Vehicle Description
The Kissel Motor Car Company was founded in 1906 by two ambitious
young brothers, George and Will Kissel. The Kissel family, who had
emigrated from Germany to Wisconsin, gradually expanded their
farming operations to include groceries, hardware, lumber and
homebuilding among other businesses. The family's generous wealth
certainly aided in Will and George's enthusiastic plans to build an
automobile. The first prototype was quite advanced; a shaft-driven,
four-cylinder runabout built in 1905. By 1907 production of the
"Kissel-Kar" was underway, using Beaver engines and bodies supplied
by the Zimmerman Brothers, sleigh builders from up the road in
Waupun, Wisconsin. Soon, the Kissel brothers were producing a car
entirely of their own manufacture, and orders from distributors
came pouring in. The Kissel was known for being high on quality,
value and performance - as well as for its clever features such as
the "all year top" which was in essence the first removable hard
top. Kissels grew more complex and luxurious, with a twelve
cylinder "Double Six" eventually joining the lineup.Following a
lull in sales in the immediate postwar years, things picked up for
Kissel and they transitioned into the roaring twenties with a range
of sporty, high-quality cars. In 1919, Kissel introduced its most
famous model - the "Gold Bug" Speedster. Kissel's most famous and
enduring product, the "Gold Bug" Speedster was actually the
mastermind of one of the company's dealers. New York distributor
Conover T. Silver commissioned the Speedster to his own design. The
sporty Silver-designed Kissels even carried his name for a time.
The "Gold Bug" designation came from a naming contest for the
sports car organized by Kissel and was chosen from over 500
submissions. This sporty two-seat roadster featured six-cylinder
engines of Kissel's own manufacture mated to a low-slung body with
cycle fenders and no running boards that gave the appearance of a
racer for the road. The flamboyant and stylish Gold Bug proved to
be very popular with some of the biggest names of the time - Emelia
Earhart, Fatty Arbuckle, Ralph DePalma, Greta Garbo and Al Jolson
were all counted among the roster of Kissel Gold Bug owners. Today,
just a handful of Gold Bugs survive, each a rolling homage to the
glamorous and exiting Jazz Age.The motorcar offered is not only the
earliest surviving Kissel Speedster, but also one of the finest
examples extant. Identified as chassis no. 1141, this Kissel is
known to have been manufactured before the sobriquet "Gold Bug".
Carrying a rich history beginning in the 1950s, this Kissel has not
only been well documented with a rich list of previous owners, but
also meticulously restored to Concours standards for which it has
been awarded. The car's known history traces back to the small town
of Orchard Lake, Michigan, where C.R. Funk owned and preserved it
from the 1950s until it was acquired by Bill Harrah in the 1970s.
As part of Harrah's renowned collection-one of the most prestigious
of its time-the Kissel was meticulously maintained alongside many
other significant automobiles. Following the dispersal of the
Harrah collection, the car was sold at auction in 1986.The car
passed through two owners, first to Knox Kershaw of Alabama,
followed by Larry MacElree of Newtown Square, PA. Larry and his
wife, Jane, cherished the car from 1990 until 2017, when it was
acquired by David George II, then-owner and operator of D.L. George
Historic Motorcars in Pennsylvania completed a full restoration,
documented by photographs on file. Great attention to detail and
authenticity included rediscovering and refitting the original
aluminum dash behind a newer replacement, as well as using
period-correct materials for the running boards and flooring, and
rebuilding all of the mechanical systems save for the engine and
rear differential, which while disassembling and refreshing, were
found to be in good condition and did not require rebuilding. Most
interestingly, when the body was stripped, the original paint color
was found to have been black, inside and out-and thus, the present
and correct livery is a menacing and muscular change from the more
common Kissel Chrome Yellow. The car was shown by Mr. George at The
Elegance at Hershey in 2017, receiving the Heritage Award, and at
the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance in 2018, this Kissel is well
known for how outstanding it is. This delightfully sporty and
distinctive motorcar is arguably the finest example extant from
this seldom seen marque. Beautifully presented in its sinister,
original livery, this Kissel's reputation precedes itself.
Recognized as a CCCA Full Classic, this 1919 Kissel Model 6-45
Speedster is ready for its next motoring adventure, whether that be
on a concours field, or on the open road. Offers welcome and trades
considered For additional details please view this listing directly
on our website
https://hymanltd.com/vehicles/7856-1919-kissel-model-6-45-speedster/
