Buffalo
History Museum Collection on Buffalo
Architecture and History website .........
Antique and Classic Car Show - August
2, 2015
Buffalo History Museum (Official
Website)
1 Museum Court, Buffalo, NY
On this page below:
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Made
in Buffalo:
The Buffalo Fire Historical Society Museum-owned 1928 pumper that was made by Buffalo Fire Appliance. Starting as a manufacturer of fire
extinguishers and other fire-related equipment in 1895, selling
other manufacturer's fire apparatus in 1916 with the manufacture
of their own equipment in 1922, the Buffalo Fire Appliance
Corporation was in existence until 1948.
"A brief history of the Buffalo Fire Appliance Corporation: founded in 1895 the company was located at 28 Wells Street in Buffalo, New York. The company manufactured fire related products including fire extinguishers. In 1909, the company moved to 152 Ellcott Street and in 1922 the company moved to 44 Central Avenue in Buffalo, New York. In 1928, the Buffalo Fire Appliance Corporation introduced their own line custom fire apparatus chassis. The Buffalo Fire Appliance Corporation manufactured its last apparatus in 1948." - Hope Fire Company, Philipsburg, Pa.: 1937 Buffalo (online August 2015) "Beginning in 1920 this company built fire equipment on commercial chassis including Reo and Larrabee. From 1927 they used their own chassis but commercial chassis such as Ford Model A were also employed. Limousine pumpers were made from 1937, and in 1939 came a new streamlined series; this received a new grille in 1946, but otherwise there was little change until the end of production in 1948." - Coachbuilt: Buffalo Fire Appliance Co. - 1920-1948 - Buffalo, New York (online August 2015)         |
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"The forerunner of Pierce-Arrow
was established in 1865 as Heinz, Pierce and Munschauer. The
company was best known for its household items, especially its
delicate, gilded birdcages. In 1872 George
Norman Pierce (1846-1910) bought out the other two,
changed the name to George N.
Pierce Company, and in 1896 added bicycles to the
product line. The company failed in its attempt to build a
steam-powered car in 1900 under license from Overman, but by
1901 had built its first single-cylinder, two-speed, no-reverse
Motorette with an engine licensed from de Dion. In 1903, it
produced a two-cylinder car, the Arrow.
"In 1904 Pierce decided to
concentrate on making a larger, more luxurious car for the
upscale market, the Great
Arrow. This became Pierce's most successful product.
The solidly built, four-cylinder car won the Glidden Trophy in
1905, an endurance run to celebrate the most reliable car.
Thirty-three cars entered the 1100-mile race from New York City
to Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, won by Percy Pierce in a Great
Arrow.
"The noted industrial architect Albert Kahn designed the Pierce Arrow Factory Complex at Elmwood Avenue and Great Arrow Avenue in about 1906. Pierce sold all rights in the company in 1907, and he died three years later. In 1908, Pierce Motor Company was renamed The Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Company." - Wikipedia: Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Company (online August 2015) Go to Pierce-Arrow Autos-Table of Contents for more photos of Pierce-Arrow cars.  |
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"Right after World War II ended in 1945, there was quite a pent-up demand for new automobiles since auto manufacturers had shifted their efforts to manufacturing vehicles and equipment for the war effort during the period of 1941-1945. "Louis Horwitz, a former Packard dealer, Charles D. Thomas, a former Pontiac engineer, and Norman Richardson, a talented garage mechanic, founded the Playboy Motor Corporation ... This Playboy car was designed with the intention of being that around-the-town second car, and it featured America's first retractable hardtop convertible. The company only made a reported 97 prototype cars prior to closing up shop. None were ever originally offered for sale to the public. "There are currently only 49 Playboy cars known to still exist in the world. Of those, only about 15 are known to be in roadworthy condition, and less than 5 are known to have the optional windshield-mounted spotlights." - Playboy Motor Cars (online 2015) "... a woman who worked for Playboy Motor Cars at the time they shut down suggested to her son's friend that he use the Playboy name for his new magazine. That friend's name was Hugh Hefner!" - Playboy Motor Cars (online 2015)        |
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Made in Buffalo: 1948 Playboy SEE ALSO: Playboy Motor Co.     |
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