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Playboy Motor Car Corporation
legal form Corporation
founding 1947
resolution 1951
Reason for dissolution insolvency
Seat Buffalo , New York ( USA )
management Louis Horwitz
Branch Automobile manufacturer

The Playboy Motor Car Corporation , based in Buffalo ( New York ), was an American automobile manufacturer that launched a three-seater small car with a retractable metal roof under the brand name Playboy , which was unusual for the time.

Company history

The company, which was initially founded in 1947 as Midget Motor Car Company , was based at the headquarters of the Brunn & Company body shop, which was closed in 1941, at 988 Ellicott Street in Buffalo (New York) . Louis Horwitz was President and CEO , Charles D. Thomas was Vice President and Secretary and Norman Richardson was CFO . The share capital of US $ 50,000 came from the private assets of the three partners. Although they had previously dealt with automobiles, they were inexperienced in their production: Horwitz owned a Packard agency and a used car dealership, and Richardson operated a body repair shop on the Brunn premises and owned several gas stations. Thomas was an engineer who had previously worked at Pontiac and had built an idiosyncratic, very modern prototype as early as 1939 , but whose series production had never materialized.

A small car was planned that would be sold in the USA as a second or third car. The goal was ambitious: 100,000 cars should be built annually. They estimated the capital required for this to be US $ 20 million. From mid-1948 onwards, investors were sought in an advertising campaign. Like Preston Tucker with his new Tucker '48 , Horwitz also tried to acquire this capital through a franchise system. For the investor, this was associated with a high risk, as he initially received little more than the promise of a Playboy agency as soon as the car was ready for sale. The money was to be used, among other things, for the purchase and adaptation of an aircraft engine plant in Buffalo, but the financing did not materialize. Therefore, production started in the second half of 1948 and on a much more modest scale.

The Thomas Special from 1939

According to the manufacturer, development of the Playboy began around 1940, which probably referred to the aforementioned project by Charles Thomas from 1939. His small car, designed as a coupé with remarkable foresight, actually anticipated many elements of Playboy . The vehicle, built in Batavia (City, New York) , was a bit bizarre and very modern. It was a self-supporting construction with a pontoon body and had a rear engine , independent wheel suspension, padded safety interior and a periscope on the roof instead of a rearview mirror .; occasionally there is even talk of an automatic transmission .

The prototype from 1946

Most of the young company's capital was invested in a prototype. Outwardly, it came very close to the later production car and was well received by the public when it was presented in autumn 1946. This took place in the Hotel Statler in Buffalo. It had a horizontally positioned engine of unknown origin with a displacement of 2.6 liters and a three-seater roadster body in a fashionable pontoon shape. The black painted vehicle has been restored and still exists in the Saratoga Automobile Museum in Saratoga Springs, New York.

In addition, another prototype of a two-door station wagon was created , but this did not go into series production.

Playboy A48

Playboy A-48 Combination Roadster, Chassis No. 34 (1948)

The external changes included retouching on the front, a lower hood with the brand logo instead of the "Playboy" lettering and a foldable metal roof instead of the fabric hood. A casing for the rear wheels was part of the standard scope of delivery, the heating had to be paid for separately, which at that time was also quite common in larger cars.

In a survey of young engineers by the Society of Automotive Engineers , the Playboy was rated as the most innovative US car.

The Playboy cost US $ 985 FOB Buffalo; the transport costs were therefore borne by the buyer. Only 97 vehicles were produced between 1948 and 1949, after which the company had to close and production ceased.

Combination Roadster

The retractable metal roof was an eye catcher. It consisted of two parts, the front part was folded in to open. The rear part was folded back. It was designed so that it could be lowered into the recess behind the bench. The front part of the roof now formed the end of the body similar to a tonneau cover . When open, the rear seats - which are only suitable for children anyway - were not accessible. Although the roof was balanced with counterweights, it should have been too stiff to be operated from the driver's seat. Closing it required a very strong person anyway. The numerous rubber piping used as a seal was a weak point; they tended to leak. The idea for this solution probably came from the Peugeot Eclipse models ; the execution of the Playboy was designed but less expensive. The manufacturer described the vehicle itself as a logical combination metal-top convertible coupe which at the same time as Business Coupe , Club Coupe or Convertible Coupe could be used.

