Apex Motor Corporation

Apex Motor Corporation
legal form	Corporation
founding	1919 (Apex Motor Car Co.), 1921 (Apex Motor Corp.)
resolution	1923
Reason for dissolution	Closing after takeover
Seat	Ypsilanti ( Michigan , USA )
management	FE Earnest, Fred M. Guy, OW Heinz, Harry T. Hanover
Branch	Automobile manufacturer , body shop

The Apex Motor Corporation was a short-lived American automobile manufacturers in the early 1920s. The brand name was Ace .

Company history

The company was founded in 1919 by FE Earnest as the Apex Motor Car Company . Earnest was a car dealer from Seattle ( Washington ) and had difficulties getting new cars because, on the one hand, the manufacturers in the aftermath of the First World War were only in the process of converting to peace production and, on the other hand, the market was very dry.

Suitable building land in an industrial complex was found on South River Street in Ypsilanti (Michigan) , which was closer to the automobile construction centers and thus the suppliers than Seattle. Construction began in October 1919 and production began in January 1920. He brought in OW Heinz as President , who came with the new Technical Director and Vice President Fred M. Guy of the Hackett Motor Car Company in Grand Rapids, Michigan . Guy had previously been the chief engineer there. As early as April 1920, the company, which was initially focused on the west coast, began delivering.

The Ace was a conventionally constructed, typical assembled car , i.e. assembled from purchased components. Its most noticeable features were the unusually elegant appearance, which Earnest attached great importance as a seller, and a new type of engine.

Disc valve motor

Since about 1910 Guy worked on the development of a water-cooled four-stroke - flat valve engine with a valve control via gears instead of a camshaft . A four-cylinder - prototypes he had completed yet at Hackett. Due to the closure of the company, there was no longer any planned series production of a corresponding car and Guy brought the engine to Apex.

In line with the higher price range of the Ace compared to the Hackett , the engine has now been further developed as a six-cylinder . Earnest needed vehicles in their salesrooms as quickly as possible and therefore pushed for production to start quickly - possibly too quickly, because the Guy Disc Valve engine did not have a great future at Apex .

Apex Motor Corporation

At first the project got off to a promising start. The Apex Motor Corporation quickly became a national focus from what was initially regional. These larger plans are to be seen in the light of a reorganization that brought new management, a renaming of the company to Apex Motor Corporation and, with new capital, new owners. Success in this dynamic phase led Guy and Heinz to take on other tasks outside of Apex Motor Corporation in April 1921, apparently in agreement with the management . It is unclear whether they worked for Apex in a different form afterwards.

However, there were close personal ties between the two companies. The new President of Apex, Harry T. ("HT") Hanover , was also on the board of Guy Disc Valve , which included Frank L. Klingensmith , previously Ford's long-time CFO and now one of the three owners of Gray Motor Corporation . Even Frank F. Beall , another Gray-owner, sat with Guy Disc Valve on the board. Nevertheless, one source cites inexperienced management as the cause of the sudden decline that is now beginning.

The fact is that shortly after taking office, Hanover had to negotiate with suppliers to defer payments by one year. At least he was able to draw on the full potential at first, because for 1922 there was a veritable product offensive with several series - three or four, depending on the counting method. That was more than some volume manufacturers like Ford , Chevrolet or Dodge could or wanted to offer. There were now three wheelbases and four engines. A four-cylinder as well as a smaller and a larger six-cylinder, obtained from three different manufacturers, were new. This variety of products of course largely prevented compatibility among the series, with corresponding consequences for warehouse and spare parts management.

Most of the new models were given additional names from the military sector. The vehicles were still attractive, but they hardly differed from the many other ready-made cars on the market.

After their departure, Guy and Heinz briefly pursued the project of their own automobile production, which was likely to come onto the market with the flat slide engine. The Heinz Motor Company was given up at the project stage. Instead, they switched to the production of their engine and founded the Guy Disc Valve Motor Company in Ypsilanti , whose management and board included personalities who were also associated with Apex, the Gray Motor Corporation and the Diamond Taxicab Company .

