Remembering the American Bantam Car Co.
EMLENTON — During the height of Butler's booming industry with the merger between Pullman and Standard Steel Car, the U.S. government called on the American Bantam Car Company, to design and manufacture reconnaissance cars for war production.
Before its ride into history books with creation of the Jeep, Bantam created vehicles in hope of reaching a market for small cars based off the English Austin 7.
“1940 was the last year civilian cars were produced by the company. These two vehicles came off the assembly line in Butler back in 1940, only a week apart,” said Wade Salusky, owner of two of, perhaps, the last orders for publicly owned Bantam vehicles that came out of the factory.
While the company, then headquartered on Bantam Avenue in Butler, no longer exists, versions of the Bantam remain today due to enthusiasts who preserve and restore them.
Salusky of Emlenton, owns two 1940 Bantams: one a black Standard Coupe and the other a red with black trim pickup.
“I have always been into small cars. I've had Mini Coopers, a Juke and even a Smart Car, but there was something about the Bantam that attracted me,” he said. “I found the red pickup from a family by the name of Shook in Butler back in 2015.”
He said the car was pretty much in the condition he bought it with some minor changes to the engine.
“The black coupe was owned by a school teacher in Nebraska, I believe, who sold it to her nephew,” Salusky said. “It was sold another time, but I found the car in Carlisle and purchased it in 2019, so I am the fourth owner.”
While the coupe has been repainted, everything else is original, he said.
According An American Auto Industry Tribute by David D. Jackson, there were only 11 of the 1940 American Bantam Standard Coupes produced.
The pickup is also a rare find. According to the 2016 Edition of the American Austin Bantam Authenticity Manual, only 115 of the pickups. The original prices on these vehicles were under $400, but those that are left can bring prices in the tens of thousands.
Salusky owns other small vehicles, but favors the Bantams. He is also part of the American Austin Bantam Club and the Austin Bantam Society. The club began in 1962, and holds national meets each year in different areas of the country.
Salusky last attended a meet in Tennessee in 2019 with the red pickup.
“I won a trophy at the meet just before COVID broke out. You get to keep the big trophy for a year. After a year, it is replaced by a mantle-sized copy,” he said. “You can ship it back, but I didn't trust shipping it, so I packed it up in its special box and took it all the way back to New Hampshire myself.”
According to Salusky, being a member of the groups is beneficial to collectors because they provide authenticity for cars owned by Bantam enthusiasts. It is also a way to meet and share stories.
Bi-monthly newsletters keep members advised of upcoming events, car stories, and general information about existing vehicles.
Salusky's father, Mike Salusky Sr., is also well known in the area for his collection of vintage and antique cars. He has sold nearly all of his inventory to collectors as far as New Zealand and Australia.
Although not on the scale of his father, Wade Salusky has only a few cars in his collection.
“I'm a smaller sort of fellow, so I have always been interested in smaller vehicles,” he said.
In 1940, the government called on 135 tractor and car manufacturers to design a small, but powerful vehicle to haul soldiers and heavy artillery. The American Bantam Car Company won the contract, but was unable to fulfill the demands of producing 75 cars per day.Although Bantam was the first military Jeep designed, the company lost the contract to Ford Motor Co. and Willy-Overland after producing only 2,675 Jeeps, according to Jackson. The original design was given to these companies that modified it and met the government's supply needs.Bantam never produced another vehicle after that. The company continued to manufacture “Jeep” cargo trailers, torpedo motors and other utilitarian vehicle parts and items until it closed in 1956.
