The Bour-Davis was an American

automobile A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars state that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, peopl ...

manufactured from 1916 until 1922. The car took its name from two of the founders of the company; Robert C Davis and Charles J Bour. Production of the car was started in

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

, before moving to

Frankfort, Indiana Frankfort is a city in Clinton County, Indiana, United States. It had a population of 16,715 as of the 2020 census. The city is the county seat of Clinton County. History Brothers John, William and Nicholas Pence, previously of Warren County, O ...

in 1917. In 1918, the automobile's manufacturing rights were acquired by the Louisiana Motor Car Company and production was moved to Cedar Grove, Louisiana. A distinctive feature of the Model 17 and Model 18B cars built in Detroit and Frankfort was the slightly slanted and pointed radiator. Prices ranged from $1250 to $1500 in 1916, rising to $1650 in 1919. Bour-Davis had been purchased by the brothers and production moved from

to Frankfort. In 1917 the company was taken over by the Shadburne Brothers of

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, who reorganised the company, with production now located in

. They announced that they would also be producing cars to their own designs but there is doubt if this ever happened. Bour-Davis was sold again to the Louisiana Motor Car Company and moved to

Shreveport, Louisiana Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the List of municipalities in Louisiana, third-most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Baton Rouge. The bulk of Shreveport is in Caddo Parish, Lo ...

where production continued until 1923. The Louisiana Motor Company placed heavy emphasis on the Bour-Davis's new home, with the car being referred to as the "Pride of Shreveport". A contest was held amongst readers of the "Shreveport Times" for a new name for the car. Although the name "Louisianne" was chosen, this name was never adopted. Features of the Bour-Davis included a radiator placed slightly ahead of the front axle, and the continuation of the leather front seat over the seat's top and down to the rear floor. The Model 21 and Model 21S were powered by a Continental

Straight-6 A straight-six engine (also referred to as an inline-six engine; abbreviated I6 or L6) is a piston engine with six cylinders arranged in a straight line along the crankshaft. A straight-six engine has perfect primary and secondary engine balanc ...

engine, with prices ranging from $1700 for a 1920 Model 20

tourer Touring car and tourer are both terms for open cars (i.e. cars without a fixed roof). "Touring car" is a style of open car built in the United States which seats four or more people. The style was popular from the early 1900s to the 1930s. The ...

, up to $2300 for a 1922 Model 21S tourer. In 1923 the company was taken over by JM Ponder and the Ponder Motor Manufacturing Company, but lack of finance lead to production never occurring. Total production of the Bour-Davis between 1916 and 1922 was approximately 1500 cars.

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Restored 1921 Model 21S touring car1921 Model S touring car advertisement1922 Model S touring car advertisement
Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of the United States Motor vehicle manufacturers based in Michigan Motor vehicle manufacturers based in Indiana Motor vehicle manufacturers based in Louisiana 1910s cars 1920s cars Companies based in Detroit American companies established in 1916 Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1916 Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 1923 1916 establishments in Michigan 1923 disestablishments in Indiana Defunct manufacturing companies based in Michigan Defunct manufacturing companies based in Indiana Defunct manufacturing companies based in Louisiana History of Detroit History of Shreveport, Louisiana American companies disestablished in 1923 {{vintage-auto-stub

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