From bicycles to automotive marvels

Alexander Winton successfully convinced the American public that automobiles were more than a passing fad.

BORN in 1860 in Grangemouth, Scotland, Alexander Winton immigrated to New York City at the age of 19.

He worked as an engineer apprentice on an ocean steamship for several years before accepting a position as superintendent at an iron factory in Cleveland, Ohio; a city was at the heart of what would soon become a tsunami of national interest in bicycles.

To capitalise on the rapidly expanding market he founded the Winton Bicycle Company in 1891 with his brother-in-law as a partner.

As bicycles became a national mania, and Winton and his partner had a head for business, the company profited almost as soon as the doors were opened. But as with many successful businessmen of the era, Winton found himself increasingly drawn to self-propelled vehicles. Winton filled every available minute with study and the reading of everything he could find on the subject and began developing his own engine designs.  Soon his company was producing bicycles as well as motorised bicycles.

Then in 1896, Winton unveiled his first “motor wagon” to the press. The following year he incorporated the Winton Motor Carriage Company. He introduced the cars with great fanfare and a drive through town to the Glenville Track where he was clocked at a then astounding 33 miles per hour. By 1898 he was selling cars and perfecting as well as promoting them through racing.

As a bit of historic trivia, one of Winton’s most notable racing losses came against Henry Ford. Ford’s success put him in the automotive spotlight and eased his ability to find needed investors for the establishment of the Henry Ford Motor Company.

There is another Henry Ford connection: Leo Melanowski, Winton’s trusted chief engineer, had proposed hiring Ford as a mechanic. Winton, however, felt that Ford lacked the temperament needed to take orders or focus on bringing a project to completion.

In 1902, Winton built the first of three custom race cars, all named the Bullet.

Bullet No.1 was the first car to win a sanctioned race at Daytona Beach, Florida. Bullet No.2 was built for the Gordon Bennett Cup in Ireland in 1903 and was one of the first eight-cylinder automobiles built.

As a result of mechanical issues, this car did not complete the race. However, after being brought back to the United States and repaired, Barney Oldfield drove it to a near-record of 80mph at Daytona. Before retiring from racing Winton retired built a Bullet No.3. Oldfield toured the country with that car and launched an award-winning racing career that would span decades.  

Aside from racing, Winton used practical application as a promotional platform. In 1897, Winton and William Hatcher, shop superintendent, drove from Cleveland to New York City with tremendous media attention. In 1899 he made a second trip with Charles Shanks, a Cleveland Plain Dealer reporter as a passenger and sales soared with 100 vehicles finding buyers by the end of the year.

Not all the customers were satisfied. James Ward Packard purchased a vehicle in 1898 and broke down several times on the way home. In a heated argument with Winton, Packard was told that if he thought he could build a better automobile he should do so. The challenge was accepted and the Packard Automobile Company was born.

In 1901, Winton set his sights on an unprecedented adventure that would also ensure international media focus on his automobiles. With Charles Shanks on board to cover the odyssey, Winton proposed a coast-to-coast drive of the United States, the first by automobile.

The ill-fated venture left San Francisco with great promise but ended abruptly on the east side of the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Shanks wrote: “That the expedition failed is no fault of the machine Mr. Winton used, nor was it due to absence of grit or determination on the part of the operator. Neither was the failure due to roads. The utter absence of roads was the direct and only cause.”

Dr. H Nelson Jackson triumphed where Winton had failed and became the first to cover the distance, in 1903. As Jackson was driving a Winton, the company benefitted mightily from the endeavor. Sales soared to 850 cars in 1903, and 1100 by 1907.

Winton quickly developed a reputation for inventiveness and generosity. Over the course of his career he would develop, and patent more than one hundred items related to automobiles, engines, and bicycles. Indicative of his character, he offered his safety related patents for free to interested manufacturers.

