News
Briefly
Calendar of Events
Commentary
Opinions
Sports
Diversions
One time, one night
Special Section
World News
Classifieds
Login
Letter Submission
Search
Archive
Publishing Policy
Mail Subscriptions
St. Cloud State University
College Publisher
Home
>
Diversions
Pan Car museum celebrates reopening
By Joe Palmersheim
Published:
Monday, November 25, 2002
The grounds of the Frigidaire plant in St. Cloud was once the site of the Pan Motor Company factory. The story of the Pan Car, as well as its creator, Samuel Pandolfo, has become a local legend.
The Pan Car story has not grown old with time and, if anything, is even more relevant today, in an age where big businesses find themselves on trial.
The Stearns History Museum recently renovated its exhibit on the Pan Car and the Pan Motor Company itself, putting particular emphasis on the creator of the Pan Car, Samuel Pandolfo.
To celebrate this renovation, the Stearns History Museum had John Dominik, a local Pandolfo expert, speak on Saturday morning to a full crowd. Along with Dominik was John Augustine, an actor who played Pandolfo, brought a greater sense of life to this presentation. With the information presented by Dominik being embodied in the character, it made one realize that Pandolfo was a real person and his story is larger than life. Augustine has been playing Pandolfo since summer and this is his third time playing the part.
“They had suggested several different characters, and I had heard of Sam Pandolfo before so I became Sam. I’ve done this a couple of times now, so I guess I’m Sam Pandolfo for the time being,” Augustine said.
The exhibit itself is a sight to behold. According to Steve Pennick, the curator at the museum since 1992, “We basically gutted everything. We re-did all of the texts. Most of the photos have never been seen by the public. The car is the same (the car that Pennick speaks of is a beautifully restored 1919 Pan car that has been with the museum for some time). The work-bench was used in the factory and someone donated that about three years ago.”
The work-bench is in a showcase room along with random auto parts that were loaned by the St. Cloud Auto Club. Among the parts is an original dashboard from a Pan Model 250 and a cooler unit from another Pan model. The cooler, which could be used to store food and beverage, was an innovative feature on the Pan Car and was the first of its kind to come standard on an automobile.
There is also a simulated interior of the Pan Car, made entirely of wood, for the kids to play on. The well-crafted display shows the true simplicity of the instrumentation used on the Pan Car. On the dashboard itself, there is only a voltage-meter, an oil gauge, a clock, and a tachometer.
The centerpiece of the exhibit is the restored Pan Car itself. The car is a well-designed, eye-pleasing piece of machinery–painted hunter green for the main body work and black for the front fenders and the hood. The car is still in working order and is used for parades. It was also featured in the museum’s short film on the Pan Car, entitled “Pan’s Song.” It is estimated that there are fewer than 12 Pan Cars left in the world.
Along the walls, the story of the Pan Motor Company and of Pandolfo is told in both word and picture. The text is easily followed and the pictures add to the human side of the story. Both of these tell the story of Samuel Pandolfo.
He was born in 1874 in Mississippi and before starting his auto company, he was a life insurance salesman. Pandolfo was such a good salesman, according to Pennick, that he worked for several different firms at once, because not a single one could keep up with him.
“During a three-year span before 1915, he raised $20 million dollars in sales. Here’s a guy that could probably sell something to a horse,” Pennick said.
Pandolfo started the Pan Motor Company in St. Cloud and was soon producing the Pan Car. World War I came along and Pandolfo produced parts for the government with the metal press that was at the plant.
Along with the war came a government-enforced ban on making automobiles, which would lead to Pandolfo’s eventual downfall.
During the war, Pandolfo sent out promotional materials saying that the company would produce 10 cars each day. Because of the ban, this wasn’t possible. This was discovered after the war and Pandolfo was indicted on charges of mail fraud.
Pandolfo was sent to prison, and that was the end of the Pan Motor Company.
The appeal of the Pandolfo story can be summed up in a quote by Steve Pennick:
“It’s just a great story. I mean, here’s a guy who started with nothing, didn’t have any family money, and I guess it’s kind of the American Dream. The bad part is he didn’t make it.”
Privacy Policy
Network Advertising
Article Syndication
