If you’ve spent any time around CC, you’ve undoubtedly heard about and seen an abundance of cars from Eugene. Well, I recently found a conglomeration of cars in Eugene the likes of which we have never covered here. Of course, this isn’t Eugene, Oregon; it’s Eugene, Missouri.
On my recent trip out with Todd in his 1958 Chevrolet Impala we went to visit Wes and his cars. This is what we uncovered.
When we arrived, Wes, a retired mechanical engineer, was installing turn signals on his 1940 Mercury Eight convertible. This Mercury has a phenomenal story associated with it, with Wes having learned about its early days from the original owner. This is only a tease of sorts as I’m saving this Mercury for its own full article.
After eating and swapping a few stories, we went to see what Wes has outside, such as this Ford Model A. Wes’s son has entered it in a few hill climbing competitions and has thoroughly spanked some Jeeps. Not too shabby for a stock, obviously unrestored and incompletely bodied Model A with tire chains outback.
Wes’s property has a house that was built sometime in the 1830s. While people in some parts of the world may say the new smell shouldn’t have worn off yet, this is likely one of the oldest houses in this county. Sadly, it was not inhabitable when Wes bought the property in the 1970s and its best use is as a storage building for this commercially built hybrid.
Using a Model A engine as a power source, the engine is mounted backwards on a 1920s era Chevrolet truck frame. As such, this unit has rear steering and was built to be a forklift for hay bales so the load was over the dual wheeled axle. It had not been started in ages; when Wes went to start it, the engine fired almost immediately. Sadly, I could not hit the video recording button on my camera quickly enough . This old rig is still ready for some work and an unmuffled Model A engine is a sound to behold.
Wes kept his better cars, such as his 1958 Ford Skyliner, in a building close to his house.
Like the Mercury, Wes knows the history of this Skyliner. It was purchased new in Savannah, Missouri, in July 1958, as the original owners were about to be married. They immediately drove this Skyliner to Pike’s Peak in Colorado for their honeymoon.
Wes even has a picture of it as they left their wedding reception. Wes drives his cars; he said he’s put about 40,000 miles on this Skyliner over the years. I did go for a ride in it and sometime soon will have a comparison of it and the 1958 Chevrolet.
The 1958 Ford was Wes’s newest car if you don’t count his late 1990’s Ford Taurus and 2015 F-150. This 1929 Model A is his oldest. While it’s a typical sedan, don’t think it to be just any old Model A hanging out in a garage. This is Wes’s first car, purchased when he was fifteen years old. This is the car he drove during his time in college at the University of Missouri – Rolla, about sixty miles south, and he’s put countless thousands of miles on it. He sold it in 1971 but missed it enough to purchase it back in 1974. He’s owned it ever since.
Seen here is Todd, owner of the 1958 Impala
Since its trunk photobombed the Model A above, it appears ready for some attention. The photobomber is a 1933 Franklin Olympic, a car whose brand has rarely been mentioned here for soon to be obvious reasons.
The Franklin Automobile Company was based in Syracuse, New York, and produced automobiles from 1901 to 1934. Production only twice exceeded 10,000 units annually during the life of the company, with production in 1933 being 1,330.
Franklin’s had air-cooled engines with the 1933 Olympic models producing 100 horsepower from a 274 cubic inch straight-six; there was also a V-12 for the higher trimmed models of Franklin.
The 1933 Olympic models shared bodies with the 1933 REO Flying Cloud (or Reo, depending upon source) of Lansing, Michigan. From research Wes has conducted, REO had approximately 800 excess bodies that were sold to Franklin for installation of their air-cooled engines.
In 1934, REO still had unsold bodies so they opted to cut off the rear of the cabs for conversion into pickups and named it the REO Speedwagon.
This is the point at which Wes became inspired and highly creative.
He had a second Franklin, a 1934, whose body was in pitiful shape – I had seen it several years ago at a show and was amazed it had not collapsed upon itself. In a what-if exercise, Wes created the Franklin Speed Wagon.
Using the Franklin chassis and drivetrain, he sourced a REO Speedwagon cab from a derelict he found in Shaniko, Oregon; a hood from Idaho; rear fenders (that needed a bit of fabrication) from Wisconsin; and, a bed from West Plains, Missouri.
This is an amazing creation that runs and sounds beautiful. Wes is a stickler for getting things right; for example, he has hung and adjusted the doors on his Franklin Speedwagon so well they open and close as smoothly as those on a late model car or pickup.