Engine and power transmission

The car initially had a bought-in, side-valve Red Seal - four-cylinder engine from Continental with water cooling, a displacement of 1491 cc (91 ci) and 40 hp (38 hp @ 3400 / min respectively 29,828 kW..).

A manual transmission from Warner with initially three gears and optional Warner overdrive was standard. All three gears were synchronized. Playboy used a single-plate dry clutch from Borg & Beck .

Chassis and suspension

The vehicle was designed to be self-supporting; the frame was welded to the body. It appears that the suspension was largely carried over from the prototype. It was independent at the front and had coil springs , plus hydraulic shock absorbers. At the rear there was a rigid axle from Spicer with a hypoid geared differential and coil springs.

The rear axle ratio ex works was 3.73: 1 or 4.1: 1 on request . The hydraulic brakes were bought in from Wagner ; the brake drums were provided by Budd and the steering was provided by Ross . Of course, both worked without power assistance.

Electrics and fuel delivery

For the vehicle electrics, General Motors components were mainly used : Auto-Lite supplied the starter, ignition system and the 35 amp generator, AC the fuel pump. Auto-Lite's 80 amp battery was housed in the engine compartment. The gas tank in the rear held 10 gallons (just under 38 liters). The manufacturer made no secret of the fact that important components were bought in and mentioned a number of them in the brochure, but interestingly not the manufacturer of the engine. However, he attached great importance to the fact that practically only parts for series vehicles from reputable suppliers were used, which should simplify maintenance.

Dimensions and performance

The Playboy is 3937 mm (155 inches) long, 1473 mm (58 inches) wide, and 1372 mm (54 inches) high. The wheelbase is 2286 mm (90 inches), the front and rear track are 1194 mm (47 inches).

With the roof closed, the storage space has a volume of 25 cubic inches (707,921 dm³); when open it is 13 cubic inches (368,119 dm³). With a weight of 923 kg (2035 lbs) it brings it to "over 65 mph (105 km / h)" with a "conservatively measured" consumption of 25 mpg (9.4 liters / 100 km). These specifications and mileage correspond to the factory specifications with a Hercules engine.

Record attempt

Robert McKenzie of Buffalo drove his son Robert Jr. from New York to Los Angeles in 62 hours 20 minutes. The goal of covering the distance of 3,114 miles (5011 km) faster than the fastest train was not achieved due to the bad weather. After all, this means the best time for a vehicle in the 2000 lbs (907 kg) class and brought welcome advertising, for example in the Buffalo Evening News of April 18, 1948. or in our own advertising material.

Playboy B7

The A48 experienced gradual technical changes. It appears that the Continental engine was soon replaced by a larger one from the Hercules Engine Company . This also side-controlled four-cylinder had a displacement of 2179 cm³ (133 ci) and made 48 bhp (35.8 kW). Even so, the car weighed only 826 kg (1900 lbs).

test

In February 1948, Tom McCahill tested a Playboy Roadster for Mechanix Illustrated magazine . Obviously this was already the B7 with Hercules engine. McCahill measured the acceleration from 0–30 mph (48 km / h) in 6 seconds and 0–50 mph (80 km / h) in 17 seconds, at that time quite normal values ​​in this class. It clearly missed the maximum speed of 75 mph (121 km / h) specified by the factory at 71 mph (114 km / h), but the new car benefited from the fact that it had not yet run in. In terms of consumption, too, it stayed above the factory specifications: Instead of 35 mpg, equivalent to 6.7 l / 100 km, it achieved just 30 mpg (7.8 l / 100 km). He found the driving characteristics satisfactory with concessions to the low weight on poor roads.

insolvency

At the beginning of 1950 the company faced bankruptcy after first takeover negotiations with the industrial magnate Henry J. Kaiser had failed and a second attempt to finance itself through a public sale of shares was unsuccessful. It finally came to the public auction.

