or bank employees: ꞏ The president, N.G. Rost, was vicepresident of Rochester Motors and had previously been sales manager of Duesenberg. ꞏ The vicepresident, S.A. Reeves, was vicepresident of Merchants National Bank of Asbury Park, NJ. ꞏ Treasurer, R.G. Poole, cashier of Merchants National Bank of Asbury Park, NJ ꞏ Directors included Donald Symington, board chairman of Rochester Motor Corporation and Gordon Grand, president of Rochester Motors among others. The October 20, 1921 issue of Automobile Industries magazine stated that William Beckman, Fred Duesenberg's long time assistant, was appointed vice-president of engineering. Another more shadowy figure in the Richelieu saga was Newton Van Zandt to whom the design of the car is often attributed. Van Zandt was a promoter who had served as president of Duesenberg after taking control from brothers Fred and Augie in October, 1919 March - April 2018
Above: Rear view with unique rear window design. Right: Richelieu with “unique� side mount tire cover.
and a year later left to become president of the ReVere Motor Car Company. The Richelieu's arched radiator shell and distinctive contoured V-shaped bodystyle bears a striking resemblance to the ReVere. L. Spencer Riggs, in an Automobile Quarterly article about ReVere, states that the Richelieu prototype was actually built in ReVere's Logansport, Indiana plant and shipped to Asbury Park under cover of darkness. Apparently about 500 other ReVere automobiles also disappeared under cover of darkness and Van Zandt was charged with grand larceny. Van Zandt was hiding in plain sight at the Richelieu introduction in New York where Indiana officials had him arrested in Philadelphia, but the Pennsylvania governor refused to extradite him to Indiana. The Logansport police chief tracked Van Zandt to New York City where he attempted to arrest him, but Van Zandt's bodyguard held the chief off at gunpoint while Van Zandt again got away. Several weeks later Van Zandt died unexpectedly of a heart attack so the validity of the allegations against him was never settled. However, his listing as a principal creditor in the later Richelieu bankruptcy announcement suggests that he probably played a role in financing the company. The Richelieu's design was radical by period standards placing it in company with Roamer, McFarlan and ReVere as design leaders. The 1922-23 catalog showed stylishly, beautiful flowing lines relative to many early twenties cars. Keep in mind that in this era, automobiles were still designed by engineers whose only drafting tool seemed to be a t-square. The engineers who designed the radiator, hood and fenders did not talk to the body builders about design other than to communicate enough dimensions so that the body would fit on the chassis. A prominent example is Henry Leland's Lincoln which was also being launched at the time of the Richelieu. With the stodgy aesthetics typical of the era, the very well engineered Lincoln arguably only survived due to the design talents of Edsel Ford and the deep pockets of his father. The Richelieu featured a unique rounded grille shape with pedestal mounted headlamps. The hood flowed smoothly into the cowl and body. Cycle type fenders and step plates in place of running boards added a sporty touch to the car. Dual side-mounted spare tires did March - April 2018
break up the smooth lines but the lack of front and rear bumpers added to its sportiness. The rear of the car was clean with a luggage rack and oval rear window. The Richelieu open cars were identified as the Model G-1 priced at $3,950 for a touring model and $4,200 for a roadster while the 7-passenger sedan was identified as the Model T-85 with a price tag at $6,000. It is not known what, if any, dealer organization was in place to support sales of the Richelieu. In any event, it took this group of men only seven months to have vehicles rolling off the assembly line set up in Asbury Park. Automobile Topics in its October 8, 1921 issue included the following announcement: "RICHELIEU SOON TO MAKE DEBUT Introduction of a new type of motor car is described as about ready to be made in the form of the Richelieu which is being sponsored by the Richelieu Motor Car Corp. of Asbury Park, NJ with New York offices at 120 Broadway. The Richelieu is not of the assembled type of machine, it is pointed out by N.G. Rost, president of the new corporation, its parts almost without exception being made exclusively for Richelieu use. Contracts are already said to have been made with the Rochester Motors Corp. to build the Duesenberg four-cylinder engine for the Richelieu and the designing and experimental work is claimed to have already been accomplished. Production is expected to be well under way within a few weeks". The New York Times reported that the Richelieu was on display at the November 27- December 3, 1921 New York Salon, but the car did not make enough of an impression to generate elaboration in the article. The Salon catalog included a two page ad for Richelieu, but the era's high end automobile magazines, Motor Print and Motor Life made no mention of the car. The December, 1921 issue of Vanity Fair included a photo of the Richelieu and stated "a new car which will receive great attention is the Richelieu which will make its bow in the lobby of the Commodore. This is a very high type of automobile with a Duesenberg 4-cylinder motor developing 85 hp and the Romon System of automatic lubrication". That issue of Vanity Fair also carried a full page ad for the Richelieu. 27
Above: Full page ad appeared in the December 1921 issue of Vanity Fair. Right: A 1921 ad emphasizing Fleetwood body and Duesenberg engine.