Winton continued building cars through 1924 with innovations like a steering wheel in 1901, shaft drive, external and internal brakes on the same brake drum, and the first American diesel engine in 1913. The post WWI economic recession struck the auto industry hard and even pioneering companies such as Winton were not spared. Sales plummeted and in 1922, Winton issued a statement that the company was “financially embarrassed.” In 1923 there was a stillborn initiative to merge Winton with Haynes and Dorris. On February 11, 1924, Winton closed the automobile company and initiated liquidation.

However, he continued operation of a subsidiary company, the Winton Gas Engine and Manufacturing Company, that manufactured marine and diesel engines. The company prospered into the early years of the Great Depression before being sold to General Motors.

In the pantheon of automotive pioneers Winton is in good company, as he is but one of many that has been relegated to obscurity. Still, one can’t help but ponder what the world would be like today if Winton hadn’t added a motor to a bicycle, selected a steering wheel rather than the traditional tiller or perfected the diesel engine.

Written by Jim Hinckley of jimhinckleysamerica.com

A hallmark for low price, good quality

The Hudson Motor Car Company was the brainchild of four talented young engineers.

THEY stopped making cars in 1957, yet the make remains a legend, with a significant enduring fanbase.

For decades, their cars set speed records, featured advanced engineering, and provided customers with stylish durable transportation.

The brand enjoyed an enviable brand loyalty that proved crucial for survival during the Great Depression.

And for a new generation, this marque has been forever linked to Route 66 as result of achieving a starring roll the animated Cars movies.

It is, of course, Hudson.

Fortuitously the company was named for the primary investor, Joseph L. Hudson, owner of the largest department store in Detroit.

The Hudson Motor Car Company was the brainchild of Roscoe Jackson, Roy Chapin, Howard Coffin and George Dunham, talented young engineers that had launched their automotive careers at Olds. Dunham and Coffin further perfected their skills at companies such as Thomas-Detroit and Chalmers Detroit. Their goal was an ambitious one, build a durable and stylish automobile that could be sold for under $US1000.

Launched in 1909 against an ever-rising tide of automobile manufacturers, including Ford Motor Company that had recently introduced the Model T, Hudson Motor Car Company stunned the industry with its immediate success.

The Model Twenty was an instant hit with the consumer. Available only as a roadster the 20-hp, four-cylinder cars were marketed with a 50mph guarantee and a $900 price tag. The price included headlamps, dual side lamps, generator, three speed transmission, tool set and horn. They were available in but one-color scheme, dark maroon with black striping, black fenders, and the interior was dark blue leather. The options list included Bosch magneto, windshield, rumble seat and twenty-five-gallon fuel tank.

In 1910 4508 vehicles were produced. This was a new first year record for an automobile manufacturer. Production in 1911 increased to 6486 vehicles, and Hudson found itself in an enviable position, they had outgrown their production facilities within two years.

A new facility was built on a 22-acre parcel at Jefferson Avenue and Conner Avenue in Detroit diagonally across from the Chalmers Automobile Company factory and sales continued to climb.

Management was not content to rest on its laurels and in 1911 the Howard Coffin designed Model 33 was introduced. Buda was replaced by Continental who manufactured the revolutionary engine with balanced crankshaft to Hudson specifications.

The signature clutch with cork face in an oil filled unit that would be a Hudson standard for decades was introduced in the Model 33. The following year the company continued offering this model with limited mechanical changes, but the big news was that it was now available in seven body styles including the Mile A Minute Roadster.

The company had moved far beyond its original plan of offering cars for a $1000 price. For 1912 the most reasonable model was the three door Torpedo with a list price of $1600.

Then, in 1913, with introduction of the four-cylinder Model 37 and six-cylinder Model 54, the company was able to expand the list of available body types and offer a vehicle in the mid-price range or the luxury market. The base Model 37 coupe had a factory list price of $1400. At the opposite end of the spectrum was the Model 54 seven passenger limousine priced at $3750.

