1932 Bergholt Streamline

An early photo of the Bergholt Streamline.

In 2010 the Bergholt Streamline was sold at the Vintage Motor Cars of Hersey Auction. The car was sold for $82,500. Photo courtesy of RM Sotheby's.

Photo courtesy of RM Sotheby's.

Photo courtesy of RM Sotheby's.

The 1932 Bergholt Streamline is a streamlined automobile designed and built by Fred Bergholt of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Fred became interested in aviation in the 1920s, and he and his brother began building an selling gliders and airplanes. After 1927 Fred began thinking about designing a car. He bought a new 1932 Ford V-8 sedan that he removed the body off. A metal worker named Edgar Lantz was hired to make a new metal body from Fred's design. The build was completed in 1932. Fred subsequently showed it to several auto companies, but none were interested. Bergholt claimed they all thought it was too far ahead of its time and that he should come to see them again in five years! After that, the Streamline was put to work promoting the family cosmetics business, where it rang up over 200,000 miles and went through three engines! Fred claimed that the slippery body let the car and engine run so fast that engine bearings burned out.

Sold at the Vintage Motor Cars of Hersey Auction

In 2010 the Bergholt Streamline was sold at the Vintage Motor Cars of Hersey Auction. The car was sold for $82,500.