Show the picture of the pint-sized roadster above to the average car guy, and you could get this question: “Is that what Roger Rabbit drove?” Actually, it’s a 1940 creation from American Bantam, one of America’s least recognized auto manufacturers. That black convertible and a 1939 red example both recently sold on eBay.
While best known for producing the original Jeep prototypes, American Bantam’s predecessor sputtered out before World War II—and the massive military Jeep production contracts were landed by Ford and Willys.
The company first sprang to life in 1929 as the American Austin Car Company, with the intent of selling a 40 mile-per-gallon American version of the popular Austin 7. Alas, fuel economy wasn’t a big enough draw. The Great Depression hit, production stopped and started, and then stopped again as the company went bankrupt. Approximately 20,000 vehicles were built over that period. The assets were purchased, and the company rose from the ashes with production starting again in 1937 as American Bantam.
The company’s assembly plant was located in Butler, Penn., north of Pittsburgh. The tiny inline four-cylinder engines were an Austin design, while the bodies were supplied by the Detroit-based Hayes Body Corporation. Count Alexis de Sakhnoffsky, American Austin’s designer, was best known for his work on the 1929 Cord L-29, and had a hand in designing vehicles for Auburn and Packard, as well as White Trucks.
American Bantam’s vehicles were produced in a range of styles, with a top speed of 50 miles per hour. The splendid red 1939 roadster and this black 1940 Hollywood example are among approximately 6,000 vehicles built by American Bantam. It’s a rare and under-appreciated car. Legend has it that the convertible coupe version was dubbed “Hollywood” by Alex Tremulis, a consulting designer for Bantam in that era of the company.
The seller stated that the latter example is one of an estimated 134 Bantam Hollywoods ever built, with only about about 30 in existence worldwide. It’s a numbers-matching car, with the original engine, transmission, and rear differential. The engine has been rebuilt. The sheet metal, wood and glass are all original, as are the wheels, hubcaps, and beauty rings. The car was stored in a “cool, dry back corner of a Pennsylvania barn” from 1949 through 1991. It benefited from a thorough restoration in the mid-1990s and spent much of its time thereafter in a museum collection. It’s a gorgeous little piece.
When it comes to tiny collectable cars, American Austins and Bantams are not at the top of the usual suspect list. This makes them even more desirable in our book. The domestically produced Bantam was more practical than the minuscule three-wheeled Messerschmitt KR200 or BMW Isetta - opens in new window or tab. imports, and far less common than a domestic Crosley.
It’s only a matter of time until an intrepid kit car manufacturer resurrects the American Bantam, fits it with a tiny turbocharged engine—like the three-cylinder 1.0-liter EcoBoost—and turns the tiny car world on its ear.
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This article is meant to provide general guidance only. Automotive maintenance, repair, upgrade, and installation may depend on vehicle-specifics such as make and model. Always consult your owner's manual, repair guide for specific information for your particular vehicle and consider a licensed auto-care professional's help as well, particularly for advance repairs.