Premiere at the Commodore Hotel

As early as January 1921, the Ace was presented in the lobby of the Hotel Commodore in New York City, which had only opened two years earlier . The hotel could offer the largest room in the world at the time. It almost immediately became a popular platform for introducing new makes and models of cars. This was especially true during the New York Motor Show , which was also held in January , when many representatives and influential personalities from the automotive industry stayed at the Commodore . The Duesenberg Model A was only presented here for the first time the year before and the first Chrysler also followed here in 1924 . Such an expensive premiere indicates not exactly tight finances and only made sense if the vehicle was to be marketed throughout the USA. An attractive coupé with four to five seats, sometimes called a coupé sedan , was also on display , which looked like a custom-made product to the visitors. There are various factory illustrations of these that indicate a Club Coupé with four to five seats. This is a hybrid of a coupé and a two-door sedan, respectively. Coach with a comparatively large interior and a trunk .

styling

This American HCS Series 4 Type 4 from 1923, built by Harry C. Stutz , relied on the same stylistic features as the Ace : "helmet" fenders, running boards, free-hanging spare wheel and drum headlights.

The vehicles on display showed other sporty and elegant details that future Ace should also wear. This included radiator grills painted in body color instead of nickel-plated to make the car appear longer. Very fashionable and also dernier crie in Europe were "helmet-shaped" fenders (this refers to fenders that protrude close to the wheel and protrude below without a transition to the footboard; the profile is reminiscent of antique helmets) in conjunction with a nickel-plated step per door instead of a continuous footboard. Bodybuilders such as Binder , Gallé , Kellner or Saoutchik had triggered this trend.

Taxi project

An article in the journal Automobile Topics on July 8, 1922 explains the reasons for the restructuring at Apex . Accordingly, there were plans of the President of the New York taxi company Black & White Cab Company , Nat D. Jacoby , to set up another taxi company in New York under the name Diamond Taxicab Company., Inc. Its specialty should be a taxi specially developed for it.

This should be produced by the Diamond Taxicab Company in Ypsilanti (no reference to Diamond T ). The company was to be organized as a joint venture of the Gray Motor Corporation , the Apex Motor Corporation and the Guy Disc Valve Engine Corporation. President of the society was the US Senator from Oklahoma and lawyer Robert L. Owen (1856-1947), who was also a member of the board of directors of Guy Disc Valve Motor .

Obvious, but not proven, is the assumption that the taxi should have the Guy valve motor. The report in Automobile Topics mentions an order from the operating company for 250 Diamond taxis; the Diamond Taxicab Company secured an option for an area in Ypsilanti.

The exterior of the Elcar L4 Taxi corresponds to the prototype built at Apex (1922).

Elcar L4 taxi with the roof closed (1922).

The vehicle was a landaulet with small and easily replaceable windows. It was designed and offered by Elcar Motor Company in Elkhart . Jacoby had attached his wishes to it. A prototype was built at Apex Motor in 1922 .

As early as August, these plans had failed, as Automobile Topics reported on the 12th of the month. According to this, Jacoby had meanwhile taken control of the aforementioned prototype, its construction plans and distribution rights. A new holding company has been announced for the operating company in New York ; the concept should be carried over to all major US cities. The taxi was to be built entirely by the Driggs-Seabury Ordnance Corporation in New Haven, Connecticut ; the company had automotive experience since 1912, with which Driggs-Seabury also built a cyclecars (and others for manufacturers like Twombly ); it is currently building the Driggs small car, which is not very successful in the market .

But this should not be the last word either. Driggs got into financial trouble. The company saved itself from bankruptcy, but lost the taxi order. Until the final closure in 1925, its own taxi was produced. With the Elcar Motor Car Company in Elkhart (Indiana), Jacoby found a manufacturer for the Diamond , which was built parallel to the company's own taxi models Elfay , Martel and Royal Martel . At least 1000 Diamond taxis were built, but Apex only built the prototype mentioned .

Sale and closure

In the course of 1923 the Apex Motor Corporation was taken over by the American Motor Truck Company in Newark (Ohio) , which for a short time manufactured bodies for their buses here . Although the company announced that it would have to double its capacity, production appears to have ended soon. Nothing is known about the further use of the plant on South River Street .

Model history

Ace Model T and Rotary Six

Ace Rotary Six Model G 5-passenger coupe-sedan (1921).

Initially, only one model, the Ace Six Model T , appeared in a single version as a Touring . The body looked modern and exuded the flair of handcrafted custom , but it wasn't. The production version of the Guy six-cylinder engine developed 57 bhp (43 kW). As with all Ace, the power was transmitted via a three-speed gearbox and cardan drive. In September 1920, a vehicle was shown at the Michigan State Fair .

In 1921, the successor Rotary Six Model G was presented. It received the Guy Disc Valve Motor and was technically very similar to the Model T. The wheelbase was significantly longer at 123 inches (3124 mm). As shown in New York, the Rotary Six was also available as an attractive coupé sedan with 4 to 5 seats.

