Gasoline Alley: Rides from 1907 – 1917

Besides its collection of antique gasoline pumps and signs, Calgary’s Gasoline Alley museum has a fascinating assortment of cars and trucks! Many of these are unique, at least in my experience, as they were mostly collected from vehicles driven in Alberta. As such, you’ll see more trucks than at most car museums because trucks were (and still are) important to Alberta’s economy.

This is the first post in a short series documenting some of my favorites within Gasoline Alley’s collection. For the sake of organization and no other reason, I’ve divided them by year of manufacturing, the oldest first with newer vehicles to follow.

Enjoy this tour of beautiful machines and automotive history!

1) 1907 Brush Model B Roundabout

The ‘simplest car ever built’. Easy to maintain, easy to operate, a pleasure to drive. At least that’s what the company’s promos about it said.

2) 1908 REO Autobuggy

Built by Ransom E Olds (after he left the Oldsmobile company he founded), the REO brand was popular until the 1930s when the depression took its toll. Powered by a single cylinder 8 horsepower engine, it’s one of the oldest trucks in the museum’s collection.

3) 1909 McIntyre Model M

The only restored car of this type in existence. A beautifully crafted car known for it’s high riding tires.

4) 1911 Overland

A nice example of a car from the “brass car era”, when brass was used extensively in the decoration of cars, trains and the like. Brass was attractive, classy, inexpensive and corrosion resistant.

5) 1912 Benz Gaggenau Fuel Tanker

Germany’s Benz Gaggenau is the world’s oldest automobile manufacturing plant. This is a chain driven 5 ton truck with iron cast wheels and solid tires (from an era before inflatable tires).

6) 1912 Buick Model 2A Express Truck

Cramped, uncomfortable and loud. Among the first trucks to replace horse-drawn carriages for commercial delivery. Note the telephone number on the side panel!

7) 1912 Little Roadster

Named after William H. Little, a former Buick manager. A 20 hp, 2 seater car you could buy for $650. Intended to compete with the Ford Model T, it was discontinued in 1913.

8) 1914 Grant Model M Roadster

Selling for only $495, this car caused quite a stir when it was released. It could reach 50 miles an hour and was quite pleasing to the eye. The Grant company was another victim of the recession.

9) 1915 Cadillac Tow Truck

I’d never seen a Cadillac Tow truck before this one, which was retrofitted as a tow truck in 1922, but discovered at Gasoline Alley that a Cadillac truck was actually used to make the first ever tow truck.