136:
147:
182:(midget in comparison to earlier floor-standing consoles and large-box table radios). In 1931 they were also selling the even-smaller "pee-wee" cathedral-style table radios which had become popular. Before they exited the radio business in 1932, they produced an innovative radio that was just nine inches square and thirty-four inches high, which was perhaps the forerunner of the chair-side style radios.
239:
In the 1960s, the company reorganized as Powell
Brothers, Inc., and manufactured the "Powell Challenger" trail bikes. During this period, the company relocated to a larger facility at 5903 E. Firestone Boulevard in South Gate, California. Hayward Powell died in March 1978, and with Channing Powell
114:
The company originally began operations in 1926, and manufactured radios, then moving on to build approximately 1,200 pickup trucks, 300 station wagons, and three motor homes, and tens of thousands of scooters and trail bikes. The manufacturing address was listed as 2914 North
Alameda Street in
166:
During 1925, Hayward Powell developed appendicitis, and in early 1926 had an appendectomy. During
Hayward's recovery, the brothers took a five-month cross-country trip. When they returned to Los Angeles, they started Powell Manufacturing Company in 1926 to make
236:, magazine co-founder Walt Woron concluded his article: "The Powell Brothers, then, have succeeded in their purpose: to provide a vehicle that '... can't be beat for general utility... the perfect runabout or 2nd family car...'".
193:, Powell again returned to scooter production with the C-47, P-48, P-49 step through models. The Powell Streamliner model, used by U.S. Airborne troops during World War II, was copied and served as the basis for the original
231:
magazine, in its
October 1955 issue (with a photo of the Powell Sport Wagon on the cover), called it "an obvious choice as one of the most interesting and unique automobiles in the U.S." In the February 1956 issue of
585:
560:
530:
580:
208:. All four of these post-war Powell models used the same single-cylinder four-stroke 24-cubic-inch (393 cc) engine which was developed in-house. Powell again switched to war production for the
575:
108:, widely known for its line of motor scooters that peaked in popularity in the late 1940s. From September 1954 to March 1957, Powell manufactured "Sport Wagon" pickup trucks and station wagons.
590:
277:
428:
503:
570:
565:
200:
In 1949, the Powell company moved into the lightweight motorcycle market with the introduction of the P-81 model, which was a direct competitor of the
21:
163:
in Los
Angeles in 1924. Their first company, Winner Radio, produced expensive radios which did not sell well and then inexpensive radios which did.
219:
chassis recycled from junkyards. The pickup was sold as the Sport Wagon and the SUV as the
Station Wagon. Powell's designs were later echoed in the
465:
550:
159:
The Powell
Brothers, Hayward and Channing Powell, started manufacturing radios in the mid 1920s, immediately after they graduated from
342:
264:
555:
178:
By 1930 they were part of the reputation of Los
Angeles as the "midget capital of the world", making what are now referred to as
384:
535:
432:
406:
135:
354:
545:
215:
PMC was also an early innovator in pickup and SUV design with several models produced in the 1950s using modified 1941
240:
retired, the company officially dissolved and closed its doors in April 1979. Channing Powell died in 1988.
160:
504:"There Was Once A Company That Literally Dragged Cars From The Junkyard And Turned Them Into New Trucks"
216:
373:
Los
Angeles Radio Manufacturing, The First Twenty Years (1922 - 1942) Supplement No. 1 / Floyd A. Paul
205:
201:
224:
186:
146:
119:
540:
168:
338:
260:
497:
185:
In the mid 1930s, they moved into scooter production. The Powell manufacturing facility in
116:
429:"Driving Around with Walt Woron | Motor Trend Magazine Article at Automotive.com"
524:
392:
220:
179:
172:
190:
414:
194:
492:
111:
In the 1960s and 1970s, they manufactured the "Powell
Challenger" trail bikes.
360:
209:
105:
93:
36:
23:
317:
122:
factory, and they had a showroom listed at 12700 S. Western Avenue.
455:
magazine, February 1956 "Driving Around with Walt Woron" pp. 50–52
197:
scooter in June 1946 (six months before the first Vespa scooter).
385:"History: From Nakajima Airplane Co. to Fuji Heavy Industries"
259:
by Justin Lukach. Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, 1998.
303:
magazine, October 1955, pp. 46–49 Quinn/Peterson Publications
212:
in the early 1950s and never returned to scooter production.
586:
Defunct manufacturing companies based in Greater Los Angeles
257:
Pickup Trucks : a History of the Great American Vehicle
561:
Buildings and structures in Los Angeles County, California
531:
Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of the United States
337:, Roger B. White, Smithsonian Institution Press, 2000.
581:
Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 1979
115:
Compton, California, which was two miles south of the
318:"Powell Sport Wagon - carlike SUV ahead of its time"
576:
Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1926
359:(sales sheet), Powell Motor Car Co., archived from
89:
74:
56:
591:Motor vehicle manufacturers based in California
470:. Popular Mechanics. February 1970. p. 121
16:Former auto company in Southern California, USA
189:, switched to war production in 1942. After
8:
51:
335:Home on the Road: The Motor Home in America
50:
227:models which appeared a few years later.
