“The Jordan Blue Boy in Blue Devil Blue.” Magazine ad from the 1920s.

            “Built for those happy people who bought a Jordan Playboy for their honeymoon, but now want a little more room for the friends they take for an afternoon of golf.

“The wheelbase has been lengthened for lowness.  Cushions hug the floor.  The top fits like a swanky sport hat – and all is slender – ‘cept the tires – they are fat.”  [Ad copy]

Founded in 1916 by the colorful Edward S. “Ned” Jordan, the Jordan Motor Car Company of Cleveland, Ohio is as well remembered for its innovative advertising campaigns as it is for building quality cars.  Ned Jordan was ahead of his time as far as car marketing is concerned, selling the “sizzle more than the sausage.”  

The Jordan Company was one of the first automakers to christen its model types with unique, evocative names such as Sport Marine, Playboy, Tomboy, and Blue Boy (in what else but “Blue Devil Blue”). In 1920, the company issued the Friendly Three coupe, with the slogan "Seats two, three if they're friendly”.

While most automobile producers relied on the fast drying black lacquer which cured in a matter of hours, Jordan automobiles were available in no less than three colors of red - "Apache Red", "Mercedes Red" and Savage Red" as well as "Ocean Sand Gray", "Venetian Green", "Egyptian Bronze" and "Blue Devil Blue". Black was also available. The most flamboyant of color schemes was the four-passenger Sport model which could be ordered in "Submarine Gray", with khaki top and orange wheels.

Jordan didn’t build cars from scratch – they were assembled cars, meaning Jordan sourced parts like Continental engines, Timken axles, and Bosch ignitions from top suppliers.  According to Ned Jordan's biographer, James Lackey, the source of early Jordan bodies was somewhat a mystery. While Jordan had the capacity to paint the automobile bodies and attach them to the chassis and outfit the passenger compartment, the facility lacked the ability to fabricate the bodies themselves. Later production bodies were shipped from a variety of manufacturers in Ohio and Massachusetts.

[Sources: “Jordan Motor Car Company” at automobile.fandom.com/wiki/; “Jordan Playboy: The epitome of 1920s automobile style” at FreshwaterCleveland.com; and HistoricVehicles.com.au]

Taken in: United States / Virginia / Washington Forest (show map)

Taken on: September 8, 2025

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Sets appears in: • Vintage Cars & Car Ads

Groups appears in: • Vintage Advertising • Auto Ads more » • Vintage Car Ads (up to 1979) • 1920's • Vintage Illustration • Gimme anything retro!! • Vintage Advertising & Antiques • Retro/Vintage Magazines - Ads/Fashion/Everything • Car Ads • Retro America Adverts « less

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