1925 Rickenbacker 8 Coupe

Eddie Rickenbacker led a remarkable life. He started out as a famous race car driver, then became a flying ace during World War I. Following the war, he partnered with three auto executives to release a car bearing his name. His flying squadron’s “Hat in the Ring” symbol became the company’s emblem.

Rickenbackers were mechanically innovative thanks to Eddie’s expertise as a race car driver. Rickenbacker became the first company to offer four-wheel brakes as standard equipment on moderately priced cars. For this, it was subjected to a smear campaign. Other automakers absurdly claimed that this improvement was unsafe, suggesting that greater braking efficiency would throw passengers through the windshield!

Despite Rickenbacker’s reputation for building high-value, good-performing automobiles, they suffered diminishing sales in the cutthroat atmosphere of the mid-1920s. Rickenbacker himself resigned from the company and production ceased in 1927.

More from our automobile collection:

In our current exhibit, From Carriage to Classic: How Automobiles Transformed America, we present the origin story of the American automobile through 23 cars from Heritage’s permanent collection of antique and classic automobiles. Come along for a ride from the late 1800s to the 1960s and watch the car evolve from a horseless carriage to a streamlined symbol of freedom and independence.