Twenty-four ladies, one Mighty Michigan

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No fewer than 24 ladies for today’s Friday Lady photo! So yes, that was a strong car. A Michigan Model H of the early 1910s, known as the ‘Mighty Michigan’, to be precise. Dealer John Oeschger Jr. advertised it in 1912 as ‘The Triumph of Automobile Construction’, and we think this picture, with the Oeschger plate clearly visible at the front, may possibly have been taken to illustrate that claim.

Unfortunately, it leaves us with no further clues as to who the ladies, or mostly girls, are, but they must have been local to Oeschger’s garage in Valparaiso, Nebraska. He offered the car for $1,400 at the time, adding, ‘Nothing but high-grade work and every car is fully guaranteed for life’. Not the least!

“Do not make the vital mistake of accepting any car that is under-tired,” wrote another ad, describing the 40-horsepower model as “the only actually over-tired car in America.” That claim referred to it having wheels and tires that were larger than needed to carry its weight.

The Michigan was, of course, made in the state of Michigan, in Kalamazoo, which is now also home to the Gilmore Car Collection and Heritage Center, where you can naturally find a Mighty Michigan motor car. The manufacturer itself came into being in 1904 but only began building production cars in 1911. That lasted only until 1915, so a Michigan is now something of a rarity.

Words: Jeroen Booij

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