The Rugby Catalog
In 1923, when Durant Motors tried to export the Star car to markets outside of America and Canada, it ran into a problem. The Star name was already registered for use in the British Empire by a company in Wolverhampton, England. So the Rugby was born. Changes to the Star to become a Rugby were pretty much limited to the change of badge, and sometimes moving the steering wheel to the right side. Star cars continued to be sold for export under the Rugby name until production of Stars ceased in 1928.
In 1928, Durant Motors began selling Rugby trucks in the American and Canadian markets. These trucks were formerly part of the Durant line.
From 1928 on, the "export" Rugby was based on the Durant car line and the Rugby truck line.
The Rugby Catalog deals with the "export" Rugby line differently than the "domestic" Rugby truck line. As the export Rugbys were really just rebadged Star and Durant vehicles, I have developed a table of links to help match up Rugby vehicles with their base Star and Durant vehicle. The table is at the end of this page at The "Export" Rugby Line.
Rugby trucks
L Express
1 ton truck.
S4 S-4, Light Delivery
Four-cylinder, ½ ton truck and convertible business roadster.
Fact sheets: 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931.
T Fast Mail
1½ ton truck.
X
Four cylinder, 1 ton chassis available in a number of body styles.
Fact sheets: 1928, 1929.
401
Four cylinder, 1 ton chassis available in a number of body styles.
Fact sheets: 1929, 1930.
406 4-06
Four-cylinder, 1 ton truck.
Fact sheets: 1931.
614
The six-cylinder 614 was sold with a panel body or as a simple chassis allowing the fitting of a custom body.
Fact sheets: 1930, 1931, 1932.
615
Advertised in 1930 as a 1 ton truck and then in 1931 as a 1½ ton truck, the 615 was a shorter wheelbase version of the 616. Equipped with power take-offs on the transmission, the 615 could accommodate a variety of body styles and uses.
Fact sheets: 1930, 1931, 1932.
616
The six-cylinder, 1½ ton 616 was one of Rugby's largest trucks. With a wheelbase of 154 inches, helper springs and dual rear wheels, it was designed with large loads in mind.
Fact sheets: 1930, 1931, 1932.
Rugby truck car numbers
The Rugby truck line was set up on April 1, 1928, when Star truck production stopped (March 31, 1928); the Star L and X became the Rugby L and X. On September 4, 1928 the Durant M2 truck became the Rugby S4, and in October 1928 the M2 car became the Durant M4. The letter before each number shows the factory: E for Elizabeth, L for Lansing, T for Leaside (Toronto), and C for Oakland. The date after the year is when that model year began.
| Year | Model | Elizabeth | Lansing | Leaside | Oakland |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1928 (4/28) | T Fast Mail | E-1001 – E-1200 | L-1001 – L-1200 | T-1001 – T-1200 | C-1001 – C-1200 |
| 1928 (4/28) | L, L2 Express | E-1001 – E-1500 | L-1001 – L-1500 | T-1001 – T-1500 | C-1001 – C-1500 |
| 1928 (4/28) | X | E-1001 – E-2000 | L-1001 – L-2000 | T-1001 – T-2000 | C-1001 – C-2000 |
| 1929 (9/28) | S, S2, S4 | E-1001 – E-6000 to April 1929 plant closing | L-1001 – L-6000 | T-1001 – T-6000 | C-1001 – C-6000 |
| 1929 (8/28) | T Fast Mail | E-1201 to end to April 1929 plant closing | L-1201 to end | T-1201 to end | C-1201 to end |
| 1929 (8/28) | L, L2 Express | E-1501 – E-3500 to April 1929 plant closing | L-1501 – L-3500 8/28 to 12/29 | T-1501 – T-3500 8/28 to 12/29 | C-1501 – C-3500 8/28 to 12/29 |
| 1929 (8/28) | X, X2 | E-2001 to end to April 1929 plant closing | L-2001 to end May 28, 1929 | T-2001 to end May 28, 1929 | C-2001 to end May 28, 1929 |
| 1929 (5/29) | 401 | L-1001 – L-1294 | T-1001 – T-1294 | C-1001 – C-1294 | |
| 1930 (8/29) | S, S2, S4 | L-6001 to end 12/29 | T-6001 to end 12/29 | C-6001 to end 12/29 | |
| 1930 (8/29) | 401 | L-1295 to end July 1930 | T-1295 to end July 1930 | C-1295 to end July 1930 | |
| 1930 | 406 | L-1001 to ? | T-1001 to ? | ||
| 1930 (1/30) | 614 | L-1001 – L-1098 | T-1001 – T-1098 | C-1001 – C-1098 a guess; Oakland records did not survive | |
| 1930 (1/30) | 615 | L-1001 – L-1278 | T-1001 – T-1278 | C-1001 to end factory closed December 17, 1930 | |
| 1931 | 406 | no data | no data | ||
| 1931 | 416 (416A) | T-1001 to end | |||
| 1931 (1/31) | 614 | L-1099 – L-1154 plant closed August 1931 | T-1099 – T-1154 | ||
| 1931 (1/31) | 615 | L-1279 – L-1500 plant closed August 1931 | T-1279 – T-1500 | ||
| 1931 (1/31) | 616 | L-1001 – L-1100 plant closed August 1931 | T-1001 – T-1100 | ||
| 1932 (1/32) | 614 | T-1155 to end | |||
| 1932 (1/32) | 615 | T-1501 to end December 1933 | |||
| 1932 | 616 | T-1101 to end December 1933 | |||
| 1933 | 615, 616 | see 1932 615 and 616 were built from 1930 to 1933 |
The L2, X2, S, S2 and 416 names appear only in Canadian parts lists. Parts lists give the 416, which had the W-8 engine, only as “416”, but at least one period document names it “416A.” Information on Rugby trucks is scarce, the Oakland records were not kept, and many start and end numbers and dates are still uncertain.
The “Export” Rugby line
| Rugby model | Rugby advertising name | Base model | Base model fact sheet |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | Star C | 1923, 1924 | |
| D40 | Durant 40 | 1929 | |
| D60 | Durant 60 | 1929 | |
| F | The New Rugby | Star F | 1924, 1925, 1926 |
| L | Star L | 1926, 1927, 1928 | |
| M | The Improved Rugby Four | Star M | 1926, 1927, 1928 |
| M2 | Silent 4 | Star M2 | 1928 |
| M4 | Durant M4 | 1929 | |
| R | The Improved Rugby Six | Star R | 1926, 1927, 1928 |
| 407 | Durant 407 | 1931 |
Do you have a Rugby model that does not fit in the table above? If so, contact me.
References
- [DFR-DS]V10#1, V21#3
Fact sheets
Each fact sheet gives the model’s special features, body styles and prices, serial number range, and specifications, with pictures where available.