For 1914 the company began promoting themselves as the largest manufacturer of six-cylinder automobiles in the world, and discontinued production of four-cylinder models.

But the big news came in 1916 with the introduction of the astounding Series H Super Six with the first Hudson built engine, a car that would transform the company and the automobile industry. Even though it continued to be refined and improved, the Super Six would remain the company’s foundation into the early 1950s.

After a series of impressive wins on various tracks, the eagerly anticipated car drew immediate attention for its styling as well as mechanical prowess when it was officially introduced in January 1916 at the New York Auto Show. For the remainder of the year the company fueled media attention with an array a record setting races, and endurance runs.

One of the most astounding was a transcontinental drive from New York to San Francisco in five days, three hours and 31 minutes. Then (after an eight-hour break) the team returned to New York in just over six days. Incredibly, aside from issues with tires, both trips were completed without mechanical failure.

Before the end of the year drivers behind the wheel of a Hudson Super Six had shattered numerous records including the Pikes Peak Hill Climb and the stock chassis 24-hour record with an average speed of 74.9mph. This record stood until 1931 when it was eclipsed by a V16 powered Marmon.

Record setting wins translated into sales and fierce brand loyalty. Sales remained steady through the WWI years, and only dipped slightly during the post war recession. Exemplifying the durability and racing prowess of the Hudson was the 1919 Indianapolis 500. Ira Vail rolled across the line in eighth place with an average speed of 94.1mph. Denny Hickey finished with an average speed of 80.22mph. Ora Haibe started in 26th place and finished in 14th but the most astounding fact was that each of these contenders was driving a used Hudson. The newest one was a 1917 model.

As the price for a Hudson had continued to climb the company introduced the Essex as a lower priced companion car in 1919. The Essex had a sales price $700 less than the base model Hudson. Even though it was a bare bones vehicle that lacked some of the amenities Hudson owners had come to expect the car was a proven performer.

Under strict AAA supervision a stock 55-horsepower, four-cylinder Essex was tested at the Cincinnati Speedway in December 1919. In 50 hours, the car was driven 3037.4 miles for an average speed of 60.75mph.

In 1920 a brilliant promotional initiative was launched. The drivers and relief drivers of four Essex cars were sworn in as US post Office letter carriers. Then a bag of mail was loaded in each car, two on the west coast and two on the east coast. The average time for completion of the coast to coast run was an astonishing four days, twenty-one hours, and thirty-two minutes. Not surprising is the fact that by the beginning of 1921 the Essex was outselling its parent.  

But this was just the beginning.

Part two next week.

 To read more by Jim Hinckley go to jimhinckleysamerica.com

The Stanleys: In the age of steam, they were on the boil

Little complexity, a technology anyone of the age understood … when it came to teapots with wheels, twin brothers stood tall.

this 1910 Model 10 was one of America’s first sports cars, known as Gentleman’s Speedy Roadsters

THE Stanley brothers, Francis Edgar (1849-1918), F.E. to his friends, and his twin brother Freelan Oscar (aka F.O), who lived until 1940, will forever be associated with steam-powered automobiles.

However, as with many automotive pioneers these were men of diverse talents and interests that made tremendous contributions to an array of industries.

The brothers were born June 1, 1849. From an early age they displayed a talent for music, for playing practical jokes that centered on their identical appearance, for business and for mechanical aptitude.

In 1859 with support from their father they started a small business refining and selling maple sugar. The brothers had also developed a local reputation for their ability to play the violin and with tutelage from their grandfather, Liberty, began making these instruments. Freelan had completed three violins by the age of 16. This was the birth of a lifelong hobby.

At the age of 20 the brothers began attending Western State Normal School with a goal of becoming teachers. Then for a brief time, they parted ways.

Freelan Oscar continued on course and became an educator, and then launched a small business to manufacture the Stanley Practical Drawing Set as a sideline. Francis Edgar chased his dream of becoming a portrait artist, and in 1874 moved to Lewiston, Maine where he opened a photography studio. Two years later he perfected the photographic atomizer, a forerunner of the modern air brush, which he patented in 1876.

