HERE IS A RARE CAR WITH A GREAT STORY! DO NOT MISS THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE A PART OF THIS VEHICLE'S HISTORY!
The Grant Motor Company was one of many early American automobile manufacturers that failed to last more than a decade. Founded in 1913 in Detroit and later relocating to Findlay, OH, the company produced vehicles until closing in 1922. During that period, the company produced several thousand four and six cylinder cars. They also exported cars to England under the name Whiting-Grant.
If there was ever an automobile venture that appeared to be solidly established for future success it was the Grant Motor Company. Brothers George and Charles Grant, president and vice-president respectively, had operated a Woodward Avenue car dealership for nearly a decade and also owned a successful machine foundry. Secretary-treasurer David Shaw had been treasurer for the Simplex Motor Company in Indiana. Chief engineer James Howe was a graduate of Cornell University and had help high positions at several auto companies including Thomas, Cunningham and Studebaker. Factory manager George Salzman was himself a car builder who had been production manager for Thomas and Simplex. General sales manager George Waite had held similar positions at Thomas and Simplex after learning the trade from Boston’s dynamic Packard dealer Alvin Fuller. It was an all-star line-up of automotive expertise from that time period.
The first Grant vehicle was a two-seater roadster powered by a four-cylinder engine built on a 90-inch wheelbase chassis. The car was well-made and got good reviews from journalists of the day but introducing the car at the height of the cyclecar frenzy proved to be an obstacle the company could not overcome. The company began production of a new, larger six-cylinder automobile for 1915.
In 1916 the company reorganized and began production of an even larger six-cylinder car capable of seating five passengers. The Grant 6 was well designed and sported a 114-inch wheelbase. The length allowed for a roomy interior offering space for passengers and at the same time giving those passengers a more comfortable ride. The engine was of the exposed pushrod variety and powered the relatively lightweight car very well. By this time production had been moved to a factory in Cleveland, OH capable of producing over 10,000 units per year but prosperity for Grant was short-lived.
The company was facing a financial crisis early in the new decade and made the decision to raise prices at a time when other car companies were reducing the prices on their automobiles, a move that was not well-received by potential customers. That decision hastened the company’s demise and it closed in 1922.
This 1918 Grant Six is a great example of the design and engineering that made the car one of the leaders of the day and has an interesting story according to Larry Green, Sr., the third owner of the vehicle, who wrote the story of how he came to own it. As a 10 year old in 1946, Larry was at the Sanford Ranch in Smartville, CA with his twin brother Floyd and 18-year-old brother Heath looking for Model T parts in a barn when they saw the rear of an antique car which turned out to be a 1918 Grant. Heath purchased the car on the spot for $5 and with the aid of his father got the car to the Green family residence in Hammomton, CA. Heath quickly got the car running and drove around town for a few months before he joined the Navy and the car sat for four years. In 1957 Larry Green, Sr. had entered a machinist apprenticeship program and mustered up the $65 to purchase the car from his older brother. Fast forward to 1966, when Larry moved the vehicle from Hammonton to Yuba City, CA following the deaths of his father and brother so it would be close for him to work on. A 1917 Grant parts car was located in the region in 1967 and Larry purchased it to replace a non-correct rear end Heath had installed after the original broke. He also kept the engine and sold the remainder of the vehicle to a man in Colorado. It was at this time the vehicle was repainted and new upholstery installed. A machinist by trade, Larry also sleeved one of the cylinders of the original engine and machined the hubs to accept modern style Timken bearings.
We believe this vehicle presents in the restoration that Larry Green, Sr., performed on it over a half-century ago! There are paint chips and scratches and a few interior scuffs that one would expect from a car that has obviously been enjoyed by a previous owner. Larry’s history of the car recounts him touring the car on numerous occasions in the California Gold Country, with some of the hills proving to be a little challenging for the 20 HP engine! The present owner is a prominent investor/collector who has held this vehicle in his portfolio since early 2011 in a humidity-controlled environment.
Due in large part to several 1930’s campaigns to destroy “worthless” cars with two-wheel brakes and other equipment deemed unsafe, very few examples of Grant’s production run remain today. Evergreen Digital Showroom offers this extremely rare 1918 Grant Model G touring car for $29,000 USD. We would gladly assist with transportation at the buyer’s expense. For additional information, contact sales manager Steve Russell at 417-532-8000.
Evergreen Digital Showroom will gladly entertain reasonable offers on all vehicles we represent. If you would like to make an offer on this vehicle please call sales manager Steve Russell at 417-532-8000 to discuss this further. If you have questions about this specific vehicle, feel free to contact us and we will attempt to provide you with that information.
For a complete listing of all the vehicles Evergreen Digital Showroom has for sale, please visit our website at www.evergreendigitalshowroom.com.
NOTICE
Because of the number of vehicles we represent we cannot drive every vehicle for long distances. These vehicles have been part of static displays for long periods of time, in some cases for decades, and are subject to the flaws and imperfections consistent with that. While we do our best to disclose all issues we known about a vehicle in our advertising, these are old cars and something that has always worked in the past might not function properly today. Please check the requirements of your state regarding the licensing and registration of classic vehicles and make sure the vehicle you are looking at meets those if applicable. Unless otherwise noted, all vehicles represented by Evergreen Digital Showroom possess a clean (non-branded) title which will be provided the new buyer when purchase funds clear our financial institution. Virtually all of our vehicles are sold as mileage exempt due to their age. We do not warranty any vehicle, nor any part of the vehicle including air conditioning systems, brake systems, electrical systems.
Descriptions of vehicles represented by Evergreen Digital Showroom are intended to be informational in nature and do not in any way constitute any sort of warranty, expressed or implied. Again, these vehicles are presented “as-is, where-is” without guarantee or warranty. Vehicles manufactured prior to 1981 will likely not be included in the databases of companies such as CarFax and AutoCheck that provide vehicle history information to consumers. If you have specific questions regarding a vehicle we urge you to contact us at 417-532-8000. and gauges, fuel systems, accessories or powertrain components.
