Name that car - Where did that name come from ?

[DougVieyra]

There have been a few posts recently regarding the survivability of our Ford Model A’s. That got me to thinking about all of the hundreds of car makes made over the years, with very few survivors.

One thing that I always had fun with when I was younger (and even now) was trying to connect the Marquee name with the original builders: i.e. FORD (Henry Ford), CHRYSLER (Walter P. Chrysler), DODGE (John & Horace Dodge); CHEVROLET (Louis, Gaston, etc. Chevrolet), CORD (Ebban Cord), DUESENBERG (Fred & Auggie Duesenberg), DURANT (Will Durant), HENRY J (Henry J. Kaiser), KAISER (Henry J. Kaiser), EDSEL (Edsel Ford), PACKARD (Jim & Bill Packard), BUICK (David Dunbar Buick), OLDSMOBILE & REO (Ransom E. Olds), STUTZ (Harry Stutz), STUDEBAKER (Studebaker Brothers), etc. Well, you get the idea. To help keep the game short I always 'skipped' the foreigners like BENZ, ROLL ROYCE, DIAMLIER, PORSHE, etc; But you might want to include them after all the American marques have been named.

And then there was the marquee name that, although not a builder, was named after some other famous person: ROOSEVELT (Teddy), RICKENBAKER (Eddie), PONTIAC (Indian Chief), DESOTO (Spanish Explorer), LINCOLN (Abraham Lincoln), CADILLAC (founder of Detroit), etc.

And then there were the towns: DETROIT (Detroit, Mich), OAKLAND (Oakland Mich.), AUBURN (Auburn, Ind.) , JACKSON (Jackson, Mich.), ST.LOUIS (St. Louis, MO), etc.

Of course, there all sorts of variations as to how this game can be played. But let’s start by seeing who can throw in some additional names with their connections. i.e. APPERSON (Elmer and Edgar Apperson in Kokomo, Indiana). I had to learn the hard way, by research and reading books and auto magazines. Now, however, with the internet and the 'information highway' learning about automotive history is easy and should be fun! AND this is an 'open book' adventure - old people don't have to rely on faulty memory, and young people can have fun using their computor / internet skills.

This automotive history exercise should help us understand that there was once a life beyond FORD. It also can help us better understand that surviving to be a car maker today, was NOT an easy job, as almost all of the marques in this game are now dead.

- Doug Vieyra, Automotive Historian & Snake Oil Salesman

[45GPW]

Originally Posted by DougVieyra

Of course, there all sorts of variations as to how this game can be played. But let’s start by seeing who can throw in some additional names with their connections. i.e. APPERSON (Elmer and Edgar Apperson in Kokomo, Indiana).

OK, lets start with one you already mentioned--Kaiser.

The predecessor to Kaiser was Kaiser-Frazer Corp. (Henry John Kaiser and Joseph Washington Frazer).

Also associated with Kaiser-Frazer was Graham-Paige, which started as the Graham Brothers (Joseph, Ray and Robert) and Paige-Detroit (Frederick Osgood Paige) to which was also associated the Jewett (named after the president of the Paige-Detroit Co.).

Then after Kaiser-Frazer changed its name to Kaiser Motors Corp., it added Willys-Overland (Willys Jeep), which had been started by John North Willys, who bought the Overland Automobile Co. which had been started by Claude Cox.

Also related to Willys were Willys-Knight (John North Willys and Charles Yale Knight) and Stearns-Knight (Frank Ballou Stearns and Charles Yale Knight).

A few years after the Willys-Overland acquisition, Kaiser Motors Corp. became Kaiser Jeep Corporation, which later became part of American Motors Corp. (which is another story in itself, and who can forget the Gremlin), which later yet became part of Chrysler Corporation, which then became Daimler Chrysler and then became Chrysler again and is now owned by FIAT, which was founded by Giovanni Agnelli, and "agnelli" is Italian for "lambs," and lambs come from ewes and rams, and Rams are Dodge trucks. And the Dodge Brothers originally made parts for FORD.

Incidentally, John North Willys was also associated with the Duesenberg company, and as one of the early owners of the Electric Autolite company (later Autolite) which was later owned by FORD.

So really, everything does still revolve around FORD if you make the circle large enough.

[DougVieyra]

That's right 45GPW, you've got the spirit of the game !

The first Cadillac (1903) for instance, had heavy involvement by Henry Ford, who also started the Ford Motor Company in the same year. So it does not take too much to tie embro cords to the inter-breeding that went on in Detroit in the early days.

Doug Vieyra

[Arlen]

Then there's the one lone female. To the best of my knowledge, there's only been one car company named after a girl, Mercedes, named after Karl Benz's daughter.

[Floats]

Arlen,
Mercedes was not Karl Benz's daughter. Benz built cars and a chap called Jellenek saw the potential and became involved in the marketing. If Memory serves, he offered to take 10 cars on consignment and named the product Mercedes after his daughter.
GOOGGLE IT
Regards
Chris
Cape Town

[DougVieyra]

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Arlen - "Then there's the one lone female. To the best of my knowledge, there's only been one car company named after a girl, Mercedes, named after Karl Benz's daughter."
____________________________________________

Also, Arlen, there was the DIANA (1925-'28) which, although I am not sure, was named after the Roman Goddess. It was produced by the MOON Motor Car Company (1905 - 1930), in St. Louis, MO.

The company was founded by carriage maker Joseph W. Moon. (another marque named after the founder). Moon produced both cars and trucks. Moon Motor's peak production year was 1925 when the company produced 10,271 vehicles

In addition to the Moon name, Moon produced the Diana via its subsidiary the Diana Motors Company in 1925 - 1928.

