REMEMBER WHEN, ARKANSAS?
Does anyone recognize the car in this vintage photo from the archives of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette?
Unhelpful hint: The tread on the tires spells “non skid.”
On Aug. 13, 1964, Atley Davis showed off his Climber Six for the Arkansas Gazette, which described it as “one of the few tangible remains of a grandiose plan to make Little Rock a rival of Detroit” in the 1920s.
From 1919 to 1924, Climber Motor Co. operated a factory at 1823 E. 17th St. Before its bankruptcy, it made 75 to 100 trucks and about 200 automobiles in two models: The Climber Four, which cost $1,250, had a four-cylinder, 40 horsepower engine; and the Climber Six ($2,250), had a six-cylinder, 50 hp engine.
High-clearance vehicles, they were built for primitive roads. In winter 1919-’20, William B. Owen, state highway commissioner, supervised a stunt in which one Climber traveled the South with its engine running nonstop for 20,239 miles — until Gov. Charles H. Brough disconnected the carburetor on the state Capitol grounds.
Davis (1923-2015) spotted his old car among antiques at Broken Arrow, Okla. He called its owner in Chicago and bought the Climber over the phone. Believing it was the last existing Climber, he restored it to operating condition at his business, Davis Trailer & Equipment.
Davis was active in the Arkansas Travelers Antique Car Club and the founding and operation of the Museum of Automobiles on Petit Jean Mountain. The museum, which opened in October 1964, today exhibits two examples of the Climber Six, both of which Davis restored.