1914 Petite Speciale

Apr 12

Quick Specs

The Petite Speciale was based on a roadster called the Little Princess, a Detroit car which sported Renault-esque styling.
5 (est.) produced.
G.M. Kennedy, who spent $6,000 ($190,000 adjusted for inflation, 2024) to build this prototype.

LA Has Always Been a Modder’s City

The story of the automobile may start in Detroit, but it definitely doesn’t end there. Los Angeles has a long tradition of taking standard cars offered by the Detroit automakers and modifying them. And that tradition begins here, with this car. The Petite Speciale was not necessarily a desirable car – the company itself went out of business in 1919 – but the owner had a vision it could be sold as a city car if it was properly outfitted and equipped. So the owner brought it to L.A., removed the running boards, made a custom top and interior, and gave it this novel rear window treatment. This guy found out what many custom car owners quickly find – all that customizing gets expensive. The total cost of all the work was $4,200 in 1914 currency. That’s the equivalent to about $100,000 today.

Built in Los Angeles, the Petite Speciale was tailor-made for the extroverted Southern California market. It had cycle fenders, a “California Top” with beveled glass windows, racy wire wheels, and a great deal of nickel plating. Designer G.M. Kennedy took several years and spent more than $6,000 (the equivalent of $200,000 today) to create this prototype. An estimated five were ultimately produced, but the car never went into full scale production because of a lack of financial backing and material shortages brought about by World War I. This rare survivor illustrates how some entrepreneurs attempted to capture a portion of the early Southern California market by offering vehicles with flashy trim, bright colors, and progressive styling as a means of creating distinction in an already crowded, but lucrative marketplace.

Collection of the Petersen Automotive Museum

This Vehicle featured in ‘The Vault’.