Chassis: 75-5891
Engine: 75-5884
Offered from the Grandson of the Original Owner
CCCA Full Classic with Outstanding Event Eligibility
Delightful, Fascinating, and Well-Documented Provenance
Accompanied by a Wealth of Documents, Records, and Articles
Filmed with Tyrone Power for The Eddy Duchin Story (1956)
288 CID Kissel-Modified Lycoming L-Head Inline 8-Cylinder Engine
Single Schebler Updraft Carburetor
71 BHP at 3,000 RPM
3-Speed Manual Gearbox
4-Wheel Hydraulic Drum Brakes
Front Solid Axle with Semi-Elliptical Leaf Springs
Rear Live Axle with Semi-Elliptical Leaf Springs
Based in Hartford, Wisconsin, the Kissel Motor Car Company debuted an offshoot of the company’s Silver Speedster at the January 1918 New York Automobile Show, one which would soon become the firm’s signature model, best known colloquially as the “Gold Bug.” Six- and eight-cylinder versions were built through the following years, and with its long wheelbase and hood, low stance, golf-bag mounts to each rear fender, rumble seat, and jaunty colors, Kissel’s Speedsters earned the favor of wealthy, committed driving aficionados of the Roaring Twenties with a taste for speed and adventure.
Among those discerning automobile enthusiasts was longtime multiple Stutz owner Arthur N. Powers of Kankakee, Illinois, who purchased this 1927 Kissel 8-75 Speedster for his wife, Estelle, on April 30, 1927. Mr. and Mrs. Powers had just taken golfing lessons and according to their grandson, the consignor, they would use the Kissel on drives to the golf course. They also routinely shipped the Speedster by enclosed railcar from their Illinois home to Arizona for winter vacations.
Letters, dated 1970, on file from E.E. “Gene” Husting of the KisselKar Klub to the consignor detail the Speedster’s history following the Powers’ ownership, including their eventual sale of the car in 1950 to Sidney Stein of Elmont, New York. Under Mr. Stein’s ownership, the car was used in the 1956 movie The Eddy Duchin Story, with the car driven by screen legend Tyrone Power. By 1961, the Speedster was owned by Jerome N. Powell of Richmond, Virginia. The next owner was Al Rodway of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, who was then followed by Dr. Robert L. Woods of Waukegan, Illinois, from whom the Kissel was acquired circa 1970 by Buick dealer and longtime CCCA member Wally Rank of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
In 1971, the consignor, grandson of the Kissel’s original owners, learned that Mr. Rank had recently acquired the Speedster, loved it, and vowed never to sell it. Undeterred, the consignor maintained contact with Mr. Rank for the next two decades, finally reaching his goal to acquire the Kissel in 1993. At the time, 25,345 miles were recorded on the odometer. The consignor and his wife have enjoyed and cared for their beloved Kissel ever since then, participating in select shows and events, including the 2nd Annual Santa Fe Concorso in September 2011, where the Speedster earned Best in Class.
Accompanying this Kissel are a wealth of records, including a copy of the personal diary page confirming the Speedster’s original purchase by Arthur N. Powers and wonderful archival photographs of his family and their Speedster. Additional items include restoration notes, articles, and a maintenance and show log. A stellar offering, this 1927 Kissel 8-75 Speedster exudes pure Jazz Age glamour and adventurous presence.
Arthur N. and Estelle Powers, Kankakee, Illinois (acquired new in 1927)Sidney Stein, Elmont, New York (acquired from the above in 1950)
Jerome D. Powell, Richmond, Virginia (acquired by 1961)
Al Rodway, Cleveland Heights, Ohio (acquired by 1970)
Dr. Robert L. Woods, Waukegan, Illinois (acquired in 1970)
Wallace “Wally” Rank, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (acquired from the above circa 1970)
Current Owner (acquired from the above in 1993)
