Rare Deere Cars Attract Dedicated Collectors

Rare Deere Cars Attract Dedicated Collectors AG WORLD 31-1-24 Imagine buying a car at your local Deere dealership. At the turn of the century, you could. Thanks to Deere's son-in-law and grandson, company dealers sold cars under the family name of Velie. Today avid Deere collectors like Ron Hurlburt treasure their Velie cars and Velie memorabilia. "Most people are pretty much in the dark about Velie cars, except for serious Deere collectors," says Hurlburt. "Most people don't know the name Velie." Hurlburt knows it well. In addition to a 1923 Velie Model 58 touring convertible, he also has a mint condition Velie horse-drawn surrey sold under the Wrought Iron Line brand name. His Model 58 is all original and runs smoothly on its 6-cylinder, 45 hp engine. According to the Velie Register, Hurlburt's Velie is one of 210 remaining worldwide. Velie cars can be found in countries all over the world. Hurlburt knows the cars and the Velie name well. He shared a July 2001 copy of the John Deere Tradition collectors' magazine with FARM SHOW. An article by Brenda Kruse described how Deere's grandson Willard launched the Velie Carriage Co. of Moline to manufacture horse-drawn wagons and buggies. Velie soon realized the future was in cars and began building them in 1908. In 1911 he also started the Velie Engineering Co. to build gas and steam engines, electric motors, automobile accessories and motor trucks. Until 1915, Kruse reports that Velie vehicles were sold exclusively by Deere dealerships. By 1916, the company was making military vehicles. In 1920, production peaked at 9,000 cars, and the buggy business went away. From 1916 to 1920, the Velies built tractors under the Biltwel 12-24 brand and teamed them with Deere plows at exhibitions and fairs. In the late 1920's the company moved into aviation, starting Mono Air-Craft, Inc. Its 5-cyl. radial aircraft engine was awarded the highest rating by the U.S. Dept. of Commerce. It powered a four-seater plane called the Monocoach. Two other models followed. The Velie companies were sold off after the company founders died. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Ronald Hurlburt, 5266 State Road 25, Durand, Wis. 54736 (ph 715 672-5381). Also: Bob Nelson, The Official Velie Register, 1811 E. Stella Lane, Phoenix, Arizona 85016 (ph 602 274 6049; velie1 @earth link.net; http://clubs.hemmings.com/clubsites/velieregister/index.htm).

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