Unfortunately there is no information about the prices, but the key data are those of a car in the upper middle class and on the edge of the luxury class. This was a competitive segment for countless small and also important brands; well-known representatives are the Cadillac V8 Type 59 , the Chrysler B-70 , the Oldsmobile Six Model 37 or the Packard Single Six, also introduced in 1920 . The Rotary Six was the last Ace with a Guy valve motor; the following models received bought-in engines of conventional design.

Ace model H and L

Model H seems to have been introduced afterwards. The 4.7 liter (288.6 ci) six-cylinder was of Herschell-Spillman in North Tonawanda ( New York -related). It was a reliable, very conventional design with upright valves (one inlet and one outlet valve each ) and a triple-bearing crankshaft . Bore and stroke were 88.9 mm respectively. 127 mm. The version used for the Ace had a Stromberg carburetor . Depending on the source, the output was 64 bhp (48 kW) or 68 bhp (501 kW) at 2550 rpm. The chassis should have been the same as that of the Ace Model T; However, there are different sources for the wheelbase: 123 inches (3124 mm) like the Rotary Six or 117 inches (2972 mm). The artillery wheels were 32 × 4½ inches.

The model H was again only available as a Touring. The list price was US $ 2050, not little at a time when a Ford Model T Touring was only US $ 415, but only about half the price of a Cadillac Type 61 or Packard Single Six . This was put into perspective with a price cut by the major manufacturers; however, it is not known whether Apex also had to adjust prices.

The smaller model L had a side-controlled version of the Herschell-Spillman engine with 248.9 ci (4078 cm³; bore / stroke = 82.55 / 127 mm) displacement and Stromberg carburetor. Depending on the source, it achieved 57 bhp (43 kW) resp. 59 bhp (44.0 kW). The vehicle was available as a touring and possibly also as a coupé sedan.

Ace Pub Model F

The 1922 Ace models were also attractive. Many were given fashionable rim covers over the spoke wheels. The Ace Pup Model F , sometimes referred to as the 35-40 model , was the brand's new entry-level model . Most sources name a side-controlled four-cylinder engine with 43 bhp (32 kW) purchased from Gray-Bell ; one calls it Ace Super Power and gives a displacement of 192.4 ci (3153 cm³; bore / stroke = 88.9 / 127 mm); accordingly, Scoe carburetors were used. The vehicle had a wheelbase of 114 inches (2896 mm) and was available as a roadster, touring and, according to a single source, a sedan ; The latter designation also relates with a high degree of probability to a version of the occupied, very spacious six-cylinder coupé, which the factory occasionally referred to as a coupé-sedan . The two-seat roadster and the five-seat touring cost US $ 1295 each.

Ace Scout Model L

The Model L became the Scout Model L in 1922 and at the same time became the brand's medium range. Technically, the vehicle probably corresponded to the L of the previous year. The coupe sedan was no longer offered, instead there was a roadster. Like the Touring, this cost US $ 2250.

The information on the wheelbase varies slightly; the most commonly mentioned is 117 inches (2972 mm).

Ace 35-70

One source also lists a model Ace 35-70 with a wheelbase of 117 inches. The engine listed is the Herschell-Spillman Six with 4.7 liters and Stromberg carburetor (no power specification), as it was used for the H model in the previous year. It was only available as a sedan.

This model is a bit irritating. Located between Scout and Combat , it probably only made sense if Apex was able to reduce any remaining stocks of the Model H - or at least its engines. No other source names an Apex sedan; therefore the 4-5-seater coupé sedan is meant, which was already shown in New York. In fact, the 35-70 can be seen as a closed and more powerful version of the Scout .

Ace Combat Model C

The brand's new top model, the Combat Model C , was an impressive sight. Its engine was the Continental 6 TA six-cylinder with 340.6 ci (5582 cm³; bore / stroke = 92.08 / 139.7 mm). This also side-controlled motor was used by many manufacturers of luxury automobiles; With 77 bhp (57 kW) it ran smoothly and was so powerful that it could keep up with the established competition, including the V8 models from Cadillac or Cole . In Ace Combat , he also received a Stromberg carburettor. The wheelbase was 120 inches (3,048 mm).

There were three versions: Roadster and Speedster at US $ 2975 and a Touring at US $ 3150. Unusually, the Speedster did not have a shortened chassis. With deeply cut out doors, a shortened "boat tail" ("Boattail") and two barrel-shaped tanks behind it, as well as side-mounted spare wheels, it was nevertheless a very sporty appearance. At least one Ace Combat received a special body as a Dual Cowl Landau . What is meant is a touring with an additional windshield in front of the rear passengers and a Victoria hood (better known today as a "stroller hood "). This had storm stirrups on the outside and small oval discs.

