10/22/2026
1928 Elcar Model 8-91 Roadster
Motor City, Indiana
Courtesy of the JBS Collection, Elkhart, Indiana
BUILT IN ELKHART, Indiana
The Elcar Model 8-91 Roadster was new for 1928 and reflected the growing demand for stylish, powerful automobiles. Powered by a 298.6-cubic-inch Lycoming inline-eight engine producing 86 horsepower, it delivered smooth performance and modern engineering in a sporty open body style.
Priced at approximately $1,395 when new (about $27,000 today), the Model 8-91 offered the prestige of an eight-cylinder automobile at a competitive price, though many were still chauffeur-driven.
THE COMPANY
Elcar traces its roots to the Elkhart Carriage & Harness Manufacturing Company, founded by F.B. Pratt in 1874. After building Pratt-Elkhart automobiles beginning in 1909, the company introduced the Elcar in 1919.
Throughout the 1920s, Elcar earned a reputation for attractive styling and dependable engineering. Like many small manufacturers, however, it could not survive the economic pressures of the Great Depression, and production ended in 1931.
Many of Elcar’s former employees took their skills to a local trailer company, effectively starting the RV manufacturing boom in Elkhart.
DID YOU KNOW?
The Elcar’s inline eight-cylinder engine was supplied by Lycoming, which was owned by E.L. Cord of the Auburn Automobile Company.
