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yankeedog — Bantam 60 Speedster
Published: 2008-11-24 20:18:20 +0000 UTC; Views: 4611; Favourites: 49; Downloads: 188
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Description
A few months ago, I was at the Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh's famed Strip District to do some research and photograph a 1950's Heinz Ketchup bottle so that I could recreate the label to put on a bottle that was going to be used in a movie.Sitting just outside the main room on the first floor of the museum was the coolest little car. It was almost toy like compared to some of the other machines on display in the museum, even the Bantam Jeep looks huge by comparison and you could have easily parked it inside the 1936 Stainless Steel Ford, but small or not, this was a real car! The American Bantam Company of Butler, Pennsylvania came about as a result of the failure of the American Austin Company during the great depression. I guess it could be be called America's first economy car and who can argue? 60 Miles per hour and 60 miles per gallon of gas is pretty impressive, nothing today is showing those sort of numbers and yet we think we've progressed. No even the 2 seat Smart Car can come close and the Bantam sat 4!
Some things of note, I redesigned the logo and took some artistic license with the hub caps, but other than that this what was on display at the Heinz History Center.
Adobe Illustrator 8.0 & CS2, Apple G4 and G5 Power Mac, OSX Tiger.
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Comments: 34
But the Bantam also used leaded gasoline, which in terms of bang for your buck, gets more bang than unleaded ever will.
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Yeah that's true and I don't imagine that 60 mph in that little car was a safe speed to be traveling in that car. I know years ago, I had a 1965 Jeep that had a OHV 4 cyl in it and when you got it up to 60 mph, you were taking your life in your own hands. Still, I think we can be doing better that 30 some mpg.
-YD
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Mr. Henderson,
Just when I think that I can't be impressed any further, you come up with an illustration that is out of this world. Your work is really beautiful and I must appreciate your interest that pushes you to the maximum creativity. I really love the logo, and the hubcaps are looking very delicious.
I just thought you might be thinking about me, ok, maybe. I was busy in my exams, well, I am free now and looking at your Art!
- Ahmed Nayyer
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Thanks Ahmed! I'm glad you like it! Good to hear from you! I was wondering if you were still around, I haven't heard from you in a while. Hope all is well. We hear about Pakistan on the news all the time.
-YD
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I am so glad to have a mentor and friend like you Sir, you people are from the era of ethics and values, sometimes I think what is the fate of the generations that will follow, this ruthless electronic, automated age.
Pakistan and India are two interesting close friends! they are going to marry! it's early to tell who is male.
Well, I am sorry, but what can I do about it?
Let's live happily all the moments we have.
- Ahmed Nayyer
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It's my pleasure. I wonder about that as well. I see so many people who have no ethics or concern for their fellow man. It seems that they go through life taking advantage of others in any way they can if it will make them money.
That is a shame. Like Ireland and England, it never seems to get any better. I guess we can always hope.
-YD
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Lovely work maestro, as always. Great little car.
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Thanks, they are cool little cars. I would be scared to death driving one on the highway, but around town it might be fun.
-YD
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You should see the lunchboxes they dare to call 'cars' over here in Europe sir, that would boost your confidence in this little marvel a lot I reckon.
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Lunchboxes, I love it! I think I know the cars you are talking about, like the Honda Element? Those cars have no style.
-YD
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The Element, Suzuki Wagon R (sounds about three times the size it actually is) and lots of those around here. It's the thing Americans wouldn't mind strapping to the back of an RV for when they need to do some shopping in the nearest town during vacations, you'll get the idea.
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That's a real little gem. Nice work. The logo in the background is the icing on the cake.
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Thanks Mark! I'm glad you like the logo design. I started out recreating the original Bantam logo and it just didn't make any sense to me, it looks like it has a "L" going through the name and it just hard to figure out what going on, so I made up a new one.
-YD
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wow this is really awesome... i'm familiar with a ton of old model cars but never heard of the Bantam. very, very cool!
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Thanks Alan. I only knew about them because of the company's involvement with the development of the first Jeep. The company was closely related to the British Austin. In reality, the car is extremely small, it would make the perfect circus clown car. You may have seen Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck driving one in a Disney cartoon. When I mentioned the car to my dad, he had never heard of it and then I mentioned Austin and then he knew what I was talking about.
-YD
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I always liked the way old cars likt that look, and you did an excellent job recreating one. The shine on the front wheel is particularly eye catching!
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Cars from the 1930's had a cool style to them. I think that's why they are so appealing to the Hot Rod crowd.
-YD
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My! it's time to put the Bantam 60 on production, we need it right now
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This would be a perfect car for Europe. It's really small, but I'll bet it would be a fun little car for just driving around town. It's not much bigger than the Fiat 600D that I had when I was a kid.
-YD
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Yes, you're right, and that's amazing, my first car was a Fiat 600, a yellow one that was
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That's cool, that was my first car too! I wish I still had it. Was it like this? [link]
-YD
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Yes exactly this one! 
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Thanks Edward! Somebody is probably already doing it on CafePress even as we speak.
-YD
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Awesome little car you found on display!
It has an awesome retro feel and 60 miles per gallon!?! Where is that one today, I would buy it up in a flash!
Great work.
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Thanks! It makes you wonder that if they could get 60mph and 60mpg in 1938, why can't we do it today? I'm guessing it wasn't the safest car on the rode and next to even a small truck it would be intimidating, but still it would be cool.
-YD
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