Just think, a Duesenberg-powered luxury car featuring a body built by the premium custom coachbuilder Fleetwood - what could go wrong? Well, there were a number of factors working against the Richelieu. First of all, while it was beautifully designed and executed, the Richelieu was an "assembled" car, which were generally not held in high esteem,. One can debate whether the stigma of "assembled" car is justified, but the perception remains nonetheless. For instance, a 1908 Cadillac ad stated that "assembled cars are unsound in principal and practice." Richelieu addressed this negative perception by emphasizing that it used an exclusively designed Duesenberg four-cylinder engine and highly regarded Fleetwood bodies in the previous announcement as well as their advertisements. Richelieu addressed the assembled issue head on with a promotional brochure stating "The Richelieu automobile incorporates the most advanced engineering ideas, every unit entering into its construction is tried and proven, its equipment is complete in every detail and it is offered as the utmost obtainable in a fine automobile....that its body work is of the finest, the most important component is the motor.....the designers of the Richelieu automobile have adopted the famous four-cylinder 85 hp Duesenberg engine as standard equipment and have built their car around this motor of unsurpassed excellence...Experienced automobile owners and drivers who have 28
sat at the wheel of the new Richelieu car have demonstrated to the complete satisfaction the fact that the Richelieu starts quicker, advances in speed more evenly and attains greater speed more quickly than any other car they have previously driven". The year 1922 represented the peak of the "assembled car" trend with more than 65 makes falling into this category. Richelieu's defense against the "assembled car" claim is credible when one considers the specifications. The Duesenberg engine was modified to suit Richelieu's requirements and front axles, radiator, frame, springs were Richelieu design. On the other hand, the Duesenberg 4-cylinder engine was also used by ReVere, Roamer, Meteor and Biddle automobiles. The Fleetwood bodies were unique to Richelieu and fine automobile customers preferred coachbuilt bodies. After all, Duesenbergs were delivered without a body. Richelieu was entering into a very difficult market with an incredible amount of competition. The automotive market of 1922 was dominated by the low-priced Ford Model T taking up half of the just over 1.52 million cars sold in the U.S. The next five major manufacturers, from Dodge to Willys-Overland accounted for another thirty percent leaving just 23% for the remainder of the market's players. The total high-end market, defined by CCCA recognition, where the Richelieu hoped to compete came to about 3% or 50,000 units. Cadillac and Packard accounted for half of these sales leaving the remaining to 16 domestic brands ranging from many other startups like Lincoln and even Duesenberg, whose recognized engine building capabilities Richelieu was trying to exploit, to established brands such as Franklin, Marmon, Pierce-Arrow Peerless and March - April 2018
purchasing the car. The next paragraph will tell you how well this change in product strategy worked out. The February 15, 1923 issue of Automotive Industries announced: "A statement of assets and liabilities has been filed in court by the Richelieu Motor Car Corporation of this city, showing liabilities of $46,851 and assets of $2,723. The principal creditors are the United Body Corporation, Edward P. Decker, N.G. Rost and Newton Van Zandt." Richelieu disappeared as a corporation on March 19, 1924 when it failed to pay franchise taxes to the State of Delaware whose governor officially proclaimed this fact in January, 1925.
