The LeMay Family Collection of about 1,900 antique and vintage automobiles has been recognized as the world’s largest automobile collection. About 500 vehicles from this collection are on display at the Marymount Event Center (a former Catholic Military Academy) in Tacoma, Washington. Shown below are some of the cars prior to 1920 which can be seen in the Green Building.
1899 Baldwin Steamer
This is the oldest original car in the LeMay Collection. It took 20 minutes to build up enough pressure to drive and the driver had to stop every 20 miles to add water to the boiler. The boiler is located under the front seat and the boilers were known to explode sometimes. Like other early automobiles it used a tiller rather than a steering wheel.
1903 Buick Touring
Buick was founded in 1899 by David Buick as the Buick Auto-Vim and Power Company which manufactured internal combustion engines. Walter Marr, Buick’s chief engineer, made the first two Buicks between 1899 and 1900. However, David Buick was more comfortable manufacturing marine engines than entering into the growing American automobile market. Walter Marr left Buick in 1901 to found his own automobile company.
That same year, James Whiting, the owner of Flint Wagon Works, acquired Buick with the idea of adding Buick’s engines to his farm wagons. Whiting moved the company to Flint Michigan. Marr then returned to Buick in 1903 to help oversee the production of automobiles.
1903 Oldsmobile Model A Curved Dash Replica
This is considered the first mass-produced American automobile. It was built from 1901 until 1905. The new price was $650.
Ransom E. Olds (1864-1950) founded the Olds Motor Vehicle Company in Lansing, Michigan in 1897. While Henry Ford is often credited for inventing the assembly line, in fact the Oldsmobile Curved Dash was the first mass-produced car. Mass production of the Oldsmobile began in 1901.
The Olds Motor Vehicle Company merged with the Olds Gas Engine Works in 1899 and became the Olds Motor Works. In 1901, the company moved to a new plant in Detroit with plans to produce a full line of automobiles. However, the factory burned down, destroying all of the prototypes except for the Curved Dash model. Thus mass production began in a new factory for the Curved Dash Olds, which is generally considered to be the first mass-produced automobile. The car was produced on an assembly line using interchangeable parts. The Curved Dash models were produced until 1907. More than 19,000 Curved Dash Oldsmobiles were produced.
1906 Ford Model N
The Model N was considered less luxurious than the Model K and was built prior to the use of an assembly line. It had a new price of $500. A total of 13,250 were produced.
1907 Pierce Great Arrow 45-PP
During the late nineteenth century, a number of the fledgling automobile companies had been originally carriage manufacturers. The history of Pierce-Arrow, however, starts in 1865 with a company which was known for making delicate, gilded birdcages. In 1872, George Norman Pierce bought out his partners in Heinz, Pierce and Munshauer and changed the name of the company to George N. Pierce Company. In 1896, the company expanded to bicycles. In 1900, the company made its first venture into automobiles with a steam-powered car. The venture failed.
In 1901, Pierce brought out the Motorette, powered by a single-cylinder, two speed engine licensed from de Dion, a French automobile manufacturer. The car did not have a reverse gear.
In 1903, Pierce brought out the Arrow, a two-cylinder car. The following year, the company brought out the Great Arrow, a larger, more luxurious car for an upscale market. The four-cylinder car was successful and had a reputation for reliability.
In 1907, Pierce sold all of his rights to the company and in 1908, Pierce Motor Company was renamed the Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Company. Pierce died in 1910.
The new price of the car shown below was $6,500-7,500.
1912 International Harvester MWX Farm Truck
These “highwheel” trucks were built from 1907 to 1916 and were known as the “Auto Wagon.”
1914 Detroit Electric Priscilla Coupe
This was a successful electric car with a top speed of 20 mph and a range of 80 miles. The new price was $2,500-3,000.
1919 Chevrolet 490 4-Door Touring
This car sold new for $735. This was Chevrolet’s first full year as a part of General Motors.