Jordan Motor Car Company
The Jordan Motor Car Company opened its doors in 1916 within the Collinwood neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio. Edward S. "Ned" Jordan established his plant at 1070 East 152nd Street along the Nickel Plate Railroad tracks. This location provided ideal shipping access for finished vehicles and easy contact with outside suppliers. Construction began on the 5th of April 1916 and finished just seven weeks later. A second building addition was completed months after the first structure. During that initial year of production, the company sold over one thousand vehicles.
Jordan automobiles were assembled from parts obtained by outside vendors rather than built entirely in-house. Continental engines powered these cars while Timken axles supported the chassis. Bijur starters and Bosch ignitions completed the mechanical package. Ned Jordan's biographer James Lackey noted that early body sources remained somewhat mysterious. The facility could paint bodies and attach them to frames but lacked the capacity to fabricate them itself. Later production bodies shipped from manufacturers in Ohio and Massachusetts used aluminum construction. Most automakers limited themselves to single color combinations during this era. Ford relied exclusively on fast-drying Japan Black lacquer which cured quickly. Jordan offered three shades of red including Apache Red and Mercedes Red alongside Savage Red. Ocean Sand Gray and Venetian Green appeared as options too. Egyptian Bronze and Liberty Blue rounded out the palette. Chinese Blue and black also became available choices. The four-passenger Sport model featured Submarine Gray with khaki tops and orange wheels.
The company prioritized attractive styling over complex engineering solutions for its customers. Jordans boasted one of the first cowl fresh-air ventilation systems available in independent cars. All-steel construction arrived in the mid-1920s ten years before Buick adopted similar methods. Chrysler introduced their advanced Airflow models eight years after Jordan made this shift. A 1917 Series Limousine contained a six-cylinder Continental engine measuring 303.1 cubic inches. Straight-six engines powered the 1919 Series F and 1920-1921 Series M cars. The 1922 Series MX model featured a flathead engine at 246 cubic inches. Eight-cylinder Line Eight and Great Line Eight models appeared in 1926. The 1931 Model 90 received an eight-cylinder engine producing 85 horsepower. Ned Jordan stated that people dressed smartly so they wanted to drive smart looking cars as well.
Jordan became one of the first automakers to name models with unique evocative titles like Sport Marine and Tomboy. He originally considered calling the car Doughboy but chose Playboy instead. The 1920 Friendly Three coupe carried the slogan Seats two, three if they're friendly. Advertising photographs used Cleveland Heights and Shaker Heights suburbs as backdrops. Cars sat before mansions on Overlook Drive and South Park Drive. An advertisement appeared in the June 1923 edition of the Saturday Evening Post featuring art by Fred Cole. A cloche hat wearing flapper hunkered behind the wheel racing clouds and a cowboy. Another ad titled Port of Missing Men appeared in the same publication during 1920. It showed a cottage by the sea with a young boy walking past a second story window glowing red from within. Jordan wrote directly to the editor about restless men traveling to places where they could get away.
The firm introduced its only significant misstep in 1927 with the Little Custom luxury compact. Consumers ignored this vehicle while it drained company finances significantly. Bankers took over JMC leaving Ned Jordan as just the titular head. Both Jordan and his wife began divesting their interests in 1928. The company survived the stock market crash of 1929 despite intense competition among US automakers. Personal problems besetting Ned Jordan contributed to production ceasing in 1931. Total production numbers remain unclear with some sources listing over 100,000 units. Other sources list production as low as 30,000 vehicles. Annual figures show 1,788 units sold in 1917 rising to 5,713 in 1918. Production peaked at 8,913 units in 1921 before dropping sharply. Only 263 cars rolled off the line in 1931 according to records totaling 78,780 units.
Current efforts by preservation associations maintain surviving vehicles from the defunct manufacturer. The Jordan Motor Car Preservation Association works to keep these automobiles intact for future generations. The Jordan Register serves as another resource for owners and enthusiasts tracking these machines. Museums like the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum display examples such as a 1920 Playboy model. Historical documents reference specific models including the 1924 Model MX four-door Brougham. A 1928 Model 8JE Victoria appears in archival collections alongside other preserved examples. Researchers cite Floyd Clymer's Treasury of Early American Automobiles published in 1950 for detailed specifications. Tim Howley wrote about Ned Jordan in Automotile Quarterly during the second quarter of 1975. These organizations ensure that the unique history of Cleveland-based assembly remains accessible to historians and collectors today.
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Common questions
When did the Jordan Motor Car Company open its doors in Cleveland?
The Jordan Motor Car Company opened its doors on the 5th of April 1916 within the Collinwood neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio. Construction began on that date and finished just seven weeks later at a plant located along the Nickel Plate Railroad tracks.
What engine types powered vehicles produced by the Jordan Motor Car Company?
Jordan automobiles utilized Continental engines while Timken axles supported the chassis throughout production. The company used straight-six engines for Series F and Series M models before introducing eight-cylinder Line Eight and Great Line Eight models in 1926.
How many cars did the Jordan Motor Car Company produce during its operation?
Total production numbers remain unclear with some sources listing over 100,000 units while other sources list production as low as 30,000 vehicles. Records indicate annual figures rose from 1,788 units sold in 1917 to a peak of 8,913 units in 1921 before dropping sharply to only 263 cars in 1931.
Why did the Jordan Motor Car Company cease operations in 1931?
Production ceased in 1931 due to personal problems besetting Ned Jordan following significant financial drain from the Little Custom luxury compact introduced in 1927. Bankers took over the firm leaving Ned Jordan as just the titular head after he and his wife began divesting their interests in 1928.
Which organizations preserve surviving vehicles from the Jordan Motor Car Company today?
The Jordan Motor Car Preservation Association works to keep these automobiles intact for future generations alongside the Jordan Register which serves as another resource for owners and enthusiasts. Museums like the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum display examples such as a 1920 Playboy model while researchers cite Floyd Clymer's Treasury of Early American Automobiles published in 1950 for detailed specifications.