Rollston

Rollston Company was an American coachbuilder producing luxury automobile bodies during the 1920s and 1930s readily acknowledged to be of the very highest quality. Rollston built bodies for chassis supplied by Bugatti, Buick, Cadillac, Chrysler, Cord, Duesenberg, Ford, Hispano-Suiza, Lancia, Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz, Minerva, Packard, Peerless, Pierce-Arrow, Rolls-Royce, Stearns-Knight and Stutz.[1]

After bankruptcy in 1938 some of the same owners began a very similar business under the name Rollson. After 1945 manufacture of car bodies did not recommence but the business continues at 210 Terminal Dr, Plainview, NY 11803.

Start

1931 Minerva

The business began as a repair shop at 244 West 49th Street in Manhattan.[2] Their first factory was in a building on West 47th Street later expanding to all its four floors, 48,000 square feet.

Harry Lonschein was 16 when he became employed by Brewster & Co.[1] He would go on to found Rollston Co. together with his partner Sam Blotkin.

Receivership

Rollston closed in April 1938

Rollson Inc

1941 Packard 180 town car

Rollson Inc was formed in September 1938 (by four partners: Lonschein, Holm, Sever, and Creteur) and continued to make bodies mainly for Packard chassis at 311 West 66th Street and West End Avenue.

World War II

Rollson Inc switched to small metal components for ships and fuselage sections for aircraft.

Postwar

No more car bodies but luxury ships, yachts and private aircraft have been fitted out in Plainview, Long Island, New York.

References

1. Page about Rollston at www.coachbuild.com
2. Automobile Quarterly, 2005