Above: 1922 Richelieu Model T-85 Tourer Left: Rochester Motors “Power of the Hour” ad for the Duesenberg engine
Wills St. Claire. Ford’s game changing mass production techniques were being quickly adopted by other American automobile manufacturers. The heavier outlays of capital and larger volume of sales that this necessitated were bringing an end to the era of easy entry and free-wheeling competition among many small producers in the American industry. A daunting challenge for Richelieu indeed. This challenging competitive scene was compounded by a sagging economy. The recovery from the economic effects of World War I and the severe depression of 1920 to 1921 were just concluding and no one had yet anticipated the mild recession to come in 1923-24. The first public indication of difficulties at Richelieu came in the March 30, 1922 issue of Automotive Industries - The Automobile carried the following announcement: "Asbury Park, NJ, March 29 Announcement is made here that the Richelieu Motor Corp. will be transferred to Rahway, where it will be operated as a unit of the United Auto Body Corp. of which Elmer H. Mohn is president. A holding corporation of the two companies has been formed, and the Richelieu car will be built for the present in the plant of the body company which will make all bodies for the automobile. The Richelieu Motor Corp. is headed by William Beckman as president and Mohn as managing director. The general sales manager is N. G. Rost, who was president of the Richelieu Motor Car Corp." United Body Corporation was a builder of production bodies for Locomobile and exhibited a Renault Brougham at the 1921 New York Auto Salon. Under this new arrangement, Richelieu became a subsidiary of United Body which replaced Fleetwood as Richelieu's body supplier. Richelieu did not have a stand at the 1922 New York Salon, although the Fleetwood Metal Body Company display had one of its bodies mounted on a Richelieu chassis. Production of the Richelieu automobile ceased on February 15, 1923. While the move to abandon the Fleetwood body probably made financial sense, it wiped out half the reason to consider
March - April 2018
To add to the ignominy of Richelieu's demise, in the fall of 1923 Advanced Motors was formed which planned to revive the car as the Barbarino, named for Salvatore Barbarino, a Brooklyn man who made cement blocks. Needless to say, this idea did not get very far either. Actual production and sales figures are not available for Richelieu's brief fifteen month lifespan, but estimates are that anywhere from 25 to 100 cars were built. How many survive is not known and the CCCA roster does not show any owned by members. The Richelieu was a cutting edge design automobile with an appeal to the sporting buyer that simply could not stand up to the realities of the rapidly evolving automobile market.
Richelieu Specifications Engine: Duesenberg 4-cylinder 4 1/4" bore, 6" stroke developing 85 hp. Cylinders: Gray iron cast en-bloc. Crankcase: Aluminum alloy. Crankshaft: Counterbalanced chrome nickel steel. Connecting Rods: Chrome nickel steel, drop forged and heat treated. Pistons: Lynite constant clearance type. Valves: Tungsten steel overhead horizontally operated. Oiling System: Pressure fed with pressure gauge in instrument cluster and oil level gauge on engine. Magneto: Bosch high tension. Clutch: Extra heavy multiple dry disc with compound clutch release. Starting and Lighting System: Full Bijur Special Equipment. Transmission: Brown-Lipe 4-speed forward plus reverse bolted to bell housing. Gears: Special alloy steel hardened and ground on bearing surface with shafts on large roller bearings. Gear Ratios: 1st, 11 to 1; 2nd, 6 to 1; 3rd, 4 to 1; 4th, 3 to 1; Reverse, 12 to 1. Prop Shaft: 1 3/4" tubular shaft with 2 Spicer universal joints. Front Axle: Richelieu designed, drop forged chrome nickel steel knuckles and steering connections. Rear Axle: Semi-floating type, helical bevel gears. Foot Brake: 16" internal expanding rear drum. Emergency Brake: external contracting rear drum. Steering Gear: Gammar worm and gear type. Carburetor: Stromberg. Radiator: Richelieu design honeycomb type mounted in aluminum shell. Wheels: 6 Houck wire wheels. Tires: 32" x 4 1/2" Goodyear. Frame: 131" wheelbase Richelieu design channel with front and rear kickups and three crossmembers. Springs: Richelieu designed semi-eliptic extra wide and long leaves. Shock Absorbers: Hartford Large type. Fuel Tank: 25 gallon vacuum feed. Chassis Lubrication: Romon automatic type.
