# Identify this 1920s car (US) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 17, 2011, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-1920s-car-us/575037 "2011-03-17T16:55:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-1920s-car-us/575037/1 "2011-03-17T16:55:44Z")
Here are two photos of a family car from the 1920s: [Photo 1](http://s9.photobucket.com/albums/a74/spoke-/?action=view¤t=SueandbrotherFrankMitchell2-1.jpg) [Photo 2](http://s9.photobucket.com/albums/a74/spoke-/?action=view¤t=FayeMitchellaschild.jpg) I could use some help identifying the car. I know the family owned a Dort at some point. Is this the Dort? Or something else? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-1920s-car-us/575037/2 "2011-03-17T16:58:39Z")
Could you look up the plate number in the second pic? ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-1920s-car-us/575037/3 "2011-03-17T19:23:15Z")
That looks a lot like a Ford Model A to me. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-1920s-car-us/575037/4 "2011-03-17T20:15:35Z")
I’ve only ever seen spoked wheels on a Model A. The wheels look Dort-ish. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-1920s-car-us/575037/5 "2011-03-17T20:19:04Z")
> [@Spoke](#): > > I’ve only ever seen spoked wheels on a Model A. Confirmation bias? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-1920s-car-us/575037/6 "2011-03-17T20:22:44Z")
Upon review, I can’t say that I am 100% certain the two photos in the OP are of the same car. The one in the first photo is definitely the family car in which I am interested. The one in the second photo probably is, but not certainly. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-1920s-car-us/575037/7 "2011-03-17T20:24:21Z")
Did Dort make any hardtops? ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-1920s-car-us/575037/8 "2011-03-17T20:27:44Z")
> [@Contrapuntal](#): > > Confirmation bias? 😉 Maybe. But I did search for an image of a Model A without spoked wheels before posting. I can’t find one. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Piranha\_Brothers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aca169/32.png) [@The\_Piranha\_Brothers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Piranha_Brothers)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-1920s-car-us/575037/9 "2011-03-17T20:30:35Z")
> [@Spoke](#): > > Upon review, I can’t say that I am 100% certain the two photos in the OP are of the same car. > > The one in the first photo is definitely the family car in which I am interested. The one in the second photo probably is, but not certainly. It appears to be the same type of car - it’s a pity you can’t see the front bumper in the 1st photo. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-1920s-car-us/575037/10 "2011-03-17T20:33:55Z")
Found a [Dort hardtop](http://www.rmauctions.com/images/cars/LF09/LF09_r148_01.jpg). Does not really match either of the photos though. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-1920s-car-us/575037/11 "2011-03-17T20:41:29Z")
Except for the hood ornament, the car in photo 2 looks a lot like a [Chevrolet National](http://www.leftcoastclassics.com/1928-chevrolet-national-ab/). ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-1920s-car-us/575037/12 "2011-03-17T20:43:58Z")
> [@Spoke](#): > > Maybe. But I did search for an image of a Model A without spoked wheels before posting. I can’t find one. I was just joshin’. Username and all. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-1920s-car-us/575037/13 "2011-03-17T20:46:52Z")
Maybe it is a Model A. [This Model A](http://www.rmrestoration.com/1930_model_a/a1.jpg) matches up pretty well…_except for the wheels_. Those solid wheels are throwing me. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-1920s-car-us/575037/14 "2011-03-17T20:47:12Z")
For car 1, how do you feel about a [Packard](http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://forums.aaca.org/attachments/f170/32936d1247619306-photographed-australia-1927-packard.jpg&imgrefurl=http://forums.aaca.org/f170/photographed-australia-265121.html&usg=__O3IdpxroVftJws77AqxXE5Ftl_k=&h=376&w=691&sz=44&hl=en&start=65&zoom=1&tbnid=YhnFpZdfuB6J_M:&tbnh=115&tbnw=211&ei=BnOCTcfBBMOxhAerjPGzBA&prev=/images%3Fq%3D1920s%2Bpackard%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D824%26tbs%3Disch:10%2C2166&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=934&vpy=229&dur=3606&hovh=165&hovw=305&tx=164&ty=189&oei=hXKCTem1HM2GswaZy6mBAw&page=4&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:9,s:65&biw=1280&bih=824)? (\*especially \*the wheels, although the headlights are cylindrical rather than your family photo’s bowl shape). ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-1920s-car-us/575037/15 "2011-03-17T20:47:44Z")
Both shots show a [1930 Chevy](http://www.chooseyouritem.com/classics/photos/1649500/1649715.1930.Chevrolet.4-Door.Sedan.jpg). '29s were very similar but not quite identical. The Dort stopped in '24. This is a much more modern looking car. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-1920s-car-us/575037/16 "2011-03-17T20:49:41Z")
> [@bup](#): > > Except for the hood ornament, the car in photo 2 looks a lot like a [Chevrolet National](http://www.leftcoastclassics.com/1928-chevrolet-national-ab/). Another difference is the bar connecting the headlights. It forms a sort of “frown” in the OP photo, but it’s straight across on the Chevy. The “frown” is one thing that makes the OP car look like a Ford. I notice the connecting bar on the Dort is straight too. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-1920s-car-us/575037/17 "2011-03-17T20:51:06Z")
> [@bup](#): > > For car 1, how do you feel about a [Packard](http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://forums.aaca.org/attachments/f170/32936d1247619306-photographed-australia-1927-packard.jpg&imgrefurl=http://forums.aaca.org/f170/photographed-australia-265121.html&usg=__O3IdpxroVftJws77AqxXE5Ftl_k=&h=376&w=691&sz=44&hl=en&start=65&zoom=1&tbnid=YhnFpZdfuB6J_M:&tbnh=115&tbnw=211&ei=BnOCTcfBBMOxhAerjPGzBA&prev=/images%3Fq%3D1920s%2Bpackard%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D824%26tbs%3Disch:10%2C2166&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=934&vpy=229&dur=3606&hovh=165&hovw=305&tx=164&ty=189&oei=hXKCTem1HM2GswaZy6mBAw&page=4&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:9,s:65&biw=1280&bih=824)? (\*especially \*the wheels, although the headlights are cylindrical rather than your family photo’s bowl shape). Headlights are different. Conical on the OP car, cylindrical on the Packard. (The differences are subtle on these 1920s cars!) ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-1920s-car-us/575037/18 "2011-03-17T20:57:39Z")
> [@Beware\_of\_Doug](#): > > Both shots show a [1930 Chevy](http://www.chooseyouritem.com/classics/photos/1649500/1649715.1930.Chevrolet.4-Door.Sedan.jpg). '29s were very similar but not quite identical. > > The Dort stopped in '24. This is a much more modern looking car. Your link doesn’t work for me, but [I think maybe you’ve nailed it](http://popuppistons.com/pictures/1930chevy/1930chevy02.jpg). ([Front](http://www.vintageautohausandimports.com/images/IMG_0583.JPG).) 1930 would be about right given the ages of the people in the photos. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-1920s-car-us/575037/19 "2011-03-18T03:08:24Z")
Where do they mount the death rays on those buggies? ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-1920s-car-us/575037/20 "2011-03-18T03:16:06Z")
They hauled the death rays on [these](http://www.ojaivintagevehicles.com/Photographs/1929_chevrolet.jpg).