"electric ignition and the electric self-starter (both by Charles Kettering, for the Cadillac Motor Company in 1910–1911), independent suspension, and four-wheel brakes. Since the 1920s, nearly all cars have been mass-produced to meet market needs, so marketing plans often have heavily influenced car design. It was Alfred P. Sloan who established the idea of different makes of cars produced by one company, called the General Motors Companion Make Program, so that buyers could ""move up"" as their fortunes improved. Reflecting the rapid pace of change, makes shared parts with one another so larger production volume resulted in lower costs for"
"invented and filed for the first electric starter in America in 1911. In 1912, the Cadillac Model Thirty became the first American car to have a starter installed. Before Chrysler's 1949 innovation of the key-operated combination ignition-starter switch, the starter was operated by the driver pressing a button that was mounted on the floor or dashboard. This type of control has now returned with the use of keyless entry. Early Chevrolet cars had the starter pedal to the right of the accelerator, with a secondary throttle control knob on the dashboard because it was difficult to operate the starter pedal"
"electrical engineer H. J. Dowsing. In 1903, Clyde J. Coleman invented and patented the first electric starter in America . In 1911, Charles F. Kettering, with Henry M. Leland, of Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company (DELCO), invented and filed for an electric starter in America. (Kettering had replaced the hand crank on NCR's cash registers with an electric motor five years earlier.) One aspect of the invention lay in the realization that a relatively small motor, driven with higher voltage and current than would be feasible for continuous operation, could deliver enough power to crank the engine for starting. At the"
"68 hp, and was equipped with Michelin tires. As of 1900, 38% of US automobiles, 33,842 cars, were powered by electricity (40% by steam, and 22% by gasoline). However, as combustion powertrains developed, they offered a superior range than electrics, and (especially after the 1908 Ford Model T, and its mass production from 1913 onwards) a much lower purchase price. In 1912 the electric starter motor was invented by Charles Kettering leading to easier and faster starting of internal combustion powertrains, and removing what had been perceived as one of their main drawbacks (having to use a hand crank). Electric"
"demonstrations were favorably received. In 1909, when Henry Leland of Cadillac ordered 5,000 ignition sets, Deeds and Kettering formed the Dayton Engineering Laboratories company. The ignition system was introduced on the 1910 Cadillac. In 1911, Kettering invented and filed for for the first useful electric starter, adapted from a cash register motor. The starters were first installed by Cadillac on production models in 1912. In 1915, Deeds left NCR to devote himself full-time to Delco. At the time, one of Kettering's widely known inventions was the Delco-Light, a small internal combustion generator with battery intended to provide a source of"
"Woodland Cemetery, Dayton, Ohio. Kettering held 186 U.S. patents. He invented the all-electric starting, ignition, and lighting system for automobiles. Electric starters replaced crank (manual) starting of automobiles. First incorporated in the 1912 Cadillac, all-electric starting aided in the growth of the US auto industry by making the automobile easy for anyone to start. Other patents included a portable lighting system and an incubator for premature infants. His engine-driven generator was combined with storage batteries to form a ""Delco Plant"", providing an electrical power for farmsteads and other locations far from the electrical power grid. In 1918 Kettering designed the"
"Buffalo Electric Vehicle Company The Buffalo Electric Vehicle Company was an American electric car manufacturing company from 1912 until 1915 located at 1219-1247 Main Street in Buffalo, New York. The motorcars were marked under the Buffalo brand. The company was formed by a merger of several electrical vehicle and allied companies which included: The company's automobiles were commonly marketed to affluent women as an alternative to the dangerous manual crank starting that was required with a gasoline vehicle. The company went out of business in 1916. The Buffalo Electric Vehicle Company Building is a historic automobile factory and showroom located"
"and Europe – these networks were effectively dedicated to providing electric lighting. During this time a fierce rivalry in the US known as the ""War of Currents"" emerged between Edison and Westinghouse over which form of transmission (direct or alternating current) was superior. In 1891, Westinghouse installed the first major power system that was designed to drive an electric motor and not just provide electric lighting. The installation powered a synchronous motor at Telluride, Colorado with the motor being started by a Tesla induction motor. On the other side of the Atlantic, Oskar von Miller built a 20 kV 176"
