Playboy Motor Car Corporation memorabilia

[vintage.vendeuse]

According to the all-knowing Wikipedia, Playboy Motor Car Corporation was a Buffalo, New York-based automobile company, established in 1947. The company only produced 97 cars before going bankrupt in 1951. Goodwill's auction website has some original photos and bulletins from this company up for grabs. I live in Detroit, my father was a design engineer for American Motors and then Chrysler, and I thought I knew a fair bit about cars... but I wasn't aware of Playboy and their attempt to make an affordable "second" car.

Here's a link to one of the auctions if anyone is interested in having a look. Just do a search to find three more lots.

http://www.shopgoodwill.com/auctions/Orig-Black--White-Photos-of-Playboy-Automobiles-15748176.html

 

[Stanley Doble]

There was a writeup about the Playboy a few months ago in a popular antique car magazine. It was a legitimate company that aimed to make a new kind of small car that would appeal to younger drivers like returning veterans. It was a light 2 seater with a 4 cylinder engine, one of its unique features was a folding convertible top made of steel.

Noted auto expert Tom McCahill tested one and was favorably impressed. He felt the car would fill a need that other car companies ignored. He did question the somewhat rough ride, which company engineers were working to improve, and the seams in the folding top which they assured him were well sealed and leak proof.

In recent years there has been a revival of interest in the car and the company. The founder's family and others are making efforts to gather as much historical information as possible. Hope this material gets into their hands.