The Best american car ever made

[csl177]

Yawn. I know this forum is populated with people unaware of any history before 1970, but PLEASE go check out the rich and impressive array of auto makers the USA has produced.

Stutz DV-32, 1931: Twin OHC, 4 valves per cyl, synchro 'box, etc.

Miller/Offenhauser: Similar to above, big-bore 4 cyl cars, fast as stink.
Dobel: The most efficient steamer ever built, silent, fast, luxurious.
Duesenberg: Perfected centrifugal supercharging, 320HP from 8 ltrs. In 1932.
Cadillac V-16, Lincoln K-Series, Peerless, Packard.

1904 Sterns: Hemi, 4 valve, OHC, trailing arms, synchro 'box, rack & pinion.

I've left out obvious makes... because the criteria is Best American car ever made. Parts and engineering come from all over the globe now and have for many years. Ya gotta go back for the truly innovative.

As for modern iron, the C6 Vette is about as good as it gets for production.
Saleen and Mosler are at the top for bags 'o bucks types.

[nota]

^^ That's an informed list and especially glad to see the superb Doble rate in your mention. Not as novel but the American Underslung was highly regarded in its day, as once was Buick - a world-standard in affordable reliability & performance. Model-J Duesies were 420cid. Early US automotive heritage is replete with outstanding marques & machines. Also notable is the USA's predictive Stout

[csl177]

Originally Posted by nota

^^ That's an informed list and especially glad to see the superb Doble rate in your mention. Not as novel but the American Underslung was highly regarded in its day, as once was Buick - a world-standard in affordable reliability & performance. Model-J Duesies were 420cid. Early US automotive heritage is replete with outstanding marques & machines. Also notable is the USA's predictive Stout

Thanks for the correx on the Deusie displacement, you're right (7ltr)... and the Underslung was impressive. The Stought was predictive but was perhaps too innovative for the tech available. Under the skin it's a basic 1930's car.

Before gas took over and there was still a facination with electric gadgets
America had one of the first plug 'n go autos. Popular with women, the Wood, Detroit and Columbia electrics were built in larger numbers than petrol cars
at first, starting around 1897-8. The was even a fleet of electric New York Taxis. Once gas was established as the fuel of simplicty (especially true for rural users) the electric slowly disappeared.

There were a number of great marques for sure, but like all new technologies, the best or most agressive companies lasted and/or absorbed the smaller companies. By WWII only 3 large and 3 smaller companies remained. So long, Hudson.

[nota]

Originally Posted by csl177

The Stought was predictive but was perhaps too innovative for the tech available. Under the skin it's a basic 1930's car.

Too innovative to be popular or profitable, but maybe basic 1930s is too harsh as iirc the skin itself was monocoque, it was rear-engined and featured IRS

The snazzy FWD Ruxton was among the prettiest of any car in its day

http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/bv/ruxton.htm

[rev440]

Auburn boat tail speedster the most gorgeous car ever created. I would love to have a 1998 Viper GT2 as it was a rare race going monster from the factory.

[roushzx2]

i think its hard to say Best American Car there was so many Muscle cars from Today and yesterday. Luxury cars are enen harder to break down. But my vote is the Tucker. It had innovations that were years and years ahead of it's time. To bad it was killed by the BIG THREE

[culver]

The Boeing (with Delco) Moon Rover.
At $9.5M each they were perhaps the most expensive cars (cost adjusted) ever. They are also the only roadsters on the moon.

[culver]

Originally Posted by roushzx2

i think its hard to say Best American Car there was so many Muscle cars from Today and yesterday. Luxury cars are enen harder to break down. But my vote is the Tucker. It had innovations that were years and years ahead of it's time. To bad it was killed by the BIG THREE

No it wasn't. But that made the movie more interesting.

[kingofthering]

the Toyota Sienna. More american than the Ford Mustang

[culver]

Originally Posted by kingofthering

the Toyota Sienna. More american than the Ford Mustang

Not really.

