It’s often said that there wasn’t an ugly car built in 1933-

May 16

It’s often said that there wasn’t an ugly car built in 1933-1934, and it’s true. But I’ve recently fallen in love with 1922-1923 cars. Definitely another high point in styling. It seems like the majority of marques were knocking it out of the park. For example, this 1923 H.C.S. Sport Sedan, which has my vote for most attractive two-door sedan possibly ever.

May 16, 2026

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Replies (95)

· May 16

Some of those photos you have posted to the AACA have convinced me you are correct. What is wonderful about this for me is its a whole knew world I new nothing about. The 28-41 era has fantastic cars but I've spent too much time there.

· May 16

@alsancle I think the early 20’s cars get forgotten because they fall in between HCCA cars and classic era cars in terms of drivability. So they’re sort of too old to rock and roll, but too young to die.

· May 16

@Hupp31 There are forces that drive the collectiblity the hobby that have nothing to do with the car themselves. As you note, the early 20s fall between a couple of the big clubs, HCCA and CCCA. The clubs create a use for the cars and help drive the popularity.

· May 16

@BuickGuy68 Maybe there needs to be a ‘tweener club.

· May 16

A couple 1922 Chandlers. Just clean, simple styling.

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· May 16

@Hupp31 and the 1923 Chandler Royal Dispatch

· May 16

@Chandler-Six Having seen the photos of a Royal Dispatch that you had posted, the illustration doesn’t quite do it justice. Great looking cars.

· May 17

@Hupp31 I know this one looks frumpy, but it’s one of the photos that were sent to the dealers

· May 19

@Chandler-Six I like this 1923 Chandler photo.

· May 16

Even the Hupmobile model R, which was relatively plain-vanilla style wise, added this great roadster coupe body style in 1922.

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· May 16

22 Marmon from another topic.

· May 16

This is on the AACA and I should do a stand alone topic, but there were some cool mechanical things going on in the early 20s like the Owen Magnetic, different steam car implementations and this, the Premier with its electric gearshift.

· May 16

@alsancle

https://forums.aaca.org/topic/456160-1920-premier-antique-touring-car-not-mine

· May 16

@alsancle The Premier gearshift is very cool. Clearly not just some crazy idea when virtually all modern vehicles use a similar concept.

· May 16

1922 Haynes 75 Special Speedster. The floating side steps or shortened running boards were definitely a big trend at the time.

· May 16

Lets not forget my favorite 1924 Nash that can't seem to sell.

https://app.rumbleseat.com/admin/marketplace/listing/8995919

· May 16

1922 Haynes 75 Brougham. Surprisingly long hood for the era. It’s a bigger car than it looks though because it had a 132” wheelbase. I like the winterfront on this one.

· May 16

For technological advancements, the Gregory front-wheel-drive from 1922

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· May 16

We did a whole thread on the Porter on the AACA. @JohnBloom knows quite a bit about these. I think zero are in existence.

· May 17

@alsancle
AJ, I think there is just this one at Seal Cove in Maine....I can't remember if it was assembled from parts or what the story was. Was it the first iteration no longer exists?
- Dan

· May 17

@prewarnut Dan, that is the FRP and the only one. @JohnBloom knows a lot about it. Would be cool if there was a Porter floating around but so far none known. Things do come out of the woodwork but it happens less and less unless there were post war references tot he car and then it dissappeared.

· May 16

Richelieu

· May 16

1922 Fox Air Cooled Three Passenger Coupe

· May 16

@Hupp31 That is cool!!!! Wonder if any survived?

· May 16

@Hupp31

· May 16

@Hupp31

· May 16

@alsancle I have my doubts that any did survive. I wonder if the illustration is accurate or if the did the typical stretch and lower job to improve the looks.

· May 17

@Hupp31 Now I like that! Wonder how close the actual car was to the illustration?

· May 17

@alsancle Hood looks long in this newspaper photo.

· May 17

@BLK-10001 I always suspect that they exaggerated the proportions in illustrations but it did have a 132” wheelbase, so it would have still looked fairly long. The Fox Motor Company was founded by the same A.H. Fox of the shotgun company. For those who may not know, A.H. Fox would be the Duesenberg of antique shotguns.

· May 17

@Hupp31 Illustrations almost always exaggerate but the photo looks like a long hood. Wonder if any exist? This image is from the Detroit Public Library collection.

· May 17

@Royale835Sedan The thin pillars and even the thin rear tonneau behind the quarter glasses are quite attractive.

· May 16

1922 Elgin Six Model 700

· May 16

1922 Earl Brougham

· May 16

The Cunningham around this period 21/22 speedster was very cool and there are a couple still around. One in the Revs I believe.

· May 16

@alsancle Wow. I like the boat tail on that. Looks like there are compartments in it, as well.

· May 17

@alsancle

· May 16

Another interesting air cooled car, the Detroit Air cooled from 1922. Really cool V6 engine.

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· May 17

@Hupp31 Much like the steam cars there were a lot of brand new manufacturers looking for a different angle to push stock. Air cooled, Steam, etc. This of couse, all lead to the stock market crash in 1929.

· May 16

Any Coats steamers extant?

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· May 16

From what I could find, maybe only two prototypes were built.

· May 17

@Hupp31 None to my knowledge. There were a number of steam car companies in the early 1920s and most were stock scams of some sort. There are some Brooks suriving.