Wes had two more cars and here’s a hint about both. Isn’t there some town in Indiana with this name? Why, yes, there is.
Wes walking by his Auburn
The first is a 1933 Auburn 8-105 Salon. Overall, this 127″ wheelbase Auburn is very solid and unrestored, with a nice does of patina.
There is a 100 horsepower straight-eight lurking behind this grille. Sadly, the engine is seized at the moment and Wes hasn’t been able to give it the attention it deserves.
There were five different body styles on the 8-105, Auburn’s top tier eight cylinder. Total production for the 8-105 was 2,002.
Given the space constraints when taking these pictures, here is a picture Auburn took for the 8-101. From what can be determined, the 8-101 had the same body and engine with a lesser degree of trim. In 1933, Auburn had the 8 and 12 series, each denoting the number of cylinders.
Sitting on the other side of the Franklin was Wes’s 1932 Auburn 8-100A coupe. Powered by the same straight-eight as found in the 1933 Auburn, this coupe runs and all the metal is in great shape. The rub? The wood frame for the cab is rotten. Wes has made this same repair to another Auburn previously; he said it is not a pleasant job to perform.
While the Auburn car ceased production in 1936, their factory is still in existence and now houses the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg museum, a place that defies simple description. Our 2014 CC Meetup was at there and coverage of the cars can be found here and here.
This brings us to the end of Wes’s cars…for now. Since I will likely be joining the car club Wes and Todd belong to, a club where you run what you have and there is no brand allegiance, I’m sure I will be visiting with them again soon.
When I see collections like this what I end up wondering is always the same: Where did the money come from to acquire maintain a collection like this?
BTW that usually ends up running through my mind during American Pickers as well.
My guess is they were acquired when they were considered “used cars”, before shooting up in value as collectibles.
I think the condition of the cars tends to support that in this case. Seized engine and rotten wood framing would’ve been reason for the original Auburn owners to sell cheap, and the Franklin looks like it was already used as a parts donor before “restification” into a pickup.
I wish I had a bigger garage so I could be this eccentric.
“I wish I had a bigger garage so I could be this eccentric.”
Something like this would do the trick:
That’s fantastic!
+1 What a class act.
As is Wes and his beautiful collection. Thanks for this Jason.
Good for Lenny, would that we all could keep a collection like that!
At one time, cars like the ones Wes has could be had for cheap. If you went back to the 1960’s, you could buy a decent condition running Ford Model A or some other car of the early 1930’s for less then $300 as most folks considered these cars old fashioned cars with no value.
Correct. Wes paid $75 for the Model A in the mid-’60s and $350 for the Mercury in 1968.
$350 in 1968 wasn’t exactly chump change as today. Maybe same price for an average 11 year old ’57 BelAir V8, then.
I remember those prices well. When my father bought me my 1937 Buick Special two-door luggage back (no hump trunk) in original, only needed some elbow grease to put into showable shape, condition, he paid $400.00 for the car. And I drove it as my daily summer driver for the next five years, plus car shows.
Nice ! .
‘ run whatcha brung ‘ always rings my bell , enjoy .
-Nate
Fantastic group of cars! I can only hope than when I’m a retired mechanical engineer I’ll have a couple of old cars I can work on indoors.
Model A sidenote, for years I’ve been telling my kids when they see an old car to guess “Model A Ford” and they’ll be right at least half the time. Taking my son to band practice this morning the headlights fell upon a half covered car I’d never seen before in our neighborhood. I said “Derek, what’s that?”
“Uh, an A Type Ford?”
Close, he’s learning something after all.. 🙂
Franklin Speed Wagon! Amazing.
My grandpa who grew up in West Plains told stories about converting cars to pickups, but I’m sure he never even saw a Franklin, let alone drove one. Everything in his world was A’s and T’s. Franklins were an Eastern thing.
In 1924 my grandfather took a model T and essentially made an early version of a motorhome. There were 5 adults and 2 children that made the journey from Iowa to Oregon in a little over a month. A testament to Henry’s model T’s toughness and versatility. I couldn’t imagine driving a regular model T that distance let alone one that had been converted into a motorhome. My dad said they called it a housecar.
I’ve seen a photo of a Model T-based motorhome with a 1926 Washington license plate on it. Probably not the same one….
That used to happen here. American cars were preferred but some larger British cars were used as well.
Yeah, that one took my fancy as well. Given the body sharing deal going on, it’s a fun ‘might-have-been’ that appeals to both my sense of history and humour!
