You don’t see a nearly 100-year-old car every day – and when you do – you don’t likely see one named Durant. Durant Motors was a 1920s and 1930s automobile manufacturer started by William Durant, one of the founders of General Motors. Two of their primary car lines would be the Durant and the Star, and this one with the latter nameplate is a 2-seat Coupster. Wearing a good but older restoration, this 1926 Star 4 (named after its number of cylinders) is available in Osage Beach, California, and here on craigslist for $17,500. Thanks for this unusual tip, Gunter Kramer!
After Durant was forced out of GM in 1920, he went out and did his own thing by forming Durant Motors. It would be a popular brand during most of the decade but – like many businesses – fell victim to the poor economy associated with The Great Depression. Stars with a 4-cylinder engine were targeted to compete against Ford’s Model T, with its Continental motor (30 hp) and 3-speed manual transmission. Body styles included a roadster, sedan, Coach, Touring, and Coupster, like the seller’s car. Overall, they were built between 1922 and 1928 and were merged in with the Durant line before the company went kaput.
The seller has way too many cars, so this Coupster is one of his/her toys that we’re told needs to go. We don’t know how long ago it was restored, but it certainly looks quite good and the seller says it’s in great running and driving condition. Nowadays it only sees the light of day when the weather forecast is positive. If you have a thing for pre-Depression automobiles, this automobile would certainly be something seldom seen. Take it to a car show, park it next to a Model T, and be prepared to answer a bunch of questions as to what it is. And where you can find parts for one of them.
Nice write-up Russ. This reminds me of the Model T my Grandfather had during prohibition, probably right around 1926. He would have been 26 in 1926.
Legend has it that he and my Grandmother would drive from Monroe, MI, across the Canadian border to visit friends over there. They would load up a picnic basket (yeah, like Yogi’s) with fruit jars filled with Canadian whiskey.
As they would approach the border guard shack, my Grandmother would hoist the basket out the side window and hang on to it while my Grandfather
talked with the border guard.
Once past the guard, she’d heft that basket of whiskey back through the window on to the front seat, back to Monroe. Like something out of Bonnie and Clyde.
My grandfather drove mostly Fords before the war. He did branch out twice during that time. One of his cars was a Durant he bought in the late 20s. I understand that it was OK but it just wasn’t a Ford. I come across something from the Durant line and I like to zoom in and get some shots, and hopefully, talk to the owner. Here’s a pic of a Star pickup about the same age as the featured car. I checked out the Standard Catalog of American Light Duty Trucks and found Durant trucks but not Star. More research is necessary as a new season approaches…
The Durant (along with most other car manufactures) was way ahead of the Model T. It has a real transmission and other features of modern cars while Ford was still selling the Model T introduced in 1909.The Durant was equivalent to the Model A introduced in 1927.
This Durant looks like a great car to own. The lack of interest in prewar cars has really driven the price down on cars like this. I hope someone purchases it and preserves this treasure.
What a gem this would be to any owner!
I agree with Ralph… this is a real gem of a car, and I would love to have it, but my retirement fund won’t stretch that much…somebody will be a lucky owner on this one.
My mother’s folks had a 1927 Durant sedan and a 1926 Essex that got them through the depression until things improved enough by 1936 for them to buy a new Buick.
My dad once told me that the Star was the only car that had a stiff enough frame, that if you got a flat tire, you could simply remove it and drive home on three wheels…very carefully.
Wow! I’ve heard of that (stiff frame, 3-whl ops) but I’d like to hear from anyone who experienced it “in the day”.