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Book Review By Terry Ernest It is hard to consider where the automobile industry in the United States would be without the contributions of C. Harold Wills. As Henry Ford's first employee and chief engineer, Wills had a hand in every car Ford produced until he left in 1919, including the car that put the world on wheels, the Model T. His success at Ford propelled him to create his own car; The Wills Sainte Claire in the 1920's. And even though he held many metallurgical patents, helped to create the world's most successful car, designed the famous Ford logo, and built his own luxury car, there has never been a book written about this fascinating man. Until now. Alan Naldrett approached the Board of Directors of the Wills Sainte Claire Auto Museum and asked about the idea of writing a book about Wills. For many years the Wills Museum Board of Directors had been shopping for an author, but had not had success in finding the right individual. But to our great surprise the right man had "fallen into our lap". Alan has done a great job putting all the historical facts and anecdotes about Wills into book form. But who was C. Harold Wills? To some he was wunderkind party boy who carried jewels in his pockets to impress his friends and "the ladies". To others he was a mechanical genius who could solve complex mechanical problems ranging from advances in the planetary transmission to complex steel blends and the large scale production of Vanadium and Molybdenum steels. And to another smaller group, he was a husband, loving father and family man. From reading many articles (and reading between the lines) about him, and studying him for more than 30 years, I can conclude that he was a man who was successful in nearly anything he put his mind to from an early age, and never really experienced failure until his own car company filed for bankruptcy in the 1920's. After Mr. Wills' endeavors at Ford Motor Company, he would eventually make his way 50 miles north of Detroit to the small hamlet of Marysville, purchase 4400 acres of land to build his idea of the perfect automobile and raise the community's tiny population from 200 to over 2000. He would layout the town's streets, create neighborhoods by building houses, construct an industrial park, and create the ideal community, in fact, as it was known: "The community of contented living". A workman could purchase a house in Marysville on a lot "big enough for a vegetable garden" and escape the crowded living conditions of Detroit. Mr. Wills was not just building a new and fantastic automobile; he was building a utopia community. And the car he built would not be any ordinary car. When he was at Ford, he learned how to build a simple & sturdy car. But his dream was to build a fantastic car using the best technology and engineering concepts that the auto industry had ever seen. The Wills Sainte Claire would be the first car to have a backup light, a patented courtesy light on the passenger side to light up the ground, and was an early user of hydraulic brakes with an engine utilizing over-head cams.
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A fantastic car indeed. Of the 12,107 cars made (according to Charles F. Boos, Manager of the Wills Sainte Claire Sales Department) only about 80 cars remain today, making them quite rare. I invite you to visit the Wills Sainte Claire Auto Museum in Marysville, Michigan and see the largest collection of Wills Sainte Claire autos in the world. I hope you enjoy learning about the history of C. Harold Wills and his endeavors as much as I have over the past 30 years! By the way: What was C. Harold Wills first name? Buy the book and find out, on page 14! To get your copy, send $22.00 per book + $4.50 shipping to: Wills Sainte Claire Museum, C/O Terry Ernest, 1600 Pine Grove Ave, Port Huron, MI 48060 PLEASE NOTE: ONLY BOOKS PURCHASED FROM THE WILLS MUSEUM FINANCIALLY BENEFIT THE MUSEUM! This was a limited run of books. The time to order is now! March - April 2018
New Member Profiles Doug Kniff
New member Douglas Kniff and his wife Trudy are into British automobiles. Their Full Classic® is a 1935 Rolls Royce 20/25 Goshawk Shooting Brake by Windovers. The Windsor Green "woodie" is a great looking car that Doug describes as a driver. He also owns a 1964 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud III Long Wheelbase, that he also thinks should be considered a Classic, along with a 1939 MG Model VA with Tickford coachwork. He is looking for another Full Classic, likely a Ghost to do some "ghosting". Doug is an accountant and summers in Whitehall, Michigan and winters in Venice, Florida. We hope to see Doug and his Rolls at some Michigan Region activities.