249:
104:(PMC) was a company based in southern
311:
309:
7:
571:1979 disestablishments in California
276:Matras, John (February 16, 2004).
14:
566:1926 establishments in California
502:Torchinsky, Jason (2023-05-12).
278:"Name Is Familiar; Truck Is Not"
145:
134:
1:
180:cathedral-style table radios
102:Powell Manufacturing Company
52:Powell Manufacturing Company
551:Consumer electronics brands
467:A Family Guide to Minibikes
62:; 98 years ago
607:
37:33.9185166°N 118.2225673°W
42:33.9185166; -118.2225673
556:Amateur radio companies
175:typical of the 1920s.
161:Manual Arts High School
173:box-style table radios
536:Scooter manufacturers
389:Fuji Rabbit Scooters
324:. VerticalScope Inc.
202:Mustang (motorcycle)
546:Compton, California
316:Benjaminsson, Jim.
225:Chevrolet El Camino
204:produced in nearby
187:Compton, California
171:, soon also making
169:battery eliminators
120:South Gate Assembly
53:
33: /
407:"1968 Fuji Rabbit"
356:Powell Sport Wagon
152:Powell Sport Wagon
99:
98:
598:
517:
515:
514:
493:US Scootermuseum
480:
479:
477:
475:
462:
456:
450:
444:
443:
441:
440:
431:. Archived from
425:
419:
418:
413:. Archived from
403:
397:
396:
391:. Archived from
380:
374:
371:
365:
364:
351:
345:
332:
326:
325:
313:
304:
298:
292:
291:
289:
288:
273:
267:
254:
149:
138:
85:
83:
70:
68:
63:
54:
48:
47:
45:
44:
43:
38:
34:
31:
30:
29:
26:
606:
605:
601:
600:
599:
597:
596:
595:
521:
520:
512:
510:
501:
489:
484:
483:
473:
471:
464:
463:
459:
451:
447:
438:
436:
427:
426:
422:
411:Microcar Museum
405:
404:
400:
382:
381:
377:
372:
368:
353:
352:
348:
333:
329:
315:
314:
307:
299:
295:
286:
284:
275:
274:
270:
255:
251:
246:
157:
156:
155:
154:
153:
150:
141:
140:
139:
128:
81:
79:
78:April 1979
66:
64:
61:
41:
39:
35:
32:
27:
24:
22:
20:
19:
17:
12:
11:
5:
604:
602:
594:
593:
588:
583:
578:
573:
568:
563:
558:
553:
548:
543:
538:
533:
523:
522:
519:
518:
499:
495:
488:
487:External links
485:
482:
481:
457:
445:
420:
417:on 2020-10-03.
398:
395:on 2008-12-11.
375:
366:
346:
327:
305:
293:
282:New York Times
268:
248:
247:
245:
242:
151:
144:
143:
142:
133:
132:
131:
130:
129:
127:
124:
117:General Motors
97:
96:
91:
87:
86:
76:
72:
71:
58:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
603:
592:
589:
587:
584:
582:
579:
577:
574:
572:
569:
567:
564:
562:
559:
557:
554:
552:
549:
547:
544:
542:
539:
537:
534:
532:
529:
528:
526:
509:
505:
500:
498:
496:
494:
491:
490:
486:
469:
468:
461:
458:
454:
449:
446:
435:on 2011-07-07
434:
430:
424:
421:
416:
412:
408:
402:
399:
394:
390:
386:
383:Gratton, JF.
379:
376:
370:
367:
363:on 2017-04-11
362:
358:
357:
350:
347:
344:
343:1-56098-892-4
340:
336:
331:
328:
323:
319:
312:
310:
306:
302:
297:
294:
283:
279:
272:
269:
266:
265:1-57912-011-3
262:
258:
253:
250:
243:
241:
237:
235:
230:
226:
222:
221:Ford Ranchero
218:
213:
211:
207:
203:
198:
196:
192:
188:
183:
181:
176:
174:
170:
164:
162:
148:
137:
125:
123:
121:
118:
112:
109:
107:
103:
95:
92:
88:
77:
73:
59:
55:
49:
46:
511:. Retrieved
508:The Autopian
507:
472:. Retrieved
466:
460:
452:
448:
437:. Retrieved
433:the original
423:
415:the original
410:
401:
393:the original
388:
378:
369:
361:the original
355:
349:
334:
330:
321:
300:
296:
285:. Retrieved
281:
271:
256:
252:
238:
233:
228:
214:
199:
191:World War II
184:
177:
165:
158:
113:
110:
101:
100:
90:Headquarters
18:
453:Motor Trend
234:Motor Trend
195:Fuji Rabbit
40: /
28:118°13′21″W
525:Categories
513:2023-05-22
439:2009-04-17
322:Allpar.com
301:Motor Life
287:2019-07-30
244:References
229:Motor Life
210:Korean War
106:California
94:California
82:1979-April
25:33°55′07″N
541:Minibikes
474:12 April
217:Plymouth
206:Glendale
126:History
80: (
75:Defunct
65: (
57:Founded
341:
263:
476:2017
339:ISBN
261:ISBN
223:and
67:1926
60:1926
527::
506:.
409:.
387:.
320:.
308:^
280:.
516:.
478:.
442:.
290:.
84:)
69:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