"of General Motors in 1944. Around 1960, the division’s name was changed to United Delco. With the Delco name becoming more well-known with consumers, the “Delco” name was incorporated into all of the divisions branches (Delco Remy, Delco Harrison, Delco Packard (Packard Electric), Delco Moraine). In 1899, Albert Champion came to the U.S. as a champion bicycle racer. He found a job with the Stranhan brothers, who had started Champion Spark Plug Company in 1905 or 1906 and began production in 1907. Champion was not happy in his job because he had no control over his work. He already had"
"clip was invented in 1911 by Washington, D.C. resident Louis E. Baltzley who was motivated by a desire to help his father, Edwin, a prolific writer and inventor, keep manuscripts in order. The original design was modified five times, but the essential mechanism has never changed. 1911 Automobile self starter An automobile self-starter is an electric motor that initiates rotational motion in an internal combustion engine before it can power itself, therefore eliminating the hand crank used to start engines. In 1911, Charles F. Kettering invented the automobile self-starter while working at National Cash Register and then sold them for"
"test"". The company moved to New Jersey in 1902, according to a company statement, “to find more wealthy customers,” but they shutdown operations within the year. American Electric (1899 automobile) The American Electric was an American automobile manufactured in Chicago from 1899 to 1902 and Hoboken, New Jersey, in 1902. The company was incorporated by Clinton Edgar Woods in 1895 as American Electric Vehicle Co. Chicago, and merged with Indiana Bicycle Co. to become Waverly in 1898 and later Pope-Waverley. The company built a wide range of electric carriages - some bodied as high, ungainly-looking dos-a-dos four-seaters - these were"
"maker's tricycles and quadricycles. Using De Dion-Bouton patents, WMC started building their own Orient Autogo and ""Orient Autogo Quad"" in 1899. An early investor in WMC, Charles A. Coffin (1844-1926), first president of General Electric, ordered an electric prototype in 1898, which didn't go into production. Metz experimented with engines mounted on bicycles. The evolving Orient Aster was one of the very first U.S.-built motorcycles. Metz was assisted by famed French bicycle racer Albert Champion (1878—1927) who arrived in the U.S. around 1899, becoming one of the first professional motorbike racers. Metz is even claimed to have found the expression"
"American Electric (1899 automobile) The American Electric was an American automobile manufactured in Chicago from 1899 to 1902 and Hoboken, New Jersey, in 1902. The company was incorporated by Clinton Edgar Woods in 1895 as American Electric Vehicle Co. Chicago, and merged with Indiana Bicycle Co. to become Waverly in 1898 and later Pope-Waverley. The company built a wide range of electric carriages - some bodied as high, ungainly-looking dos-a-dos four-seaters - these were claimed to be capable of running from to . Perhaps optimistically, the manufacturer claimed that ""very few private carriages would ever be subjected to such a"
"Thomas Motor Company E. R. Thomas Motor Company was a manufacturer of motorized bicycles, motorized tricycles, motorcycles, and automobiles in Buffalo, New York between 1900 and 1919. In 1896, Edwin Ross Thomas (1850 – 1936) of Buffalo, New York began selling gasoline engine kits for propelling ordinary bicycles. After forming the Thomas Motor Company, he began selling complete motor-assisted bicycles under the name Thomas Auto-Bi. The Auto-Bi is generally considered to be the first production motorized bicycle made in the United States. By 1903, the company was the largest manufacturer of single-cylinder, air-cooled engines. The Thomas Auto-Bi was later joined"
"Tranquil Motor"" developed by the three Jones brothers in Kansas. The American Automobile Manufacturing Company built the two-stroke engine ""American"" from 1911 to 1912 in New Albany. American Automobile Corporation went bankrupt, and Ferdinand N. Kahler purchased its assets, forming the Ohio Falls Motor Company, largely to protect the assets of his woodworking business, The Kahler Company. American (1911 automobile) Founded in Kansas CIty, Missouri in 1908, the American Automobile Manufacturing Company acquired the Jonz Automobile Company of Beatrice, Nebraska in 1910 with a planned initial capitalization of $1,000,000. In early news releases, the company claimed ""$100,000 of the stock"
"of his flash igniter 1901 Lionel Manufacturing Company begins selling electric fans, battery operated with a small motor 1901 Cowen developed the first Lionel train—a battery-powered “Electric Express.” 1904 Cowen married Cecelia Liberman 1909 Cowen was calling his model trains ""The Standard of the World."" 1910 Joshua changes his last name from Cohen to Cowen 1915 O-Gauge was introduced, which eventually became the most popular scale of train 1918 Lionel Manufacturing Company renamed Lionel Corporation 1947 In an interview with The New Yorker magazine, Cowen claims he invented the flashlight 1953 Lionel became was the largest toy manufacturer in the"
