Colonial (1920 automobile)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Colonial was an American automobile manufactured in 1920 by the Mechanical Development Corporation of San Francisco.[1]

The car came with a straight-eight engine; it also featured disc wheels, with an extra pair mounted at the side[clarification needed] as spares. The body was a hardtop, calibrated so that the driver could turn it into either a sedan or a touring car simply by rearranging the windows.[1] Production models were to sell for $1800, but only the prototype was completed.[1]

The Colonial is chiefly remembered today because it was the first American car to feature four-wheel hydraulic brakes.[2] The Mechanical Development Corporation announced in 1924 that the 1921 prototype would be put into production in a new $2.5 million factory which could build 12,000 cars a year, but these plans never eventualized.[2] The prototype Colonial still survives.[2]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Georgano, Nick (2000). The Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile. London: Stationery Office. p. 1792. ISBN 0117023191.
  2. ^ a b c Kimes, Beverly Rae (1996). The Standard Catalog of American Cars: 1805-1942. Iola, IA: Krause Publications. p. 1612. ISBN 0873414284.