America’s Sports Car, the Chevy Corvette, was first manufactured in St. Louis (after 300 were hand-built in Flint, Michigan). The World War II “Jimmy” was also made here—that’s the GMC CCKW truck that carried supplies for Allied troops as they pushed eastward after the Normandy invasion. So was the sleek Moon roadster that Walt Disney drove—until he sold it to finance the production of Steamboat Willie. St. Louis was the home of the first gasoline station dedicated to serving motorists, and many of the earliest, coolest automobiles were made here. At one point, its car manufacturing came in second only to Detroit. By 1965, we were cranking out more than 700,000 vehicles. We had not one but three Automobile Rows over the years, lined with grand buildings where you could browse, beg to test-drive, or have a beloved vehicle repaired.
This moving history is celebrated in a new book by Reedy Press, They Will Run: The Golden Age of the Automobile in St. Louis. The Museum of Transportation will host a book launch (along with a car show, natch) on October 27 from 1 to 4 pm. Authors Molly Butterworth and Thomas Eyssell will be on hand to sign books, and about 60 vintage cars will roll in for the show. Below, just a handful of the vehicles made in St. Louis.
