1924 Rickenbacker Model C

Captain Eddie Rickenbacker was considered to be a true American hero, first winning fame as one of the most successful racecar drivers in history, then as America's flying 'Ace of Aces' in World War I. In 1922, Rickenbacker came out with his own line of medium-priced automobiles which were considered highly innovative in its day. While some limited-production automobiles such as Duesenberg and Kenworthy offered four-wheel brakes, Rickenbacker was the first American production car to do so. Many automakers soon followed suit, yet a handful of companies who didn't offer this advance in safety claimed (as absurd as it now seems) better braking posed the danger of throwing passengers out of the car!

Even though Captain Rickenbacker had become a household name, his car never sold well and the company closed in early 1927. Soon after, he purchased the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and later became the owner of Eastern Airlines in the 1930s.