1926 Chandler

edited by David Barth, 30 January 2009.
Courtesy The Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. Photos were taken in January 2009.

Ford dominated the pre-World War II lower-priced market while a handful of exclusive marques, such as Pierce-Arrow and Duesenberg, catered to the luxury class. The real sales battleground was the huge market for medium-priced cars. Among the more successful of these marques was the Cleveland-built Chandler.

The Chandler Motor Car Company was founded in 1913 and it was successful from the start because the Chandler was a very good car at a very good price. Although it was by no means a competition car, it achieved some impressive test and race results in the early 1920s. Chandler engineers introduced, in 1924, their new "Traffic Transmission," and early form of synchromesh gearing which eliminated the need for double clutching in city traffic.

Chandler reached the peak of its success in the middle twenties, but, for a variety for reasons, by early 1929 the company was gone and had ceased production.

The restoration of this sporty roadster was sponsored by Mrs. Fred Chandler, Jr., whose husband was vice president of the company.

Model: 33A
Body Style: Comrade Roadster
Original Factory Price: $1,695
Brake Horsepower: 55
Displacement: 288.6 cubic inches
Bore: 3 1/2 inches
Stroke: 5 inches
Cylinders: 6, in-line
Manufacturer: Chandler-Cleveland Company
Location: Cleveland, Ohio, USA

From the TRW Collection, formerly the Thompson Auto Album and Aviation Museum.