American Bantam Car Company
Butler, Pennsylvania
1935-1941
The tiny American Bantam was intended as a serious commercial venture but was never taken as such by the American driving public. As the subject of affectionate jokes, it became a favorite of cartoonists, circus clowns, as well as film comdeies starring Buster Keaton and "Our Gang".
The last American Bantams appeared in 1940 and the firm closed its doors in 1941 after designing perhaps one of the most important vehicles in American history - a General Purpose vehicle for the US Army that is now known the world over as the Jeep.
In 1935 Roy S. Evans offered to buy the bankrupt American Austin Company. The company owed over $75,000 in back taxes and interest, and the Pullman Standard Company had a mortgage on the property for $150,000. The Federal Court, with jurisdiction over the bankrupt firm, felt that Evans could possible salvage the operation and awarded him the factory for $5,000 cash, a tiny (1/2000th) fraction of its appraised valuation. Evans secured a $250 million loan from the Reconstruction Finance Corp and hired the staff to create a new car.
Alexis de Sakhnoffsky, who has designed the American Austin, designed the revised model, called the American Bantam. He created a new front end marked by a smooth hood and rounded grille, and also reworked the fenders and rear deck. His bill came to only $300 and Evans was able to retool the entire line for a mere $7,000.
Racing engineer Harry Miller was hired to work on the mechanicals, but his efforts were confined to a redesigned manifold. Engineers who has formerly worked for American Austin contributed most of the engine alterations. They replaced the Austin's roller bearings with babbitt bearings, added full-pressure lubrication, a new three-speed transmission, Hotchkiss final drive, and Ross cam-and-lever streeting. Engine displacement of 50.1 CID was unchanged though three main bearings were used instead of two after 1939. Wheelbase remained at 75 inches, but wheel diameter shrank from 18 to 16 inches in 1937. The Bantam's frame was heavier than its predessor.
Bantam production continued into 1941, but even the dynamic Evans wasn't able to convince the Americans of the value in his tiny package. Output was about 200 units in 1938 and 1200 in 1939. It failed to reach 100 units for 1940-1941, and ceased all-together after the 1941 model year began.
In 1941 Bantam concentrated on building a prototype for what ultimately became the Army Jeep, which Bantam also manufactured during WWII but most of the production contracts were awarded to Ford and Willys. Bantam does get the deserved credit for the jeep's basic design.
