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1932 Oldsmobile, Series L Eight, Deluxe Convertible Roadster and a Harley-Davidson single equipped with a Cycletow conversion kit
The Paul A. Ziegler Oldsmobile Agency was located at 4515 South Vermont Avenue in Los Angeles when this promotional photo was taken for the car dealer in 1932. Shown in the photo is an Oldsmobile Series L Eight, Deluxe Convertible Roadster and a Harley-Davidson single-cylinder motorcycle equipped with a Cycletow conversion kit.
1932 was the first year that Oldsmobile offered its new straight-eight along with the six, which had been the standard fare for quite some time. Even with the addition of the new power plant in one of the most trying years of the Great Depression, Oldsmobile’s sales dropped from forty-eight thousand in 1931 to a low point of only seventeen thousand for the year.
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Full 1932 Oldsmobile details, “Automotive Industries”, January 2, 1932
In addition to the new 82-hp. 240-c.i. eight-cylinder engine, Oldsmobile featured the following new innovations: the Stromberg downdraft carburetor featured an automatic choke; a decarbonizer operated by dash-mounted plunger, injected a chemical into the intake manifold, which then entered into the cylinders when used just before engine shutdown; two other new features were free-wheeling and a Harrison oil cooler.
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Chassis details and a Deluxe Convertible Roadster illustration
No further information was found about the Ziegler Oldsmobile dealership, but full details did come-to-light about the Cycletow attachment seen here mounted on a single-cylinder Harley-Davidson. Look a full report with more great photos and the patent drawings of the Albert L. Hess designed motorcycle-towing arrangement tomorrow. The images are courtesy of the USC Libraries. The illustrations above are courtesy of the Old Car Manual Project and Alden Jewell.
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Albert L. Hess designed Cycletow motorcycle-towing arrangement
