Originally, cars were built by hand, one at a time. After the assembly line became commonplace in the automobile industry, there were still coachbuilders who produced amazing works of automotive art for wealthy clients using Cadillac, Packard, Duesenberg, Rolls-Royce and other chasses. At one time, prior to the Great Depression of the 1930s, there were probably hundreds of custom coachbuilders in the United States. One of the displays at the LeMay America’s Car Museum features a number of these coachbuilt cars.
![photo DSCN4342_zps800c58cd.jpg](http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz139/Ojibwa/Tacoma/Coachbuilt/DSCN4342_zps800c58cd.jpg)
According to the display:
“When mass production helped bring the price of an automobile within reach of the ordinary family, simply owning a car was no longer enough to distinguish oneself from the masses. One-of-a-kind manifestations of the coachbuilder’s art were just the ticket—setting in motion the golden age of handcrafted auto bodies.”
![photo DSCN4349_zpsa3b577c0.jpg](http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz139/Ojibwa/Tacoma/Coachbuilt/DSCN4349_zpsa3b577c0.jpg)
![photo DSCN4351_zpsa4fcb6b5.jpg](http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz139/Ojibwa/Tacoma/Coachbuilt/DSCN4351_zpsa4fcb6b5.jpg)
Shown above is a 1918 Cadillac Type 57, Brewster Body Town Limousine. Cadillac was one of the first American automakers to produce a limousine. William Brewster, whose family had begun building horse carriages in the early nineteenth century, established an automotive coachworks in 1910 which catered to the top of the market.
![photo DSCN4353_zps9186f16e.jpg](http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz139/Ojibwa/Tacoma/Coachbuilt/DSCN4353_zps9186f16e.jpg)
![photo DSCN4355_zpse2c3444a.jpg](http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz139/Ojibwa/Tacoma/Coachbuilt/DSCN4355_zpse2c3444a.jpg)
Shown above is a 1926 Rolls-Royce 20/25 Silver Ghost.
![photo DSCN4359_zps956762bd.jpg](http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz139/Ojibwa/Tacoma/Coachbuilt/DSCN4359_zps956762bd.jpg)
![photo DSCN4363_zps9e1a799f.jpg](http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz139/Ojibwa/Tacoma/Coachbuilt/DSCN4363_zps9e1a799f.jpg)
Shown above is a 1924 Lincoln Model L Towncar which was considered one of the most elegant chauffeur-driven automobiles of the 1920s.
![photo DSCN4368_zpsabe48bf0.jpg](http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz139/Ojibwa/Tacoma/Coachbuilt/DSCN4368_zpsabe48bf0.jpg)
![photo DSCN4369_zps7e341a33.jpg](http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz139/Ojibwa/Tacoma/Coachbuilt/DSCN4369_zps7e341a33.jpg)
Shown above is a 1942 Cadillac Town Brougham Derham.
![photo DSCN4372_zps340518a6.jpg](http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz139/Ojibwa/Tacoma/Coachbuilt/DSCN4372_zps340518a6.jpg)
![photo DSCN4375_zps7cb5c18f.jpg](http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz139/Ojibwa/Tacoma/Coachbuilt/DSCN4375_zps7cb5c18f.jpg)
Shown above is a 1936 Alvis Silver Eagle SG.
![photo DSCN4377_zps793c0629.jpg](http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz139/Ojibwa/Tacoma/Coachbuilt/DSCN4377_zps793c0629.jpg)
![photo DSCN4378_zps65c6f6f3.jpg](http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz139/Ojibwa/Tacoma/Coachbuilt/DSCN4378_zps65c6f6f3.jpg)
![photo DSCN4379_zpsf4073490.jpg](http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz139/Ojibwa/Tacoma/Coachbuilt/DSCN4379_zpsf4073490.jpg)
Shown above is a 1930 Lincoln Brougham with a body by Brunn and Co. of Buffalo, New York.
![photo DSCN4382_zps24130cb1.jpg](http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz139/Ojibwa/Tacoma/Coachbuilt/DSCN4382_zps24130cb1.jpg)
![photo DSCN4384_zpsfb317b2f.jpg](http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz139/Ojibwa/Tacoma/Coachbuilt/DSCN4384_zpsfb317b2f.jpg)
![photo DSCN4385_zps90fd157d.jpg](http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz139/Ojibwa/Tacoma/Coachbuilt/DSCN4385_zps90fd157d.jpg)
![photo DSCN4388_zps013fd5ef.jpg](http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz139/Ojibwa/Tacoma/Coachbuilt/DSCN4388_zps013fd5ef.jpg)
Shown above is a 1927 Cadillac 7-Passenger Touring Phaeton with a custom Fisher body.
![photo DSCN4390_zpsc8ce4c5d.jpg](http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz139/Ojibwa/Tacoma/Coachbuilt/DSCN4390_zpsc8ce4c5d.jpg)
![photo DSCN4394_zpsa3e8a5f0.jpg](http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz139/Ojibwa/Tacoma/Coachbuilt/DSCN4394_zpsa3e8a5f0.jpg)
Shown above is a 1916 Buick Abadal. Francisco (Paco) Abadal was a Hispano-Suzia salesman and racing driving in Barcelona before he began building fast luxury cars in 1912.
![photo DSCN4397_zps66fad6ec.jpg](http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz139/Ojibwa/Tacoma/Coachbuilt/DSCN4397_zps66fad6ec.jpg)
![photo DSCN4398_zps3def4f64.jpg](http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz139/Ojibwa/Tacoma/Coachbuilt/DSCN4398_zps3def4f64.jpg)
![photo DSCN4399_zps4900e6d5.jpg](http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz139/Ojibwa/Tacoma/Coachbuilt/DSCN4399_zps4900e6d5.jpg)
![photo DSCN4401_zpsb8187da0.jpg](http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz139/Ojibwa/Tacoma/Coachbuilt/DSCN4401_zpsb8187da0.jpg)
Shown above is a 1923 Lincoln 124A Touring Car.