R. Frank Monroe, the former head of the Monroe Body Co. of Pontiac, Michigan and the then-current president of the Mengel Body Company of Louisville, Kentucky was involved in a new Durant-backed firm, the Associated Bodies Corporation. Associated Bodies was organized to build commercial car bodies for Durant Motor’s new light commercial chassis which were sold under the Star, Durant, Mason and Rugby monikers between 1923 and 1933.

The June 1924 issue of The Motor Truck; the National Authority of Power Haulage (pp 36-37) announced the formation of the $1 million firm.

R. Frank Monroe, former president of the Monroe Body Company of Ludington, Michigan and the president of the Mengel Body Company of Louisville, Kentucky was elected president of Associated Bodies while D. Claude Harris, Mengel’s secretary-treasurer became its vice-president and treasurer. John W. Sliger, another Mengel executive, was appointed general manager of the new firm.

Other investors included F.A. Ames of the Ames Buggy Co., Walter L. Rowe, Vice President and Assistant General Manager of Durant Motors, Winifred W. Murphy, secretary and treasurer of Durant Motors, J.S. Hunt, vice-president and general manager of the Hayes-Hunt Company and Syd D. Camper, vice president of the Bankers Mortgage Company of Louisville. All of Associated Bodies directors were either former directors of Chevrolet, Durant Motors or the Mengel Body Co.

The article stated that the new firm had arranged to take over an existing factory located reasonably near Louisville that had a capacity to produce 100 commercial and 25 bus bodies per day. Very little information can be found after the 1924 announcement other than advertisements for the sale Associated Bodies stock, so it’s likely that the firm was just another one of Durant’s paper holding companies or perhaps just a temporary reorganization of the Mengel Body Co.

© 2004 Mark Theobald - Coachbuilt.com

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