[Quiggs]

The NHTSA considers the Mustang an import, since more than ~30% of its parts content is foriegn.

[culver]

As the comment is "More American" no, you don't get much more American than the Mustang regardless of origin of parts. Toyota is not a domestic automaker and that was the focus of the thread.

[Yellowbird]

Originally Posted by NAZCA C2

Corvette because it has been around for 50 years. I don't like most of the old ones but the C5 and C6 are really nice. For the money you can't beat the vette, it has performance that is better than most cars that cost 3 times as much plus it looks good.

Couldn't agree more! It's maybe not the fastest or most exclusive or the most expensive but it really reflects the all American sportscar.

[nota]

Originally Posted by csl177

Yawn. I know this forum is populated with people unaware of any history before 1970, but PLEASE go check out the rich and impressive array of auto makers the USA has produced.

Duesenberg: Perfected centrifugal supercharging, [edit]320HP from 7 ltrs. In 1932.

Shortly after WW-II, a Duesenberg owner/enthusiast Mr J. L. Ebert wrote to every original purchaser and then-current Model J owner that he could trace, to establish a true and accurate record of actual ownership experience ... not heresay or legend

This gem I've transcribed below is but one response - a testimony from the original owner of a 1930 265hp Murphy-bodied Convertible Coupe

note: this relates to the non-supercharged version, not the utterly spectacular 320hp SJ supercharged job

(taken verbatim from my elderly copy of Ebert's superb Duesenberg Model J book/bible "The greatest American Automobile")

From: original owner Doran Hinchman - dated November 8th, 1948

"Dear Mr Ebert,
In reply to your communication of Dec. 4th, relative to the Duesenberg Coupe which I purchased from Duesenberg Inc. in the year of 1930, I sold the car about two years ago.

The car was a Model-J and I shall remember it best for its tremendous speed of ninety miles per hour in second gear.

I recall that one morning I was driving from Logan to Huntington, W. Va. a distance of around 70 miles.
I picked a fellow up who wished to go to Huntington and let the car drift through the congested area of the city and began letting it out after reaching the city limits.

The fellow ceased talking and seemed to keep his eyes on the instrument board. I could tell he was uneasy and at one point I glanced at the speedometer which was then reading one hundred and ten miles per hour. When we reached Huntington City limits and I had to slow down the man began to talk about what a fast car I was driving. When we parked he got out and walked around the car and some one asked him when he had left Logan? He replied and I quote - Just a little bit ago and I can tell you brother this car can walk the dog. It was just goodbye Logan and howdy Huntington. - unquote.

On another occasion a chap who new little about reading speedometers, got the readings of the Tachometer mixed up with the speedometer readings and he told a friend of mine that the car would do three thousand miles per hour.

Once a fellow told me he would never be foolish enough to out so much money in a car. I asked him what kind of a car he was driving and he mentioned a very wonderful car in the $2,500 price range and went on to tell me he had owned seven of them which he had purchased new. He seemed puzzled when I told him he had spent enough on those seven cars to have almost owned two Duesenbergs. Of course I counted in the numerous repairs; for as long as I had the Duesenberg I did not spend but little on repairs tho it needed some work on it when I let it go.

I shall never regret having purchased the Duesenberg and I have never seen any other brand of car that I think can come up with the great Dusey, it was simply outstanding in a class all its own.

Yours truly,
[signed] Doran Hinchman"

With the absolute finest levels of engineering, innovation, quality & style - and btw on debut having DOUBLE the hp of the 2nd most powerful production car of the day, iirc .. to my view the magnificent Model J is not just THE prime candidate for 'Best ever American' .. but more likely "Best in World'

'Latest & greatest' does not neccesarily mean 'best' and congrats CSL for daring to remind us of otherwise

[Mr.Tiv]

What about Arnolt and Cunningham, and lets not forget Vector.