1913-1914 Chevrolet Classic Six

The following is a great posting by Brewster, from his "Photo Corner" on the VCCA web site.

 

Take the time to look at the whole 11 pages, there are some great photos there.

 

 http://vcca.org/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/181192/old_photo_corner#Post181192 (see page11)

 

 

Every so often when I'm Googling for photos to post in this thread I hit a home run! The satisfaction for me sometimes is like finding that rare or missing part you've been looking forever for. Sometimes I set out to find a rare car by googling the year and body style, and hope an old photo shows up, and other times I'll spend hours flipping through photo collections hoping to catch that old Chevy I'm looking for amongst all of the Packards, Model T's, and other lesser brand. One of the cars I'm constantly looking for is an old photo of a 1913-1914 Type C Classic Six. That's right, the first Chevrolets. According to the experts on this site that I've heard from there are two remaining in the world. The restored one in The Sloan Museum, and the older "survivor" one in The Reynolds Museum in Alberta Canada. I have been trying for a few years now to find even just a picture of another Classic Six, Type C. The only photos I've seen are the popular ones of Louis Chevrolet driving the prototype on the streets of Detroit, and the photos outside the factory of the first production car with various GM executives around it. Other than those, I've seen one car on a Flicker account that I have my doubts as to it being a Classic Six, as it looks more like a Light Six.

Last night I finally had a break through... and it happened off of a link right from our site. An article written by Arend Stolte ("Arend" on Chat) for The Running Board, of The Edmonton Antique Car Club, contained photos of the Reynolds Chevrolet taken in the 1950's. My thanks to Arend for sending me the photos to add to this thread.

If anyone else has early photos of a 1913-1914 Classic Six, please post them to the thread, or PM me if you need help doing it.

Here is the car today, and the pictures for our thread...

Here is another link to further details on the car

http://clubs.hemmings.com/eacc/RBDecember2011web.pdf

The Oldest Known Chevrolet by Arend Stolte

As Earl has mentioned, the oldest known production Chevro-let is found right here in Alberta, at Reynolds-Alberta Museum. I took a drive out to Wetaskiwin a few weeks ago to talk to Justin Cuffe, curator of the museum, to learn about this car and what the museum plans to do with it.

Justin gave me copies of a number of articles, including those by Dave Halliday and Earl Clements, that have been written about this car and some early photos as well.

The discovery that RAM had the earliest known Chevy, a 1913 Classic Six, was made by Vern Elliott, who was then the curator of RAM. This car has serial number 93 and clues to its early vintage were a compressed air starter and Detroit hubcaps. Up to that point it was as-sumed that the earliest known Chevy was serial number 323 at the Sloane Museum. The Sloane car is restored but the RAM Clas-sic Six is in the original con-dition it was received by the museum from the Stan Rey-nolds collection.

Even though RAM would love to have some early history of the Classic Six, at this point this is not available. When found in the early 1940‘s by Sidney Mace and friend Bob Peet, who lived in the Forest Heights area of Edmonton near 106 Ave and 76 St,, it was a derelict Chevrolet in the bush. Even though Sid wanted a Model T, the price was right since the chicken farmer owner said he could have it if he hauled it way. Parts were scattered around the yard and the oil pan was used to water the chickens. The rear body had been re-moved sometime in the past so it would serve as a farm truck. Since this was a rare car, parts were hard to find. Model T rings were made to work, the magneto was fixed with a knitting nee-dle, and fuel was fed from a gallon bottle of gas, a dangerous practice since the car often trailed flame from the leaky fuel sys-tem as the boys roared around the neighbourhood.

After a number of years, the boys lost interest and their parents wanted the ―pile of junk‖ gotten rid of. When they tried to give it away, it reappeared on the front street a week later in the middle of the night.. Eventually the car disappeared and was later discovered at William Shekeoley‘s wrecking yard at 9745- 92 St. Stan Reynolds bought it from there for $150 in 1957 and donated it the Gov-ernment of Alberta in 1982 when Reynolds-Alberta Museum was established.

For some time RAM considered restoring this vehicle but that is no longer in the works. The Museum considers it to be an im-portant historical artefact. Much historical value would be lost if it were restored.. Presently it is stored in the warehouse. Hope-fully it will be on display soon so that the public can appreciate this historic Chevrolet.