Photos courtesy Charlie Beesley.
[Editor's Note: Frequent Hemmings Daily contributor Michael Lamm recently heard from photo collector Charlie Beesley, who had been given access to an archive of photos of the little-known coachbuilding efforts of Pettingell Machine by photo collector and dealer Darrin Stouffer of Darrin's Car Photos. Beesley and Lamm teamed up to present this story looking into the archive and provide some context for the photos of the cars within.]
In the 1920s and 1930s, every self-respecting American coachbuilder and autobody manufacturer used metal-forming tools made by Pettingell. The Pettingell Machine Co. of Amesbury, Massachusetts, supplied large power hammers, bead formers, metal rollers and panel trimmers to customers like Fisher Body, Briggs, Murray, Biddle & Smart, Judkins, Fleetwood, Locke and Derham.
Pettingell enjoyed great success and became famous for its machine tools, and that aspect of the company’s history is well documented. What’s forgotten is the fact that, from 1913 through 1916, Pettingell was also a coachbuilder. The bodies that Pettingell constructed have remained largely unknown for decades. It wasn’t until Seattle photo dealer Darrin Stouffer recently came upon an old photo album that some of these wonderfully sporty, advanced designs have come to light.
The album has a pencil inscription inside the front cover with the name Robt. K. Temple. Mr. Temple lived in New Hampshire and passed away in March 2014. What’s interesting is that his obituary lists his father as G. Howard Temple, superintendent of production at the Walker Body Co., also in Amesbury. So some of these pictures might show Walker rather than Pettingell bodies. And because Pettingell was reorganized around 1915 and the body business taken over by Pettingell’s former president, Albert G. Bela, the latter pictures might also be of bodies built by the shortlived (1915-1917) Bela Body Co.
The album contains 75 original photographs of 20 different cars, eight of them high-end limousines. Many of the others are sporty, unique personal designs, probably built for specific individuals. It’s believed that most Pettingell bodies were aluminum, and several have no seams or even doors. Here’s a sampling of what’s inside the album:
This Franklin has no running boards or doors. The only body seams are for the rocker pan and hood. The hood itself is unlike the production Franklin’s except for the sloped, narrow grille. We doubt that this design had any influence on the Walker-built, Dietrich-designed Franklin Pirates of 1930-1931, although those cars do come to mind.
Very oddly designed Napier has squared-off fenders, a large rounded bustle (possibly a trunk), and two odd fitments on the running board. The single belt molding starts at the radiator and finally makes a reverse sweep at the rear – all very unusual and, to us, unsettling.
Another unconventional design, this 1915 Mitchell had a metal tonneau that fit over the rear compartment. With the tonneau in place, it became a two-place roadster. Remove it and the Mitchell could accommodate six more passengers. Getting in and out wasn’t for the faint of heart. Note, too, that the photo of the car facing right appears to be huge due to the people looking so small in perspective. Of course, it was a huge car, but not that huge.
One of our favorites is this very sporty, beautifully crafted Mercer. It didn’t have a full top – just the deauville roof over the rear compartment. Again, no running boards and a rocker pan that extended nearly to the rear fenders (why it didn’t go all the way remains a mystery). Small intake vent in the cowl; low, slightly canted windshield; cycle fenders and general stance added to the Mercer’s grace.
What makes this Chalmers noteworthy is its veed windshield. The vee is barely perceptible in this photograph, and the man in the street probably did a double-take, too.
Sophisticated Chandler speedster was reportedly designed by a Frenchman. So said an an accompanying press clipping. The clipping also mentioned that the car would do 65 MPH – quite fast for the time. The aluminum body lacks doors and windshield and wears a 1915 New York dealer plate.
Flat-fendered Fiat lacks conventional running boards, but has two sets of step plates, the rearmost leading up to the rumbleseat. There’s no windshield or any provision for a top. Many of these pictures were taken in front of the same two houses.
This seems to be the standard 1917-’18 Buick roadster with a cut-down windshield. Due to its late date, it was probably modified by the Bela Body Co. rather than by Pettingell.
Pettingell built a variety of personalized limousines. This body in white has an arched rear door and a separate, one-piece roof over the passenger compartment and driver. The lower body is aluminum, but the roof appears to be fabric over wood.
And finally, this isn’t the same car, but it seems to use similar construction, with a single-piece roof. The folding landau section seals neatly against the roof and rear pillars.