"axle. The Ten was the company's first big seller. The same year, two years after George Singer's death, the ""bicycle wheel"" radiator emblem was deleted. That year's primary product was a 16/20, powered by a White & Poppe engine. The use of their own power plants spread through the range until by the outbreak of the First World War all models except the low-volume 3.3-litre 20 hp were so equipped. The Ten's performance attracted interest from former racing cyclist Lionel Martin, who bought a copy right off Singer's stand at the 1912 Olympia Motor Show. Martin gave the car a"
"Washington Motor Company The Washington Motor Company was an American automobile manufacturer based in Eaton, Ohio and later Middletown, Ohio, that produced the ""Washington"" automobile between 1921 and 1924. The company was set up by local Eaton businessman Otto M Shipley, who gained the support of other local business people to provide capital for the venture. The prototype Washington used a Falls X9000 6-cylinder engine, but it was found to use too much oil, and was replaced by a 7R Continental engine for the 1921 Model B tourer. In 1922 the Model C was introduced, which featured a larger 8R"
"Selden Motor Vehicle Company The Selden Motor Vehicle Company was an early American manufacturer of automobiles. The Company, founded in 1905, was based in Rochester, New York. The Selden Motor Vehicle Company was named for inventor George B. Selden, whose 1877 patent was the first U.S. patent of a ""horseless carriage"" and thus, controversially, is considered the inventor of the automobile. (Misleading: Selden developed his engine by 1877 & filed for a patent in 1879, which because of numerous later amendments was not granted until 1895.) The company produced cars for only three years, from 1909 through 1912. In 1913"
"1911, when Electric Autolite was founded. The company produced a generator to power early day auto lamps or buggy lamps. In 1927, Electric Autolite acquired the Prest-O-Lite Battery Company from The Union Carbide Corporation which produced automotive batteries. In 1935, Royce G. Martin, President of the Electric Autolite Company, decided that the company should enter the business of manufacturing spark plugs. Robert Twells, a ceramic engineer, led the development team. A few months later, the company was selling their first spark plug. Electric Autolite's products were expanded further to include starter motors, generators, regulators, ignition systems, and wire and cable"
"Lincoln L-head V12 engine 1902 Henry M. Leland establishes the Cadillac Automobile Company<br> 1909 Cadillac purchased by General Motors<br> 1914 Cadillac introduces V-8, sells 13,000 in first year<br> 1917 Leland establishes Lincoln Motor Company, immediately receives contract to build V-12 Liberty aviation engines<br> 1917 Lincoln produces first automobile, the V-8 powered luxury Model L<br> 1922 Lincoln sells only 150 cars<br> 1922 Ford Motor Company acquires Lincoln<br> 1923 Lincoln sales rise 45% <br> 1930 Lincoln phases out L series; introduces K-Series powered by 384 cubic inch (6.3 L) 60° V-8 producing 125 hp<br> 1931 Cadillac introduces V-12 road car for $800"
"Woods Motor Vehicle Woods Motor Vehicle Company was an American manufacturer of electric automobiles in Chicago, Illinois, between 1899 and 1916. In 1915 they produced the Dual Power (U.S. Patent # 1244045) with both electric and internal combustion engines and this continued until 1918. The company was started by Clinton Edgar Woods who ""wrote the first book on electric vehicles."" The 1904 ""Woods Stanhope"" was a stanhope model. It could seat 2 passengers and sold for US$1800. Twin electric motors, situated at the rear of the car, produced 2.5 hp (1.9 kW) each. The car weighed 2650 lb (1202 kg)"
"formation of the United States Automotive Corporation was announced by President Frank B. Ansted at the New York Auto Show on January 12, 1920. It was a $10 million merger with the Lexington, the Ansted Engineering Company, and Connersville Foundry Corporation, all from Connersville, plus the Teetor-Harley Motor Corporation of Hagerstown. 1920 marked the high point of Lexington production with over 6,000 built. On December 16, 1921, William C. Durant, founder of General Motors and former GM president, ordered 30,000 Ansted engines for his new Durant Six, being built in Muncie, Indiana, by Durant Motors, Inc. Late in 1921, Alanson"
"today considered a historic hybrid electric vehicle. Woods Motor Vehicle Woods Motor Vehicle Company was an American manufacturer of electric automobiles in Chicago, Illinois, between 1899 and 1916. In 1915 they produced the Dual Power (U.S. Patent # 1244045) with both electric and internal combustion engines and this continued until 1918. The company was started by Clinton Edgar Woods who ""wrote the first book on electric vehicles."" The 1904 ""Woods Stanhope"" was a stanhope model. It could seat 2 passengers and sold for US$1800. Twin electric motors, situated at the rear of the car, produced 2.5 hp (1.9 kW) each."