Just wow. When you started off with the 40 Mercury Convertible, I thought “no way he’ll top this.” Then you did. Or Wes did, I should say. Oh boy, where to start, because I could spend a day mulling over every one of those.
The 40 Mercury was just beautiful, maybe the most beautiful Mercury ever until the original Cougar. I also love the Model As. Having driven one, it does not surprise me that it could climb hills like a billy goat. Gobs of low-end torque, low gearing in first and second, and a flexible frame that is also tough as nails, it would be a natural climber.
I can’t wait to read about that Franklin – I know almost nothing about them other than that they were air cooled. And those Auburns – just beautiful. It is really something when a really pretty 58 Retractable is the most boring car in the place. I would join that car club too! 🙂
And I keep going back to that maroon Model A sedan. If mine had been a sedan instead of a coupe with a rumble seat (so as to allow family rides), I would probably still have mine, too.
Did we know that you had an A at some point?
And why not ? .
I’ve had _four_ all mostly stock , in the 1970’s and 1980’s they’re actually pretty good cars , very economical to maintain and fun to drive .
I used them as daily drivers and touring .
-Nate
I had a 29 coupe from the late 80s to the early 90s, until I got too many people to fit inside. I need to get busy on some COAL posts – as soon as I find all my old car pictures.
You know you’re old in the antique car hobby when, upon seeing either a Model T or A your initial gut reaction was, “Oh gawd, another damned Ford.” Back in the late 60’s/early 70’s the antique car hobby was probably about 50% Fords of those two models, maybe 15% Buicks, 10% Chevrolets, 10% Packards, and then everything else bringing up the remainder.
Model A’s and Model T’s back then were like 60’s muscle cars now – predominant to the point that you start looking for shows where you won’t have a load of them showing up.
That Auburn 8-105 looks very similar to the 1931 (?) Auburn sedan my father was driving when he met my mother in the summer of ’32. Dad was a charmer, and the car must have helped, because they eloped in it the following March. I have a couple of photos of that car. And that ’58 Skyliner looks mighty elegant in black.
REO speedwagon badging was used on full size trucks of the time too a friends father had a 35 model restored in the 60s in their fleet colours with the legend “over a million miles on Mobil oil” signwritten along the bonnet, Awesome collection looking forward to seeing more of it.
That is absolutely a wonderful collection. I don’t know if he will ever have time to finish all the work that needs to be done on those vehicles but it doesn’t matter. For a retired mechanical engineer it must be a slice of heaven to spend his time with them.
What can you say? The guy deserves a medal the size of the Auburn’s headlight for services to “auto-heritage”
The idea of any marque car club is quite common over here – my club (www.cdccc.org.uk) accepts anything the member wants to consider a classic, so we range from an MG TD to a Honda NSX. Always good for interesting conversation.
What an interesting collection! Love the great original Franklins and Auburns!
To create the Olympic, Franklin bought more than just the bodies, the deal was for mostly complete REO Flying Clouds shipped by train from Lansing fully assembled sans engines and grilles. They were then run through the factory for engine installation, grilles and identifying insignia.
The bodies were built by Hayes Body Company of Grand Rapids, Michigan, who gladly modified tooling to create the truck cabs for REO’s continued pick-up production after the September 1936 end of car production. Hayes, one of the smaller independent body suppliers, was losing customers as one small maker after another failed.
That’s a very cool collection, thanks for sharing.
The next Jay Leno?
I’d really like to see some long term follow-ups on those Auburns. They were the point when the fortunes of Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg changed. 1932 was a profitable year (yes, in what we think of as the middle of the depression), 1933 was the first money losing year (contrary to popular belief, ’33 was when the depression really took hold), and 1934 was a disaster to the point that the company was fatally shaken.
Syke, Wes has restored a number of cars over the years including another Auburn. I suspect he’ll start working on one of them this winter as they are the only two cars of his that need anything. He also owned a 1935 Pierce Arrow for a while, back in the ’80s or ’90s.
A great article on a fine eclectic collection of cars, with informative comments to seal the deal. Pieces like this make CC a daily stop for me.
What a fantastic collection! I think every gearhead dreams of having a garage like his, stuffed with eclectic and rarely-seen gems. And the work to create that pickup must have been quite an undertaking but the result looks phenomenal!
Really nice collection of interesting cars. I’m absolutely in love with that Auburn 8-105 sedan! I would put the mechanics back in order and drive it as is. The 1933-1934 Auburn Salon closed cars have always been my favorite of the era. I would love to see that car in person someday. Thank you for writing this great article Jason!