Velie Motors Corporation, Moline, IL (1908 to 1928) The Velie Motor company was formed in 1902 in Moline, Illinois. Today the Velie is remembered only by automobile buffs, but in its day it was prized for its combination of quality and low price. Williard L. Velie saw his first automobile in 1901 when a minstrel show came to town. This inspired him to start production on his own vehicle. One thousand cars were sold in 1909 in the first year of production. Velie developed its own four-cylinder engine in 1911. For the first six years Velies were advertised in the John Deere catalog as Williard Velie was the grandson of Mr. John Deere and also an executive for the John Deere Company. Velie introduced a more powerful six-cylinder engine was in 1914. In 1922 the U.S. Navy Dept. in New York tested 76 foreign and domestic cars. Its goal was to select the best features of automobiles motors for the adaptation to aircraft. Only eight passed the test: Duesenberg, Fiat, Packard, Brewster, Hispano-Suiza, Isotta-Fraschini and the Velie. Velies were made from 1908 to 1928. Willard Velie died on October 24, 1928. His son closed the Velie factory in November. The first Velie is alive and well in Red Cloud, Nebraska. [PHOTO GALLERY] Official Velie Motor Cars Register. veliepartsboard.p10.hostingprod/veliereg/gallery.html
Posted on: Wed, 07 Jan 2015 16:58:05 +0000
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