The Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles is pleased to announce that it will once again have two vehicles on display at the Philadelphia Auto Show, held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, 12th & Arch streets, Philadelphia, PA. The Museum’s 1885 Overman Victor highwheel bicycle and 1916 Autocar Type XXI stake body truck will be on display in the Grand Hall as part of the “Back in the Day Way” exhibit organized by the Antique Automobile Club of America.
Both vehicles are excellent examples of road transportation history, with the 1916 Autocar being a product of Pennsylvania’s own rich industrial and manufacturing history. The Autocar Company began in 1897 in Pittsburgh but only stayed there briefly. In 1899, they moved to Ardmore, PA, where they built cars, two examples of which are on display at the Boyertown Museum. While the cars performed acceptably on the market, it was their truck line that really struck a chord with consumers. Heavy-duty freight hauling was left to the livestock-pulled wagons until the 1910s. Autocar was one of the first companies to figure out how to build a machine that could compete, and the overwhelming popularity of their trucks soon dwarfed the output of the car model line. Autocar phased out their cars relatively quickly, as a result. The 1916 Autocar stake body truck on display at the Philadelphia Auto Show was used to haul barrels. Ladders hang from the stakes, which can be removed and hooked into the side rails to act as ramps for loading and unloading barrels.
Later, Autocar, like all manufacturers, transitioned to military production during World War II. The company built thousands of halftracks for military use. After the war, the company had a relatively easy transition back to civilian production, something many car and truck companies struggled with. In 1953, White Motor Company purchased Autocar and moved production to Exton, PA. Autocar production continued in Exton until 1980. The Autocar name was eventually discontinued in 1995 but has since been brought back. Autocar today exists in Indiana and manufactures refuse trucks.
The Boyertown Museum has been a proud participant in the vintage and classic car display at the Philadelphia Auto Show for over 10 years. The show runs until Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024.
The Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles is a 501c3 nonprofit organization founded in 1965 by Paul and Erminie Hafer. The Museum, located at 85 S. Walnut St., Boyertown, preserves and displays examples of Pennsylvania’s road transportation history in the former factory buildings of the Boyertown Auto Body Works. Over 90 locally manufactured cars, trucks, carriages, bicycles, and motorcycles are on display, as well as two examples of roadside architecture–a 1921 cottage-style Sunoco gas station and a 1938 Jerry O’Mahony diner. The Museum is open seven days a week, 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. Contribution rates are $10 for adults, $9 for seniors and AAA members, and ages 15 & under are free. For more information, call 610-367-2090 or visit www.boyertownmuseum.org.
