Here is a rare clip from the movie, If I Had a Million starring W.C. Fields. Yo might call it 1930's road rage, but if you watch this clip to a little past the half way point, you will see a Durant Roadster being chased by W.C. Fields. The real question is, What model is it??

Enjoy

Rick

Do You own a car built by Durant? 1929 Model 60 Sport Roadster

Great clip Rick....

My guess model 63 deluxe rumble seat roadster.

What do you other Doo-rantonians think ????

Frank ---

Do You own a car built by Durant? 14 Durant & Star cars & a Durant Dort buggy

Wow, That was teriffic. I think you are right Frank about ther Durant roadster.

I recognized some of the others and the last was a 32 Ford of course.

Sad to watch all the "nice" old cars get crunched. But when this was made (early 1930's) they were definitely listed as "Junkers" then.

My 1931 "Red Book" Used Car value guide lists even 1925 Locomobiles Junior-8s at "Salvage value". 1926 Locomobile's at $12 to $20 for Junior-8 models, Expensive Model 90s for $30 to $60, even the Luxury (Custom made) Model 48's (145" WB)for the same ($30 to $60). 1927 Locomobile models were double these prices and 1928 Locomobiles were the same or only slightly more in listed value!

(These 1925 to 1928 Locomobile models sold NEW for $2000, $3000, $5000, or even $7500 up to $12,500 New by model). The price of one nice house then (1926) was about $2500.

Cars then really depreciated Quickly to "Junk" value in only a few years!

Thanks for the trip down memory lane Rick.
Lance C.

Do You own a car built by Durant? 25 Locomobile JR-8 Brougham, 25 Loco JR-8 Sedan, 26 Loco JR-8 Roadster project, 30 Durant 610 Deluxe Sedan

I read where the guys who went door-to-door hauling away fireplace ashes, preferred limousines. They cost about $15 and the divider window kept the driver from getting ashes all over himself.

It would be fun to know what the more common cars were worth. My old folks used to talk about Model Ts for 5 - 20 bucks. I doubt that Model A's got that low. They were too good a car. A 1930 dollar is worth about $20 today.

Do You own a car built by Durant? y

The auto industry in the first part of the 20th century was very much like the computer industry was in the last part of the same century. All the bright ambitious young men flocked to it. Risk money came from the robber barons then and venture capitalists today. Start-ups were a dime a dozen. There were shake outs and consolidation. But most importantly, technology and declining costs were driving the market place. Cars depreciated faster because the new cars offered so much more for the dollar just like PC's today. Think of the differences between a Model T and A. You had to be technically savvy and willing to put up with a lot to keep the Model T going. Even then it had its limits. A lady could hop in and drive the A anywhere.

Do You own a car built by Durant? 1925 Star

All,
I got this from my friend. To answer "CDMN's" question on Ford Model T and Ford A Model car values as Used Cars compared to others in 1931:

“The (1931) Red Book does list values for 1925 - 1927 Model T's. 1925 from $5 to $12, 1926 from $9 to $16. 1927 was Rds $13, Touring $12, Coupe $15, Tudor Sedan $16, Fordor Sedan $23. Not much for cars that were only 4 years old."

"I took a look at those (FORD) model A prices in the June 1931 Red book; the roadsters were 1928 $49, 1929 $98, 1930 $247. The tudor was 1928 $102, 1929 $145, 1930 $248.

Your friend ("Vince") was right about the model A being a car that held it's value better than anything else. Especially in 1933 - 1937, part of the reason was they did not use as much gas as the other cars. Car dealers used to put them on the front row.”From: Bob Gardner, Http://www.gardnermotorcars.com/index.html

Lance C.

Do You own a car built by Durant? 25 Locomobile Brogham, 26 Locomobile JR-8 Sedan and 26 JR-8 Roadster project, 30 Durant 410 Special Deluxe 4Dr.