"of the Society of Automotive Engineers in 1905 and served as the first president for three years. Andrew L. Riker Andrew Lawrence Riker (1868–1930) was an early automobile designer known for helping the U.S. car industry to transition from electric to gas-powered car manufacturing. He began experimenting with electric vehicles in 1884. He formed the Riker Electric Motor Company in 1888 to make electric motors, and a year later formed the Riker Motor Vehicle Company in Elizabeth, New Jersey. (All of the advertising and news items refer to the location as ""Elizabethport"".) The company was absorbed by the Electric Vehicle"
"Excelsior Motor Manufacturing & Supply Company Excelsior Motor Manufacturing & Supply Company was an American motorcycle manufacturer operating in Chicago from 1907 to 1931. It was purchased by Ignaz Schwinn, proprietor of bicycle manufacturer Arnold, Schwinn & Co. in 1912. In 1912, an Excelsior was the first motorcycle to be officially timed at a speed of 100 mph. The Henderson Motorcycle Company became a division of Excelsior when Schwinn purchased Henderson in 1917. By 1928, Excelsior was in third place in the U.S. motorcycle market behind Indian and Harley-Davidson. The Great Depression convinced Schwinn to order Excelsior's operations to cease"
"components from other manufacturers. Engines came from Buffalo or Continental. Cunningham also sold electric cars based on their experimental vehicle from the 1890s. By 1910, the company was producing all its parts and selling its cars in the range of $4,500 to $5,000. From 1911 Cunningham offered complete automobiles that were illustrated in its first catalogue. They were hand-built and production was slow: one and a half cars per worker per year from a workforce of 450. Much of the wood- and metal-work was crafted by hand. The first of these cars was the model J, a very large automobile"
"efficient and easier to control. After the fan was installed on the prototype, the car was finally fitted with kettering's signature automatic electric starter. In 1919 Kettering presented his idea to Pierre S. du Pont, then manager of General Motors. Du Pont was impressed with the work that Kettering had done. He was specifically impressed with the idea of eliminating the radiator and all of the issues that came with it. Du Pont approved the new design for testing under the Chevrolet and Oakland (automobile) divisions. During testing the car had failed some of Oakland's tests, and was criticized heavily."
"magneto with a compressed-air starter. For 1914 the ignition was now a Simms High Tension Magneto and the starter used was a Gray & Davis. This was the biggest Chevy engine until the 1958, 348 cid V-8.? It is unclear due to conflicting production records as to how many were actually made. Total Chevrolet production for 1913 was 5,987. But this figure included all Little Motor Car Co. production (The Little Motor car was made in the same factory) and could also have included all the 1914 models produced in 1913. It is doubtful given the high price of the"
"and finish the race. It was later discovered the Protos took some shortcuts on its path and was penalized, so the American team that actually arrived second was declared the official winner of the epic race. Thomas Motor Company E. R. Thomas Motor Company was a manufacturer of motorized bicycles, motorized tricycles, motorcycles, and automobiles in Buffalo, New York between 1900 and 1919. In 1896, Edwin Ross Thomas (1850 – 1936) of Buffalo, New York began selling gasoline engine kits for propelling ordinary bicycles. After forming the Thomas Motor Company, he began selling complete motor-assisted bicycles under the name Thomas"
"progenitor, the Chevrolet small-block engine. On November 3, 1911, Swiss race car driver and automotive engineer Louis Chevrolet co-founded the Chevrolet Motor Company in Detroit with William C. Durant and investment partners William Little (maker of the Little automobile), former Buick owner James H. Whiting, Dr. Edwin R. Campbell (son-in-law of Durant) and in 1912 R. S. McLaughlin CEO of General Motors in Canada. Durant was cast out from the management of General Motors in 1910, a company which he had founded in 1908. In 1904 he had taken over the Flint Wagon Works and Buick Motor Company of Flint,"
"Cunningham automobile The Cunningham automobile (not connected with the Cunningham Steam Wagon or Briggs Cunningham's cars) was a pioneering American production automobile, one of the earliest vehicles in the advent of the automotive age. It was produced from 1896 to 1931 in Rochester, New York by James Cunningham, Son and Company. Foreseeing the necessity to switch to the production of horseless carriages, Cunningham started automobile production in 1908 with gasoline engine cars that sold at approximately $3,500, a very high price at the time. Initially the company made only the chassis. They assembled each car to individual customer requirements, using"
"with William Crapo Durant (the founder of General Motors in 1908). Their ambitious plan was to make 100,000 cars in Durant's Lansing, Michigan plant. However, Durant ran out of money before production could begin so Mathis stayed in France. The American company was Matam, Mathis-America. A short-lived model named ""FOH"" in 1931 had a 3 Litre straight-eight-cylinder engine. More modern and successful was the 1445 cc ""Emyquatre"" in 1933, which possessed a synchromesh gearbox, hydraulic brakes and independent front suspension. ""Emyhuit"" (obviously, an 8-cylinder) came too late to prevent Mathis from a fast decline. The Mathis factories were closed. Automobiles"