Then in 1882 the brothers began experimenting with various photograph development processes and established the Stanley Dry Plate Company in Boston. As an interesting historic footnote, the brothers would sell their company and patents to a gentleman named George Eastman. He would use these as the foundation for a multifaceted photography company named Kodak.

In the late 1890s, the experimentations of men like Ransom E. Olds, and the demonstration of a steam powered carriage in nearby Watertown, Massachusetts captured the attention of Francis Edgar.

Soon he and his brother were deeply engaged in experimentation of their own, first with an electric horseless carriage and then with an internal combustion version.

By 1896 they had decided that steam was the better option because “it is reliable and easily understood.” Using components from Francis’s wagon and bicycle parts from Sterling Elliott's bicycle factory they completed their first vehicle the following year.

After extensive testing and refinement, the Stanley Brothers took the vehicle to the 1898 Boston Auto Show. The resultant orders for three vehicles served as incentive for the brothers to launch a new enterprise, the Stanley Steam Company.

Later that autumn they entered a race at Boston’s Charles Park, and with speeds nearing 45 kilometres per hour bested a De Dion tricycle and a Whitney, another steamer. Then they entered the hill climbing competition and their steamer was the only one to reach the summit. It was a day well spent as the publicity from the event garnered 200 orders for the fledgling company. 

The success of the company was noted by wealthy publisher John Brisben Walker who was eager to enter the automobile manufacturing business. In 1899 he offered to purchase the Stanley’s company and assume all outstanding debts.

Reluctant to sell, the brothers countered with an offer they deemed ridiculously excessive - $250,000. Much to their surprise Walker accepted the counteroffer.

However, Walker and his partner, Amzi Barber, began a feud almost immediately and soon divided the company to create two new manufacturers, Mobile and Locomobile.

 This was not the end of the Stanley brothers’ automotive endeavors. It was merely the first chapter. With the sale of the company the brothers now had capital for experimentation and development, and in 1901, they launched a new company – Stanley Motor Carriage Company.

Production commenced that year from their Newton, Massachusetts factory even though advancements with internal combustion engines was already encroaching on the steam car market. This did not deter the Stanley brothers.

They steadfastly adhered to perfecting their steam powered vehicles even though sales were constrained. And they continued garnering headlines. In 1906 at Ormond Beach in Florida, now Daytona Beach, Fred Marriott, the company’s repair department manager piloted the streamlined Stanley Woggle Bug racer to a new land speed record –  205.3kmh (127.6mph) for the standing mile. The following year, with an improved model, Marriott crashed at around 240kmh (150mph).

 The company continued promoting its cars through racing and performance events but chose to limit traditional marketing. As a result, sales remained anaemic with only 5200 cars manufactured by 1911. The death knell came in 1912 when Cadillac introduced an electric starter as standard equipment. Surprisingly, unlike many of its competitors, Stanley soldiered on to 1929.

Modernisation and changes came slowly for the company. In 1913 electric lights became an option. The commercial line of vehicles, busses, and trucks was discontinued in 1916. Reluctantly in 1917 the brothers agreed to initiate a modest advertising campaign. The following year Francis Edgar was killed in an automobile accident, and by 1923 the company was on the brink of bankruptcy.

Freelan divested himself of the company by selling it to the Steam Vehicle Corporation of America. Even though the new owners attempted to modernise the Stanley with addition of items such as hydraulic brakes, the age of steam had passed.

With a liquidation sale in 1929, the Stanley steamer story came to an end. Even though dozens of companies had manufactured steam powered automobiles during the infancy of the automobile, the Stanley is the one that became synonymous with vehicles that had once been derisively referred to as teapots with wheels.

STeam has lost its puff when this 1920 Model 735 came out. Fewer than 1000 were sold in its first year.