There is OEM and then there is ORIGINAL OEM

Champion Spark Plugs have been OEM equipment on many makes and models for decades, going back at least as far as 1914 with Ford, Overland, Metz, and Maxwell among others it appears from this ad in the April 1914 edition of Popular Mechanics. Particularly humorous is the statement replicated from the Ford Manual regarding the superiority of Champion spark plugs for Ford motors, “notwithstanding the opinion of various garage men to the contrary.” Champion claimed that 75% of American automobiles were equipped with Champion spark plugs as OEM equipment, being installed by over forty-five different builders of the day! Of course, for only 75 cents anyone could install the ½” Champion X in their own marvelous motoring machine.

If you enjoy the Antique Automobile Advertisements blog, please visit Classic Car Ads and Vintage Fire Truck Ads for more great print advertisements!

Owen Motor Car Company

In November 1909, the Owen Motor Car Company was founded in Detroit, Michigan with an initial capitalization of $500,000, an enormous sum at the time. Even then Detroit was the leading location for automobile manufacturers, with the January 1910 edition of Motor magazine noting Owen was the latest in a long list of Detroit can manufacturers. Named after founder Ralph R. Owen, the company was lead by Owen, Angus Smith, and Frank E. Robinson, all formerly employees of Olds Motor Works. Smith was treasurer and Owen was the factory manager, respectively, of the Olds Motor Works prior to their resignations from that company in the late Summer of 1909. Aiming high in the market, Owen produced the Owen Berlin, a luxurious enclosed automobile and featured its automobile’s large wheels, Owen designed suspension, and long stroke motor in their advertisements. Like most other automotive enterprises of the day, within a handful of years the Owen Motor Car Company failed, leaving behind only such memories as this ad from the September 1, 1910 edition of Motor Age magazine.

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If you enjoy the Antique Automobile Advertisements blog, please visit Classic Car Ads and Vintage Fire Truck Ads for more great print advertisements!

Welcome to Antique Auto Advertisements!

First of all, welcome to my new blog, Antique Auto Advertisements! Now, here is the twist, the focus of this blog isn't about selling antique cars today, but investigates the actual advertisements that sold today's antique cars when they were new. We'll go back and look at how the print ads that sold these early motor cars have changed since the early 1900s, and how many aspects of advertising have stayed the same. So please check back often, tell your friends (please!), become a follower, comment frequently and discuss the ads and the automobiles they sold, and enjoy this "ride down memory road." Thank you!
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Notes: Unless indicated otherwise, all of these advertisements are in the public domain in the United States; feel free to copy, share, and print the ads as you like. Some automobile manufacturers from the early 1900s, such as Ford and General Motors, are ongoing automobile manufactures today, all trademarks belong to their respective owners and no endorsement or association is implied.