The Bad Blonde | Car History

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1913 METZ / THE KIT WITH AN INSTALLMENT PLAN

1913 Metz Roadster at the Don Garlit's Museum of Dragon Racing

Ever heard of a Metz? Ya, I hadn't either.

Ran into this 1913 Metz at the Don Garlit's Museum of Dragon Racing. Clearly they had a vintage section of the museum too, haha!

The Metz Company (1908-1922) was a Massachusetts brass era automobile maker established by Charles Herman Metz.

The young Metz began in the bicycle parts industry. He would eventually form the Waltham Manufacturing Company which dived into the automobile manufacturing arena.
Metz was not the first to offer a kit but they were the fiest to offer a kit on an installment plan. The purchaser would get parts groups/packages for $27.00 which would be put together with the plans and tools supplied. For $600.00 a ready to rock, factory-assembled automobile could be bought. Metz did well with this plan till 1911 when it became too difficult to compete with the model "T" Ford.