 America's Smartest Car | |
| Industry | Automotive |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1916; 109 years ago (1916) |
| Founder | Albert C. Barley |
| Defunct | 1929; 96 years ago (1929) |
| Fate | Closed |
| Headquarters | Streator, Illinois and thenKalamazoo, Michigan, |
Key people | Albert C. Barley, Cloyd Y. Kenworthy, Karl H. Martin, L. F. Godspeed, George P. Wigginton |
| Products | Automobiles |
Production output | 11,653 (1916-1929) |
| Brands | Roamer, Barley, Pennant |
Barley Motor Car Co. was a manufacturer of luxury automobiles inKalamazoo, Michigan, andStreator, Illinois. It manufactured theRoamer automobile (1916–29) and briefly, theBarley (1922–24), and thePennant (1924–25).[1]
In 1913 Albert C. Barley bought the assets of the Streator Motor Car Company, which entered receivership in 1911. Streator was the successor of the Erie Motor Carriage Company and had been manufacturing theHalladay automobile since 1905. Barley's new company was calledBarley Manufacturing Company. From the factory atStreator, Illinois, he continued production of the Halladay.[1][2]
Cloyd Y. Kenworthy, aNew York City auto dealer then sellingRauch and Lang electric automobiles, wanted to expand into gasoline automobiles and approached A. C. Barley about producing an upscale automobile. Barley, Kenworthy and Karl H. Martin, who later developed theWasp automobile, decided to build a luxury automobile and incorporatedBarley Motor Car Company inNew York in September 1916 with a capitalization of $50,000. Shortly thereafter, the company issued more classes of stock and was recapitalized with an additional $760,000, obtaining the existing assets of Barley Manufacturing Company.[2][1]
The Hallady and its Streator, Illinois factory were sold. In 1917 manufacturing was moved to Kalamazoo, occupying the former Michigan Buggy factory where theMichigan andGreyhound automobiles had been built.[2]
TheRoamer introduced in 1916 was designed by Karl H. Martin. The Roamer name was suggested by Kenworthy'schauffeur after apopular racing horse of the era. The car was stylish; the grill was nickel-plated and modeled after theRolls-Royce. The initial model, theRoamer Six, was a four-doortourer with a 24-hp (18 kW) 6-cylinderContinental engine.[3][1]
The Roamer was marketed from its inception as "America’s Smartest Car." It was also successful in many early racing events. A Roamer with aRochester-Duesenberg engine driven by chief engineer L. F. Godspeed andEddie Hearne set six records for one kilometer and one through five-mile sprints atDaytona Beach in 1921. The advertisements crowed, "America’s Smartest Car Makes America’s Fastest Mile."[3]
In 1918 the Model C6 succeeded the Six, with a 54-hp (40 kW) Continental 12XD engine and available in eight body styles from $2,200 to $4,900, equivalent to $102,434 in 2024.Roamer offered custom colors to be chosen by the buyer. In 1920 the Model D4 Touring had a 75-hp (56 kW) four-cylinderDuesenberg engine went for $5,300 (4-passenger) and $5,400 (7-passenger). By 1922, only Roamer's Model 6-54 remained.[1]
In 1924 a reorganization resulted in the formation ofRoamer Motor Car Company, incorporated atToronto,Ontario and headed by George P. Wigginton. Plans were to move Roamer manufacturing to Ontario. A. C. Barley became a director of the new company, but kept the Kalamazoo factory and the Barley Motor Car Company. Production of the Roamer ended up remaining in Kalamazoo.[2]
In 1925, Roamer abandoned the Continental in favor of aLycoming eight of 88-hp (66 kW), at the same price as the former 6-cylinder engine. The new model was called Model 8-88 and offered in seven body styles. Sales were disappointing. In 1926, the Rochester-Duesenberg was in distress and the Lycoming engine was no longer available to Roamer. A. C. Barley was now President of Roamer Motor Car Company and in December 1926, Roamer boughtRutenber Motor Company and itsLogansport, Indiana plant.[4] A. C. Barley had been an officer years earlier. The Barley family had been large shareholders in the company.[2][3]
"Assembled cars" in the luxury market were declining in sales, and the company stopped manufacturing in early 1929.[1]
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In 1922 the company introduced a lower-priced line, theBarley, named for the company's president. The first Barley Model 6-50 debuted in September offeringtorpedoes andsedans with Continental 50hp six-cylinder engines and a 118"wheelbase. The following year, a Sport Sedan and Touring Sedan were added. The prices ranged from $1,395 to $2,250, equivalent to $42,267 in 2024.[2][1]
The Barley was not successful and it was rebranded as thePennant, outfitted with aBuda 4-cylinder engine and targeted at the taxicab market. Its main competitor was theChecker, also built in Kalamazoo. The Pennant trade-dress was a maroon upper body and ivory lower body. Both the Barley and Pennant were out of production by 1925.[2]
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