Acme Motor Truck Company

Cadillac Auto Truck Co. 1915-1917 ; Acme Auto Truck Co. 1917-1931
legal form	Company
founding	1915
resolution	1931
Reason for dissolution	insolvency
Seat	Cadillac , Wexford County , Michigan , USA
Branch	Trucks , articulated lorries - tractors , buses and coaches

The Acme Motor Truck Company was an American manufacturer of commercial vehicles , that of 1917 to 1931 trucks with payloads of up to 5.5 tons, truck tractors - tractors with towing loads up almost 7 tons and buses produced with 16 to 21 seats. Four-cylinder engines from Continental and occasionally six-cylinder engines from the same manufacturer were used predominantly . The brand name was Acme . The company was the successor to the Cadillac Auto Truck Company in Cadillac , Michigan , which manufactured the Cadillac truck from 1915 to 1917 .

Cadillac Auto Truck Company

Founded in 1915 in Cadillac , the county seat of Wexford County in Michigan , the company mainly produced light and medium-sized trucks . It was one of the manufacturers who bought components on the free market and used them to assemble their vehicles . These were accordingly referred to as " assembled vehicles "; this production method was common and, in addition to the commercial vehicle industry, also widespread among automobile and tractor manufacturers.

Early Cadillac trucks were with payloads of 0.75 to 3.5 shillings. tn. (approx. 680 to 3175 kg) available. Like all later products of the company, they were powered by Continental engines, in this case all four-cylinder. The smallest model had a wheelbase of 128 inches (3251 mm) and cost US $ 1,290.

There is no reference to the automobile manufacturer Cadillac , which derived its name directly from Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, Sieur de Cadillac ; this was also the namesake of the place Cadillac , in which the Cadillac Auto Truck Company was founded. Following a successful lawsuit by this older and better-known automobile manufacturer, the company was forced to change company and brand names. There is no indication that this was accompanied by major technical changes. Instead of the three-quarter-tonner, an Acme Model B with 1 sh. tn. (915 kg) payload and 130 inch (3302 mm) wheelbase are offered. At US $ 1575, - however, it was significantly more expensive. The data of the 2- and 3.5-toners should agree with the corresponding Cadillac models.

Acme Motor Truck Company

So in 1917 (according to a different source: 1919) Acme Motor Truck Company and the Acme brand were created . In a publication for the model year 1917/1918, the brand name Acme Truck still appears in connection with the company name Cadillac Auto Truck Co. Disregarding this name change, it was obvious that Acme was also a problematic name that became active in many industries. This also from other motor vehicle manufacturers; so the wagon builder and commercial vehicle manufacturer Acme Wagon Company in Emigsville (Pennsylvania) (founded 1888) from 1916 to 1919 also produced trucks with this brand name. The word Acme means "maturity" or "climax".

During the First World War , the company received government contracts for army ambulances . No further information is available on this, but it is obvious that the existing Acme Model B was assumed.

Advertisement for Acme trucks from 1 to 5 shillings. tn. Not all manufacturers of assembled vehicles were so open about the origin of their components (1919).

Post-war production started with the Acme models A , B and C with payloads of 2, 1 and 3.5 sh. tn. recorded. These vehicles had four-cylinder engines of different sizes.

As early as 1919, the company advertised with payloads of up to 5 shillings. tn.

In 1924 the delivery range comprised the smallest model, the new Acme Flyer delivery van with 1 sh. tn. Payload. The vehicle had a 130-inch (3302 mm) wheelbase, a Continental S4 engine, Brown-Lipe transmission and clutch , AutoLite electronics, Columbia axles and Smith 30x5-inch wheels. The next larger model was the one and a half tonne 20L , which differed by a 6 inch (15.2 cm) longer wheelbase, a stronger Continental R8 four-cylinder engine, Bosch electronics, Timken rear axle and Bimel wheels measuring 34x5 inches. The larger models have more four-cylinder engines, Cotta gearbox, Borg & Beck couplings, Eisemann - magneto ignition systems and also Timken -Hinterachsen. There were two models with 2.0 shillings. tn. (1815 kg) payload, three with 3.0 sh. tn. (2720 kg) and one each with 4.0 shillings. tn. (3630 kg) resp. 5.0 sh. tn. (4530 kg). 1925–1926 was also the model 125 with 6.0 sh. tn. (5440 kg) offered; it was also the truck with the largest payload from this manufacturer. The longest Acme truck was the three-ton Model K with a wheelbase of 200 inches (5080 mm).

