Pilot Motor Car Company Can Cooler
Regular Can
$9.99
Product Details & Size Guide
GhostCorp Apparel - resurrecting iconic corporate ghosts.
Bring a little early American automotive history to your next gathering. The Pilot Motor Car Company was founded in Richmond, Indiana, in 1909, with its first cars assembled in the buggy factory while a separate auto plant was being built. Its slogan, “The Car Ahead,” suited a company that kept developing its lineup, including the Sportster in 1922. This can cooler celebrates Pilot’s spirited local story and the collectors who remember the short-lived marque, from its beginnings through its final cars in early 1924.
The Pilot Motor Car Company was founded in Richmond, Indiana, in 1909 and headed by George Seidel, of the Seidel Buggy Company. Its first cars were built in the buggy factory while a separate automobile plant was being constructed across town. The company name is believed to have reflected Seidel’s wish to become a riverboat pilot, and its advertising slogan was “The Car Ahead.” The new plant could initially build 500 cars a year; production approached 1,000 in some later years. Pilot first used four-cylinder Teetor-Hartley engines, adding a six-cylinder model in 1913. From 1915 through 1924, the range was six-cylinder, except for a V8 option offered for one year, 1916. A larger Herschell-Spillman six joined the line in 1920, and the Sportster followed in summer 1922. The company took over Richmond’s Lorraine automobile maker and briefly produced a few Lorraine hearses. The 1920–21 depression did not spare Pilot: the firm entered receivership in 1923, and its final cars were built in early 1924. The factory was then sold to a local businessman. Seidel’s own cars reflected his hometown ties: he drove a Richmond, then a Pilot, and later a Davis.
Bring a little early American automotive history to your next gathering. The Pilot Motor Car Company was founded in Richmond, Indiana, in 1909, with its first cars assembled in the buggy factory while a separate auto plant was being built. Its slogan, “The Car Ahead,” suited a company that kept developing its lineup, including the Sportster in 1922. This can cooler celebrates Pilot’s spirited local story and the collectors who remember the short-lived marque, from its beginnings through its final cars in early 1924.
The Pilot Motor Car Company was founded in Richmond, Indiana, in 1909 and headed by George Seidel, of the Seidel Buggy Company. Its first cars were built in the buggy factory while a separate automobile plant was being constructed across town. The company name is believed to have reflected Seidel’s wish to become a riverboat pilot, and its advertising slogan was “The Car Ahead.” The new plant could initially build 500 cars a year; production approached 1,000 in some later years. Pilot first used four-cylinder Teetor-Hartley engines, adding a six-cylinder model in 1913. From 1915 through 1924, the range was six-cylinder, except for a V8 option offered for one year, 1916. A larger Herschell-Spillman six joined the line in 1920, and the Sportster followed in summer 1922. The company took over Richmond’s Lorraine automobile maker and briefly produced a few Lorraine hearses. The 1920–21 depression did not spare Pilot: the firm entered receivership in 1923, and its final cars were built in early 1924. The factory was then sold to a local businessman. Seidel’s own cars reflected his hometown ties: he drove a Richmond, then a Pilot, and later a Davis.
| Regular Can | Slim Can | |
| Height, in | 4.30 | 6.00 |
| Diameter, in | 3.50 | 3.50 |
Product features
- Durable 100% polyester exterior with edge-to-edge vibrant print
- Soft 100% foam liner for firm grip and insulation
- Lightweight and slim — fits regular and slim cans
- Outside white polyester with black foam interior for contrast
- Available sizes: Regular (3.5" x 4.3") and Slim (3.5" x 6'")
Care instructions
- Wipe with a damp cloth, air dry or use a soft, non-abrasive cloth
EU representative: HONSON VENTURES LIMITED, gpsr@honsonventures.com, 3, Gnaftis House flat 102, Limassol, Mesa Geitonia, 4003, CY
Product information: Generic brand, two year warranty in the EU and Northern Ireland
Care instructions: Wipe with a damp cloth, air dry or use a soft, non-abrasive cloth