Frequently Asked Questions about Classic American Bantam

Who founded the American Bantam Car Company, and when?

Roy S. Evans, a car dealer and former American Austin salesman, founded American Bantam after buying the assets of the bankrupt American Austin Car Company in 1935. The reorganized firm became the American Bantam Car Company in June 1936 and kept the existing factory in Butler, Pennsylvania. Its restyled small cars went into production in 1937.

How was American Bantam related to American Austin and the British Austin Seven?

American Bantam was the successor to the American Austin Car Company, which was founded in 1929 in Butler, Pennsylvania, to build a licensed American version of the British Austin Seven. American Austin started production in 1930, built about 20,000 cars and went bankrupt in 1934. Bantam kept the Austin's basic engineering but reworked the 747 cc engine and restyled the body.

Who designed the American Bantam?

Alexis de Sakhnoffsky restyled the car for its relaunch as the American Bantam, giving it a new grille and new front and rear fenders. Several accounts put his fee at $300. Sakhnoffsky had also styled the earlier American Austin bodies. The Hollywood convertible and the four-passenger Riviera convertible sedan were the work of Alex Tremulis, who later designed the Tucker.

What engine did the American Bantam have?

The American Bantam used a 747 cc side-valve four-cylinder engine derived from the Austin Seven unit and rated at about 20 horsepower. By 1940 the engine had gained a third main bearing, and that 50 cubic inch version is usually quoted at 22 horsepower. The cars had a three-speed manual gearbox and rode on a 75-inch wheelbase.

What body styles did American Bantam offer?

American Bantam sold its small car as a roadster and a coupe, and added commercial versions including a pickup, a panel delivery and a wood-bodied station wagon. The Boulevard Delivery was a roadster-based town delivery car aimed at businesses such as florists and bakers. The line also included the Hollywood convertible and the four-passenger Riviera convertible sedan.

How many American Bantam cars were built?

Roughly 6,000 to 6,700 American Bantam cars were built, and sources differ on the exact figure. Several histories give about 6,000, one marque history counts 6,700 civilian vehicles, and RM Sotheby's says fewer than 7,000. Sales were about 2,000 cars in 1938 and had fallen to 800 by 1940, well short of what the company needed to survive.

Did American Bantam build the first Jeep?

Yes. American Bantam built the first prototype of the World War II jeep, the Bantam Reconnaissance Car, and delivered it to the Army at Camp Holabird, Maryland, on September 23, 1940. The Army had invited 135 manufacturers and allowed 49 days for a working prototype. Bantam lacked the capacity for mass production, so Willys and Ford received the large contracts. Bantam's own output is given as 2,675 jeeps on the Pennsylvania historical marker and as 2,642 in Army acceptance figures.

When did American Bantam stop making cars?

American Bantam built its last passenger cars in 1940, and the final unsold examples were sold in early 1941, which is why sources give either year. The Butler factory then built jeeps for the Army and, once the large jeep contracts went elsewhere, cargo trailers for jeeps through World War II. Trailer production continued for the civilian market until 1956, when the company was taken over by Armco.