1920 Velie

edited by David Barth, 15 March 2009.
Courtesy Antique Car Museum of Iowa at 860 Quarry Road, Coralville, Iowa, 52241 USA.
Photos were taken in March 2009.

The Velie Motor Company was formed July 8, 1908 in Moline, Illinois. William Lamb Velie had an automobile operating by the end of the year. Velie had begun in the carriage business and moved to automotive production when he felt the timing was right. Velie was a grandson of John Deere, and that family connection opened many doors to him and his business partners. By 1911, he was producing 3,500 units annually. The company prospered by World War I contracts.

The company produced more than 7,000 cars in 1920, and it also built trucks. In 1928 both Velie and his son suddenly died in 1928, and the company ceased operations the following year.

This car has a 121 inch wheelbase, 32 x 4 inch tires, and a six-cylinder engine that produces 55 horsepower. The original cost was around $2,000.