In the same year, tractors for semi-trailers were added to the program. They were available in the 40, 40L, 60, 60L, 90 and 125 series .

In the second half of the 1920s, buses with 16 and 21 seats were also produced.

In 1927 the company took over the United Motors Products Company in Grand Rapids, Michigan . A single source speaks of a merger in this context. The company was initially continued as a division of Acme and the United brand name was retained.

In the same year an Acme tractor with a six-cylinder engine and a trailer load of 7.5 sh.tn appeared. (6.8 tons).

The company was hit early by the global economic crisis . United had to be discontinued in 1930 and the Acme Motor Truck Company closed the following year .

Acme calls a single source the "Rolls" ( -Royce ) among the trucks ( Ils étaient considérés comme les "Rolls" des camions. )

Model overview (incomplete)

Information on these models is incomplete. The rating is based on the NACC formula .

The only known thing about the buses is that they had their own chassis with Continental engines and that they were offered with 16 or 21 seats.

Cadillac truck

Model year	Model rating	Payload sh. tn. / kg	Motor manufacturer	Performance bhp	Wheelbase inches / mm	Remarks
1915-1917	Model A 27.23 HP	2.0 / 1815	R4 Continental	40 bhp	148/3760	Data Model A from 1917.
1915–?	Model B?	0.75 / 680 kg	R4 Continental		128/3251	Model name unclear; is no longer detectable after 1917.
approx. 1916-1917	Model B 19.60 HP	1.0 / 915	R4 Continental	30 bhp	130/3302	Successor to the 0.75 tonner. Year of introduction unclear. Recorded as Acme Model B from 1917; Dates 1917.
1915-1917	Model C 32.4 HP	3.5 / 3175	R4 Continental	48 bhp	168/4267	Data Model C from 1917.

Acme trucks

Model year	Model rating	Payload sh. tn. / kg	Motor manufacturer	Performance bhp	Wheelbase inches / mm	Remarks
1917 - ca.1918	Military ambulance					no technical data available.
1917 - ca.1923	Model A 27.23 HP	2.0 / 1815	R4 Continental	40 bhp	148/3760	Timken rear axle
1917 - ca.1923	Model B 19.60 HP	1.0 / 915	R4 Continental	30 bhp	130/3302	Timken rear axle
1917 - ca.1923	Model C 32.4 HP	3.5 / 3175	R4 Continental	48 bhp	168/4267	Timken rear axle
1924 - approx. 1931	Flyer	1.0 / 907	R4 Continental S-4		130/3302
1924 - approx. 1931	Model 20L	1.5 / 1360	R4 Continental 8R		136/3454
1924 - approx. 1931	Model 40	2.0 / 1815	R4 Continental J-4		141/3581
1924 - approx. 1931	Model 40L	2.0 / 1815	R4 Continental K-4		147/3734
1924 - approx. 1931	Model K	3.0 / 2720	R4 Continental 6B		200/5080
1924 - approx. 1931	Model 60	3.0 / 2720	R4 Continental K-4
1924 - approx. 1931	Model 60L	3.0 / 2720	R4 Continental L-4
1924 - approx. 1931	Model 90	4.0 / 3630	R4 Continental L-4			The payload is only used indirectly.
1919 - approx. 1931	Model 90L	5.0 / 4530	R4 Continental B-5			A five-tonne truck can be proven by an advertisement from 1919. The payload is only used indirectly.
1925-1926	Model 125	6.0 / 5440	R4 Continental B-5

Acme tractors

Model year	model	Motor manufacturer	Trailer load
1924 - approx. 1931	Model 40	R4 Continental J-4
1924 - approx. 1931	Model 40L	R4 Continental K-4
1924 - approx. 1931	Model 60	R4 Continental K-4
1924 - approx. 1931	Model 60L	R4 Continental L-4
1924 - approx. 1931	Model 90	R4 Continental L-4
1924 - approx. 1931	Model 90L	R4 Continental B-5
1925 - approx. 1931	Model 125	R4 Continental B-5
1927 - ca.1931		R6 Continental	7.5 sh.tn. 6803 kg

