1919 Cole 885

The Cole was built in Indianapolis from 1909-1925. A very expensive assembled car, the Cole competed directly with the Cadillac for the expensive American car market. In 1915, Cole introduced its own V-8. In fact, the engine is similar to the Cadillac because Cole purchased its engines from the General Motors of Northway Division which built Cadillac engines. Mr. Cole turned down offers from William C. Durant to have Cole become a division of General Motors. In 1919, Cole was second only to Cadillac in sales of luxury cars. During the post-World War 1 recession, Cole sales began to decline. Rather than risk his personal fortune, J. J. Cole liquidated the company, putting an end to one of the best assembled autos ever built.

One of its interesting features is the large Westinghouse air shock absorbers. The Toursedan rode on a 127-inch wheelbase chassis powered by an 80-horsepower engine. The original base price was $3,995.