Milwaukee, Wis. – May 3, 2014 – It had to be fate that brought Bill and Cheryl Haynes and a 1919 Haynes automobile together. The couple will be showing what is believed to be the only 1919 Haynes in existence today at the 2014 Milwaukee Masterpiece, Aug. 24, 2014, on Milwaukee’s lakefront.
The Haynes, of Batavia, Ill., have owned the Model 45, light six, seven-passenger touring car for more than 10 years. The Haynes Automobile Company, owned by Elwood Haynes, hand-made luxury automobiles from 1894 to 1925, producing more than 5,000 cars per year at the height of production. Only about 50 of these automobiles remain in existence.
“I’m not a direct descendant of Elwood Haynes but I would bet we’re related,” Bill Haynes said. “My wife Cheryl and I bought a magazine advertisement about the car in an antique shop. As a result of this ad, we googled the Haynes Automobile Company of Kokomo, Ind., and found that city has a Haynes festival every 4th of July. That same weekend was the 4th of July so off we went to Kokomo for the weekend.”
Bill said he was hoping to find a collectible item like a hood ornament from a Haynes car but Cheryl had other ideas. She wanted to find a Haynes car. “Well, we left the festival with no collectibles but we did have a lead on a car in Wisconsin. The following weekend we headed to Wisconsin and bought this car on the spot. The car was very original, including all the wood and we have been restoring it ever since,” he said.
It’s called a light six because it’s a six cylinder with aluminum body, aluminum crankcase, aluminum transmission and weighs a mere 3,475 lbs. The car was on display at the Automotive Heritage Museum in Kokomo, Ind., for several years. The current restoration of the car is being refined when the car is not in the museum. All parts on the car are original including the wooden body parts – very rare for a car of this age.
This car’s ownership has been traced back to Utah in the 1950s. The story that has been passed from the previous owners is that the car was found in a mine in Colorado in the 1950s with less than 20,000 miles on the odometer. It is believed the original owner was protecting his assets from bankruptcy in the ‘20s.
Elwood Haynes advertised that the Haynes Automobile was America’s first car and placed a radiator badge on every car making that claim. Elwood Haynes’ first car is called Pioneer and is on display at the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. His second car, Pioneer II, is on display at the Automotive Heritage Museum in Kokomo, Ind.
In addition to building cars, Elwood Haynes was a metallurgist who invented stainless steel and Stellite, an extremely hard noncorrosive alloy used in many applications today such as auto exhaust valves and nuclear power plants.
The 1919 Haynes has won recognition at several Concours d’Elegance competitions in recent years including the 2010 Milwaukee Masterpiece (Award of Excellence) and the 2011 Barrington Concours d’Elegance (Best Automobile Presentation). It also was the featured cover story for the final issue of Cars and Parts in October 2010.
About The Milwaukee Masterpiece
In its 10th year, The Milwaukee Masterpiece will showcase 125 of the most significant vehicles from years past, as well as 125 new participants to Sunday’s Concours d’Elegance at The Milwaukee Masterpiece. The weekend-long celebration, Aug. 23- 24, 2014, is open to the public and includes:
• Club Saturday At The M, Aug. 23 – A gathering of individuals and local and regional car club members who display their favored two- and four-wheeled vehicles. Club Saturday will begin with a Parade of Club Saturday vehicles from the Harley-Davidson Museum to the show grounds.
• The Style & Speed Social, Aug. 23 – A social event in which The Milwaukee Masterpiece exhibitors, sponsors and guests enjoy an evening of outstanding, food, beverage and camaraderie in a unique setting.
• The Milwaukee Masterpiece Concours d’Elegance, Aug. 24 – More than 250 stunning vehicles selected by the concours committee take over the show grounds to compete for senior awards including Best of Show, Chairman’s Cup and Chief Judge’s Cup as well as first-in-class distinction.
Charitable partners of the 2014 Milwaukee Masterpiece include the Autism Society of Southeastern Wisconsin, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee and Meta House.
Sponsors of the event, announced to date, include Kohler Company, Concours Motors and BMO Private Bank.
The Milwaukee Masterpiece is organized and operated by The Masterpiece Ltd., a non-profit organization. The Masterpiece Ltd. is organized and operated exclusively to support other public charities including but not limited to those operating in southeastern Wisconsin which provide medical and social service care and relief to underprivileged children and families through various motor vehicle-related fundraising events.