Remarks

↑ Predecessor formula for SAE-PS . The NACC ( National Automobile Chamber of Commerce ) was an association of the automotive industry founded in 1913 and the successor to the ALAM ( Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers ). It adopted the standard introduced in 1903. The benefit is calculated; Cylinder bore ² × number of cylinders; the result is divided by the constant 2.5. This method was also used by the RAC in the UK.
↑ according to NACC

literature

Albert Mroz: Illustrated Encyclopedia of American Trucks and Commercial Vehicles. Krause Publications, Iola WI, 1996; ISBN 0-87341-368-7 .
Albert Mroz: American Cars, Trucks and Motorcycles of World War I: Illustrated Histories of 224 Manufacturers. McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, Jefferson NC, 2006; ISBN 0-78643-967-X .
John A. Gunnell (Ed.): Standard Catalog of American Light Duty Trucks, 1896-1986. MBI Motor Books International, Osceola WI, 1993; ISBN 0-87341-238-9 .
GN Georgano (Ed.), G. Marshall Naul: Complete Encyclopedia of Commercial Vehicles. MBI Motor Books International, Osceola WI, 1979; ISBN 0-87341-024-6 .
Beverly Rae Kimes (ed.), Henry Austin Clark Jr.: Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942. 3. Edition. Krause Publications, Iola WI; 1996; ISBN 978-0-87341-428-9 .
National Automobile Chamber of Commerce : Handbook of Automobiles 1915–1916. Dover Publications, 1970.

Web links

Commons : Cadillac Auto Truck Company - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

trombinoscar.com: US truck (French) (accessed March 23, 2018)
fineartamerica.com: Image of an Acme Model 125 (1926) . (Accessed March 24, 2018)

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z ^aa ^ab ^ac ^ad ^ae ^af ^ag ^ah ^ai ^aj ^ak ^al ^am ^an Mroz: Illustrated Encyclopedia of American Trucks and Commercial Vehicles. 1996, pp. 8-9 (Acme).
^ ^A ^b ^c Gunnell: Standard Catalog of American Light Duty Trucks, 1896-1986. 1993, p. 676. (Cadillac Truck).
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Mroz: American Cars, Trucks and Motorcycles of World War I. 2009, pp. 8–9 (Acme A, B, C; 1917–1918).
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Mroz: American Cars, Trucks and Motorcycles of World War I. 2009, pp. 8-9 (Acme).
^ Schrader, Norbye: The truck lexicon. All brands 1900 to today. 1998, p. 6 (Acme).
^ Gunnell: Standard Catalog of American Light Duty Trucks, 1896-1986. 1993, p. 741. (United, div.).
↑ ^a ^b Mroz: Illustrated Encyclopedia of American Trucks and Commercial Vehicles. 1996, pp. 388-389 (United Motor Truck).
↑ trombinoscar.com: US truck .
↑ ^a ^b Georgano, Naul: Complete Encyclopedia of Commercial Vehicles. 1979, pp. 24-25 (Acme)

[9] Predecessor formula for SAE-PS . The NACC ( National Automobile Chamber of Commerce ) was an association of the automotive industry founded in 1913 and the successor to the ALAM ( Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers ). It adopted the standard introduced in 1903. The benefit is calculated; Cylinder bore ² × number of cylinders; the result is divided by the constant 2.5. This method was also used by the RAC in the UK.

[10] rding to NACC

[MrozIll(1996)8–9-1] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z ^aa ^ab ^ac ^ad ^ae ^af ^ag ^ah ^ai ^aj ^ak ^al ^am ^an Mroz: Illustrated Encyclopedia of American Trucks and Commercial Vehicles. 1996, pp. 8-9 (Acme).

[Gunnell(1993)676-2] A ^b ^c Gunnell: Standard Catalog of American Light Duty Trucks, 1896-1986. 1993, p. 676. (Cadillac Truck).

[MrozWW1(2009)6-3] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Mroz: American Cars, Trucks and Motorcycles of World War I. 2009, pp. 8–9 (Acme A, B, C; 1917–1918).

[MrozWW1(2009)5-4] Mroz: American Cars, Trucks and Motorcycles of World War I. 2009, pp. 8-9 (Acme).

[SchraderLKW(1998)6-5] Schrader, Norbye: The truck lexicon. All brands 1900 to today. 1998, p. 6 (Acme).

[Gunnell(1993)741-6] Gunnell: Standard Catalog of American Light Duty Trucks, 1896-1986. 1993, p. 741. (United, div.).

[MrozIll(1996)388–389-7] Mroz: Illustrated Encyclopedia of American Trucks and Commercial Vehicles. 1996, pp. 388-389 (United Motor Truck).

[trombino-8] trombinoscar.com: US truck .

[GeorganoNaul(1979)24–25-11] Georgano, Naul: Complete Encyclopedia of Commercial Vehicles. 1979, pp. 24-25 (Acme)