De Vaux

The De Vaux (da voe) was an automobile produced by the De Vaux Motors Company of Grand Rapids, Michigan and Oakland, California.

Heavily based on the 1930 Durant (automobile), the vehicle was produced for the 1931 model year only. Bodies for the cars were built by Hayes Body of Grand Rapids who had leased a plant nex to their own to De Vaux for initial manufacture. So, bodies were delivered to De Vaux by using a bridge between the plants. Later, De Vauxes were built in a former Durant plant in Oakland, California.

The cars were powered by a six-cylinder L-head engine designed by Col. Elbert J. Hall, partner in the venture, and built by the Hall-Scott Motor Company. It developed 70 or 80 hp (52 or 60 kW; 71 or 81 PS) (sources differ).

The De Vaux was offered in one model only, the 6/75, and rode on a 113 in (2,900 mm) wheelbase. Bodies were essentially the same as the defunct Durant, but got a facelift from Hayes stylist Alexis de Sakhnoffsky. It prompted De Vaux to brag about a "de Sakhnoffsky styled" body in its ads. Offered were a Coupe and a Sedan in Standard trim or Custom trim, priced at $595 and $795, respectively. A $545 Phaeton is occasionally mentioned, but it did not reach production and De Vaux never advertised or sold it.

Production began in April 1931 and the company was unable to meet the market demand. De Vaux produced 4,808 vehicles (maybe including production until January, 1932) before being taken over by Continental Motors Corporation who renamed it the Continental-De Vaux Company. Their cars were called Continental De Vaux (sometimes vice versa). There were few changes, most notable (but not surprisingly) a replacement of the Hall-Scott engine by an 84 hp (63 kW; 85 PS) Continental 32-A L-head six. Only 1,358 were built.

Then, Continental gave it a final try by renaming the company again, to Continental Automobile Company in November 1932. It built three models: the four-cylinder Beacon, on a shorter chassis, and the 6-cylinder Ace and Flyer, both based on the De Vaux. For 1934, only the Beacon remained. After producing approximately 4,200 vehicles during the 1933 and 1934 model years, Continental gave up. Remaining assets were repurchased by Norman De Vaux who hoped to restart production. His plans never materialized and he sold his California plant to General Motors in 1936.