Brian Segrest Brian Segrest is a first time Full Classic® owner residing in Chelsea. Brian is a retired Redford Township police officer and has been in the old car hobby for 30 years. His father worked at the General Motors Proving Grounds and owned a 1969 Chevelle when Brian was young, so Brian naturally developed an interest in collector cars. His Full Classic® is a black 1941 Cadillac 6219D Sedan that was featured in a recent Torque article entitled A Barn Find Full Classic Cadillac (January, 2018) by Phil Fischer, who proceeded to recruit Brian into the CCCA. Brian considers his Cadilac a “driver” and plans to address some mechanical issues, but keep the interior original and drive the car. Welcome Brian and his Cadillac to the Michigann/Ontario Region CCCA. Torque - March Issue - Final.pdf 1 04/01/2018
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Reader comments on Torque Magazine are appreciated and encouraged. It assures us that someone actually reads it! Congratulations on another good issue of Torque. Especially enjoyed your article on automobile testing, a rarely discusssed subject. Hope all’s well.
Thank you for the very nice obituary in your September/Octobere Torque Magazine for Robert C. Mellin. We were pleased to see the picture of the 1930 Marmon take in our living room. We would like permission to copy the obituary notice for family members coming to our house for dinner the Saturday after Thanksgiving. . Bob's family: Grover & Joyce Mellin, Michigan
David Schultz, Ohio
Don't I wish those two cars on the high-speed test track at the Packard Proving Grounds (page 25 of the November 2017 Torque) were "Packard Speedsters" but they are actually Miller race cars. From our Packard Motor Car Foundation website: "As a company, Packard was not particularly interested in racing since the clientele they were appealing to was looking for quality, luxury and reliability. So, when Packard built a 2.5 mile oval test track at their new Utica, Michigan proving grounds, it was designed to be the finest, state-of-the-art oval in the world and to be used mainly for testing and proving the finest car in the world, Packard. On June 14, 1928, a dedication ceremony was held at the Proving Grounds and, as part of the ceremony, Leon Duray and Norman Batton were invited to bring their Miller special race cars to try out the new track.
Leon Duray had just a few weeks before set a record at Indianapolis of over 124 mph. So it made sense to invite Leon and another well-known driver, Norman Batton, to bring their cars to the Proving Grounds dedication where they were clocked at over 140 mph. In another pass, Leon Duray was clocked at over 142 mph. This was a record for a closed oval track that stood for 24 years." Some of the confusion may be attributable to the name of the Miller race car. In 1928 and 1929 the Packard Cable Company sponsored three Miller 91s: two front-drive and a rear-drive called “Packard Cable Specials.” During the record run at the PPG, Duray drove #22 the front drive and Batton drove the rear-wheeled version. Meanwhile, thanks for highlighting the history of the PPG. Roger Luksik, President, Packard Motor Foundation, Michigan
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Stay Up To Date! The latest issue of Torque arrived today (Nov.-Dec. 2017). Another great issue. I will try to write a follow up to the interview on David Doman that was in there. I knew him well via the Franklin club. Both he and his father died at age 65; his dad from a heart attack I believe and Dave from a car accident. Dave lived in Ann Arbor, Michigan and had a 1908 Franklin roadster as well as a 1933 Franklin Airman sedan. Walt Gosden, New York
Great story on my car. I appreciate all your effort in putting the story together. The photos were very impressive also. Thanks.
Michigan/Ontario Region members can always have the latest news and activities by checking us out at:
www.classiccarsofmichigan.com or on:
Skip Tetz, New York
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The Steering Column By Tlanda McDonald Hello to all, The Michigan Region kicked off our 2018 season in January – unusual for us. Were you there? If so you know what a great day all enjoyed. Pictures elsewhere in this issue show the interesting exhibits visited at the Henry Ford Museum , especially the “hoods up” exhibit - the draw for so many of our car lovers. It was the perfect location to spend a really cold January day. And the camaraderie continued into lunch at Ford’s Garage. Lots of conversation about 2018 tour plans and 2018 Michigan Region activates that I know you will want to attend. For February we will celebrate Valentine’s Day a bit early – on Saturday, February 10 we will enjoy Cantore’s. The event was such so popular last time many members have asked us to do it again – and so we are. March is planned as a surprise! And then April – again unusual for the CCCA – the National Annual Meeting will be in Branson, Missouri. I mentioned in an earlier message that the central location is expected to draw a lot of participation and I know that includes you and many Michigan Region members. It is not just a chance to renew old friendships and see some wonderful cars. It is a perfect opportunity to let your National Board leadership know what you like and don’t really like about their guidance of this great club. It is important for the National Board to hear from the membership as they steer the course. Why not do it in person? I look forward to seeing you along the way there.
Tlanda
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