Attempts at resuscitation

Surprisingly, a Chinese-controlled company around the nationalist businessman Dr. Sing Chang Hu , the Lytemobile and China Corporation , took most of the inventory and introduced a slightly larger prototype in 1951.

Now the Willys Go Devil motor was used. The four-cylinder developed for the Jeep achieved 60 bhp (44 kW) at 4000 rpm from 2199 cm³ (134.2 CI), a significant improvement. If anything, there was no significant production here either.

Most recently, Alvin Trumbull from Hartford (Connecticut) tried Playboy. He presented a study for an open sports car whose performance probably couldn't keep up with the look. The fiberglass body was supposedly intended for a Saab . He also gave up and sold the inventory in 1964 to the collector Donald Moore from Massachusetts who had tried to find a representation at the time.

Playboy today

The total of the pre-series built by Playboy Motor Cars Corporation is given by all sources as 97 vehicles. Another was started but not completed. This roadster, car no. 92, was found in a desolate condition in New York State and has since been restored.

The brand club estimates that around 45 vehicles have survived. That is an astonishingly high figure; about 15 copies are permitted. Less than five with the optional searchlight on the windshield frame are known.

Trivia

Allegedly, Hugh Hefner by a former employee of the Playboy Motor Car Corporation in the name of Playboy for its 1953 lanciertes magazine brought.

Remarks

  1. ↑ Possibly from Willys-Overland; Cubic capacity according to the legend to the photo in an article in the specialist magazine Autocar from 1947, found on the homepage of the Roaring Twenties Museum (photo without article)
  2. ↑ Buffalo Evening News, April 18, 1948, found at Playboy Motor Cars, special page; Old Articles and Publicity
  3. ↑ 40 bhp is the most frequently mentioned value; Gloor mentions 1489 cc and 38 hp in post-war cars. Its information is based on the generally trustworthy data in the catalog numbers of the Automobil Revue .
  4. ↑ GN Georgano and Carfolio call a three-stage automatic. This is neither mentioned as standard equipment nor as an option in the brochure, but an "automatic overdrive", which is subject to a surcharge, is. It is also unclear who could have made an automatic transmission for an engine of this size.
  5. ↑ Carfolio gives different data for length (156 inches = 3962 mm), width (58 inches = 1473 mm) and height (54 inches = 1372 mm).
  6. ↑ Gloor: Post-war car : length 394 cm, wheelbase 228 cm.
  7. ↑ Information in this paragraph that deviates from the technical data mentioned above was taken from Bill Vance's Motoring Memories , unless otherwise stated
  8. ↑ Gloor: Post-war car names 47 hp.
  9. ↑ This information was taken from Vance's Motoring Memories ; the original article is not available.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c coachbuilt.com: Brunn & Co.
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Prospectus for the Playboy , 1948.
  3. ↑ a b c d e Recipe for a Baby Car In: Special Interest Auto No. 26, 1975, p. 30.
  4. ↑ a b Recipe for a Baby Car In: Special Interest Auto No. 26, 1975, p. 38.
  5. ↑ Kimes (1985), p. 1419.
  6. ↑ auta5p.eu (Czech)
  7. ↑ a b c d e f g Gloor, Roger: Post-war car , p. 280.
  8. ↑ a b Playboy Motor Cars, special page; Old Articles and Publicity
  9. ↑ a b Vance, Bill: Motoring Memories (series of articles); Follow on Playboy
  10. ↑ SIA # 2/1975 : Recipe for a Baby Car In: Special Interest Auto No. 26, 1975, p. 36.
  11. ^ Advertisement for Playboy , found on the Roaring Twenties Museum website
  12. ^ Tad Burness: American Car Spotter's Guide, 1940-65 , p. 273.
  13. ↑ a b Carfolio ; Playboy A-48
  14. ↑ a b c playboymotorcars.com: Short History of the Playboy Car , main page
  15. ^ Gunnell: Standard Catalog of American Cars 1946-1975 (2002), p. 856.
  16. ↑ Playboy Motor Cars, special page; Still more photos!

literature

Web links

Commons : Playboy  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files