· May 17

Roaring Twenties Cars Rule. [whoops, forgot we were talking about 1921-1922]

Here's a super-rare model even for a Peerless. This car's owner told me he drove down south from Massachusetts to attend a large antique car event. NJ? MD? They were just visitors, but were asked on the P.A. system to move it from visitor parking to the finalist's area, to park with the winning vehicles as an exhibition. It's a Peerless Model Six-91 Five-Passenger Sedan.
Owner: Don Elliot from Andover, MA.

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· May 17

An excellent 1928 Franklin 11a [not '21-'22, but still Nickel Era]

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· May 17

An Oakland from 1928 [not a '21-'22, but still Nickel Era]

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· May 17

1923 DuPont speedster and engine.

· May 17

This custom-bodied 1923 Dorris is great. Those are some fairly meaty balloon tires on it for the time.

· May 18

@Hupp31 That is very cool!!!!

· May 17

Check out the eye candy at this 1923 show at the Hotel Astor in NYC!

· May 18

Saw this today at the Curtis museum. 1923 Oldsmobile Brougham

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· May 18

1918 Buick Opera Coupe

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· May 19

@alsancle Interesting seating configuration.

· May 19

Another rarity, a 1923 Daniels Eight town car. Must have been shortly before the company went bust.

· May 19

@Hupp31 Daniels made some cool cars. I need to go find some more pictures. So many. interesting small manfuactuers in this era.

· May 19

Check this one out! 1923 Crossland Steam Car in polished aluminum.

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· May 19

@Hupp31 Wow!

· May 20

@Hupp31 I just noticed this. I want one! Wonder if any survived?

· May 20

@alsancle From what little info I could find, it sounds like four were built and one possibly exists.

· May 19

1921 Mitchell

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· May 20

@alsancle Someone donated a 1927 Peerless to the museum about 20 years ago. Did you run across that? It was a blue Sedan, Six-80, perhaps. I called ...it's in storage.

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· May 19

1922 Davis 70

· May 20

This thread wouldn’t be complete without including Cole. Some great styles and the V8.

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· May 20

I also saw this unusual brake setup from Cole. Both internal expanding and external contracting bands on one drum.

· May 20

@Hupp31 Perhaps one is the primar brake and other emergency?

· May 20

@alsancle Could be. The engine photo shows the parking brake mechanism but I’m not sure if it had a drum on the driveshaft or not.

· May 20

1921 Daniels Roadster

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· May 20

@Peerless28 Those are very attractive cars. I don't know if I've ever seen one in person.

· May 20

@Peerless28 Nice! Did Daniels use a V8 of their own design?

· May 20

@Hupp31 A 404 Cu. In. Daniels V-8 that year -- but they started in 1916 with a Herschel-Spillman V-8. Fountainhead Museum has a '21, $5,350 in touring Car form & Fleetwood Body.

· May 20

Here's a 1922 Leland-Lincoln. For Sale on the AACA "For Sale Not Mine" forum. It's in NH and someone wants $19,950.

· May 20

@Peerless28 I saw that Jeff. Cool open car for under 20k. Not bad.

· May 22

Another brand from this era that I would love to own is R&V Knight (formerly Moline Knight). They used a six cylinder Knight sleeve valve engine. 1924 brought a touring car with sedan-style windshield with wing windows. A project car was for sale last year that was believed to be one of four in existence.

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· May 23

@Hupp31 Small newspaper blurb on R&V. Mostly unknown.

· May 25

Another sleeve valve engine. The 1922 Handley-Knight.

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· May 25

@Hupp31 This one is at the Gilmore in Michigan.

· May 25

Cadillac Type-61

· May 27

We can’t forget the coachbuilders from this era, like this 1922 Derham bodied Locomobile.

· May 27

@Hupp31 Derham and Dietrich are two of the coachbuilders that never built an ugly body. Dutch Darrin might qualify too.

· May 27

1921 Haynes Brougham. I love the wheels.

· May 27

· May 28

@Hupp31 Not usually a two tone fan but I like that.

· May 28

@alsancle It’s definitely unique. I wonder what the colors would have been. As black and gray it seems a bit odd but if the lighter color was something vibrant, it might have made more sense.

· May 27

How cool is this Locomobile?!

· May 28

@Hupp31 Very cool. As a gunboat it has the lower steering wheel and the longer hood. Compare to this one that I lusted after at Gooding a few years ago.

· May 28

@Hupp31 Check out the wheel disks.

· May 28

@alsancle That’s awesome. Is is just an illusion or are the front wheels larger diameter? Maybe it’s just because they use thinner spokes than the rear.

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· May 28

@Hupp31 I didn't notice whenI saw the car in person. I think its just the photo. It was a very nice car and sold for around 100k.

· May 28

Interesting A-pillars on this 1921 Stanley. I also really want that carriage shed behind it.

· May 28

@Hupp31 Don't get me started on steam cars. I've got them out of my system. This car was bought by my buddy Dan Hayes that I need to get to join the Doble Society. I looked at it in a snow storm on my way to Virginia a few years ago. Thank god Dan bought it. Check out the funky A pillars.

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· May 28

1920 Daniels

· May 28

Here’s one that I’ve never heard of. 1922 Ogren. Apparently built from 1921-1923 in Milwaukee.

· May 29

Not often there is a car that I absolutely never knew existed.

· May 29

Sounds like they only built a couple hundred cars. Not cheap at about $4-5k. 134” wheelbase with either 65hp Beaver or 70hp Continental engines.

· Jun 10

A pair of very nice 1922 Davis phaetons.