The Roamer Automobile & The Barley Motor Car Co.
Barley reorganized the Streator Motor Co. into the Barley Manufacturing Co. and continued production of the Halladay. In 1916 he sold Halladay to a group of businessmen who moved production to Ohio. Albert C. Barley then teamed up with Cloyd Y. Kenworthy, a New York auto dealer and Karl H. Martin, a New York custom car builder who designed the Roamer. These three men formed The Barley Motor Car Co. in 1916. The Roamer was an assembled car with a radiator closely resembling a Rolls-Royce. Roamers were produced in Streator, IL in 1916 and 1917. Barley then moved the Barley Motor Car Co. to Kalamazoo, MI. The report that some Roamer's were built in Streater, IL can be backed up with the magazine ad below.
Click on image above to see full size!
Early Roamers were equipped with Rutenber six cylinder engines or a more powerful and more expensive line of four cylinder Rochester-Duesenberg engines. Roamers were known as "America's Smartest Car".
Restored 1920 Roamer Roadster In 1917 The Barley Motor Car Co. produced a Roamer 6-45 at $1850.00 and a Roamer 6-90 at $2950.00 In 1919 The Barley Motor Car Co. produced a seven passenger Touring Car, four passenger Touring Car, four passenger Sport Model, 2-4 passenger Roadster, Cabriolet, Town Car, Touring Sedan, Standard Sedan all selling for 2575.00 to $2750.00. Equipped with a six cylinder 34 horsepower engine. In 1922 The Barley Motor Car Co. produced a four passenger Touring Car $2485.00, four passenger Sport Model $2650.00, seven passenger Touring Car $2750.00, three passenger Cabriolet $3650, five passenger Coupe $3850.00, five passenger Sedan $3950.00 and a seven passenger Sedan. Equipped with a six cylinder 30 horsepower engine.
1920 Roamer Magazine Ad "America's Smartest Car" Roamer production peaked in 1923 with nearly 2000 car produced. However, by 1929 Roamer production dropped to small numbers and The Barley Motor Car Co. went out of business. Total Roamer production is estimated to be about 12,000 units during the 14 year that The Barley Motor Car Co. was in business. Albert C. Barley also produced a lower priced line called the Barley starting in 1922 ending in 1924.
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1933 American Automobiles For Sale
1921 Roamer Model 6-54 Landaulet Click on image to see full size. This is a beautiful American Automobile! |