Doug Vieyra

[Lycoming-8]

I believe that the full name of E. L. Cord is Errett Lobban Cord.

Also, from about 1928 on Lycoming Motors was owned by the Cord Corporation, and acted as the supplier of corporate engines for Auburn, Cord, and Duesenberg. Yes they actually made more than Aircraft engines !!

[Dave Mellor NJ]

There was a big busted actress named Dagmar and also a car. And there was a "Dale" car named after a female Dale but it turned out to be a scam and "she turned out to be a "he".. Wasn't there an Austin "Princess"?

[DougVieyra]

Right you are ! Lycoming-8.

This post has the promise of causing a lot of Ford Barners to gain a lot of fun and interesing information. Much of the poster's comments are like an ice berg - 'just the tip of the ice berg' showing, with MUCH more information 'just below the water line'.

I am excited to hear and learn more for other Ford Barn members.

[Mike V. Florida]

There were thousands of automobile manufacturers at one time or another.

[Chuck Sea/Tac]

Doug, are you a threaded hubcap collecter? I have many of the names you mentioned.
Another is Dort, who was related to John Deere, and the Canadian version was Grey Dort.

[Mike V. Florida]

Originally Posted by Floats

Arlen,
Mercedes was not Karl Benz's daughter. Benz built cars and a chap called Jellenek saw the potential and became involved in the marketing. If Memory serves, he offered to take 10 cars on consignment and named the product Mercedes after his daughter.
GOOGGLE IT
Regards
Chris
Cape Town

Originally Posted by DougVieyra

Arlen - "Then there's the one lone female. To the best of my knowledge, there's only been one car company named after a girl, Mercedes, named after Karl Benz's daughter."
____________________________________________

Also, Arlen, there was the DIANA (1925-'28) which, although I am not sure, was named after the Roman Goddess. It was produced by the MOON Motor Car Company (1905 - 1930), in St. Louis, MO.

The company was founded by carriage maker Joseph W. Moon. (another marque named after the founder). Moon produced both cars and trucks. Moon Motor's peak production year was 1925 when the company produced 10,271 vehicles

In addition to the Moon name, Moon produced the Diana via its subsidiary the Diana Motors Company in 1925 - 1928.



Doug Vieyra

While maybe not named after actual people, they are female names,

Diana (1925–1928)
Ariel (1905–1906)
Brook (1920-1921)
Dorris (1906–1925)
Fredonia (1902–1904)

[pooch]

Australia's holden was named after James Alexander Holden who started a leatherwork and saddlery business in Adelaide in 1856.

They made their first car body in 1914.

It looks like their demise is coming in 2017.

[DougVieyra]

Mike - good 'catch' on the female names. Congratulations !

Most sources place the number of U.S. automobile makers that have existed, at appx. 1,800. Many of this number were only made for a year or two. A great many more were made for less than ten years. Very few had the stamina to last for twenty or thirty (or more) years. And even then, many who had been around for thirty years 'bit the dust' with the onslaught of the Great Depression, starting in late 1929.
And of those that did survive the Great Depression, many had become so weak that they died soon afterward, often being swallowed up by other auto companies.
____________________

Chuck Sea/Tac : No Chuck, I am not a treaded hub cap collector. However, I have owned and driven a small number of early cars that did have treaded hubcaps : my 1928 Chevrolet Coupe, 1914 Ford Model T Wagon, 1928 Chandler Sedan, come to mind. And I still have the 21" Wooden Artillery (Moto) Wheels for my '28 Model A Phaeton - they too have a threaded hubcap.

- Doug Vieyra

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Can you imagine if you cross threaded a threaded hub cap & messed up the threads? Where would you find a 4" X 9 TPI, tap & die? OR, would you have to LOCTITE them to foil THIEVES?
Bill W.

[rocket1]

There was the Minerva,a girls name,albeit a little strange.

[Stretch Cab]

I had the privilege to visit the Springfield, MA museum of technology recently and they have a lot of early orphan cars that were built in that area. Also there is or was a great museum in Valentine, NE that had mostly orphan cars and some very interesting ones as they were all original. We have a very rich automotive history.

[45GPW]

Originally Posted by rocket1

There was the Minerva,a girls name,albeit a little strange.

Minerva is the Roman goddess of wisdom. Many automobiles were named for Greek and Roman words and mythical figures.

Automobile makes/models of Greek name or word origin:

Ajax
Apollo
Aptera
Argo
Aristos
Atlas
Centaur
Corinthian
Electra
Euclid
Eureka
Olympian
Pan
Xenia (although it was named for the town of Xenia, Ohio, which was named for the Greek word for hospitality)



Makes/models of Roman name or word origin:

Aurora
Diana
Hercules
Julian
Mercury
Rex
Saturn
Vulcan

[jrelliott]

Neighbor has a car named after Marquette Michigan, Marquette of which there are only two know to be in existence and he has the only one in original condition. Huge auto for the time.

[DougVieyra]

45GPW - you go to the head of the class - good 'digging' on your homework - or, you have one hella've memory !

Either way, it is obvious that you like to sit in the front row.

Stretch Cab and jrelliot : you are both right in pointing out that a great source for all of us to learn more about 'those fallen' cars of our early automotive history is in the many car museums that are scattered across America.

When Bill Hurrah in Reno, Nevada, died and his vast collection collection was split up and sold off, we lost a great national treasure. Before he died, I also remember dreading each time he (whether at 65 or 75 years of age) got a divorce from one of his many young (21-28 years old) starlets. The divorce settlement meant that he had to sell off another chunk of his automobile collection. He/we lost a lot of cars through his inappropiate placing of body parts.

Doug Vieyra