At least Combat and Scout received the newly emerging, fashionable drum-shaped headlights.

Market position

Ace automobiles were positioned at the top of their respective market segments. In terms of performance and price, the six-cylinder units represented the upper middle and upper classes of their time.

brand	model	body	Cyl.	Performance bhp	List price	comment
Ace	Combat Model C	Touring , 5-pl.	R6	77	US $ 2975
Auburn	6-51	Touring	R6	50 (?)	US $ 3250
Buick	Six Series 40	Touring, 5-pl.	R6	60	US $ 1795
Cadillac	Type 61	Touring, 7-pl.	V8	80	US $ 3940 US $ 3150 US $ 2885	Price reductions
Cole	Aero Eight 890	Touring, 7-pl.	V8	80	US $ 2485
Packard	Single six	Touring, 5-pl.	R6	52	US $ 2485
Packard	Twin Six Series 3	Touring, 5-pl.	V12	90	US $ 3835

The pup was an attractively styled but very conventional representative of the middle class. He faced stiff competition, including models from Buick , Oldsmobile , Studebaker , Hudson , Nash , Reo and Maxwell .

The Ace Combat can best be compared with the Cole Aero Eight 890 . The latter was a slightly more powerful eight-cylinder, but was also composed of purchased components.

Model overview

construction time	Model name Alternative	Cyl.	Cubic capacity c.i. / cm³	Power bhp / kW	engine	Wheelbase inches / mm	body	Factory price
1920	Six Model T	R6		57 / 42.5	Guy Disc Valve	115/2921	Touring
1921	Rotary Six Model G.	R6		57 / 42.5	Guy Disc Valve	123/3124	Touring
1921	Rotary Six Model G.	R6		57 / 42.5	Guy Disc Valve	123/3124	Coupe
1921	Six Model H	R6	288.6 4730	68 / 50.7	Herschell-Spillman	117/2972	Touring	US $ 2050
1921	Six Model L	R6	248.9 4078	59 / 44.0	Herschell-Spillman	117/2972	Touring 5 seats
1921	Six Model L	R6	248.9 4078	59 / 44.0	Herschell-Spillman	117/2972	Coupé-Sedan 4-5 seats
1922	Pub model F 34-40	R4	192.4 3153	43 / 32.1	Gray-Bell	114/2896	Touring 5 seats	US $ 1295
1922	Pub model F 34-40	R4	192.4 3153	43 / 32.1	Gray-Bell	114/2896	Roadster 2 seats	US $ 1295
1922	Pub model F 34-40	R4	192.4 3153	43 / 32.1	Gray-Bell	114/2896	Coupé-Sedan 4-5 seats	US $ 1295
1922	Scout Model L 30-60	R6	248.9 4078	59 / 44.0	Herschell-Spillman	117/2972	Touring 5 seats	US $ 2260
1922	Scout Model L 30-60	R6	248.9 4078	59 / 44.0	Herschell-Spillman	117/2972	Roadster 2 seats	US $ 2260
1922	35-70	R6	288.6 4730		Herschell-Spillman	117/2972	Coupé sedan
1922	Combat Model C 35-80	R6	340.6 5582	77 / 57.4	Continental	120/3048	Touring 5 seats	US $ 2975
1922	Combat Model C 35-80	R6	340.6 5582	77 / 57.4	Continental	120/3048	Roadster 2 seats	US $ 2975
1922	Combat Model C 35-80	R6	340.6 5582	77 / 57.4	Continental	120/3048	Speedster 3 seats	US $ 3150

This is provisional information due to incomplete technical data.

There is also no reliable information about the number of units built; the most common is 256 units. In early brochures the industrial complex in Ypsilanti where the Ace was built was shown. It was not mentioned that only one floor was used by the apex.

Ace automobiles today

No existing Ace automobile is known to exist. The Ypsilanti Automotive Heritage Museum has offered a reward of US $ 5,000 for clues leading to such a finding.

Remarks

1. ↑ Further explanations on the discussion page .
2. ↑ Further explanations on the discussion page .
3. ↑ Further explanations on the discussion page .
4. ↑ Further explanations on the discussion page .
5. ↑ Further explanations on the discussion page .
6. ↑ Further explanations on the discussion page .
7. ↑ Further explanations on the discussion page .
8. ↑ Further explanations on the discussion page .
9. ↑ The data was compiled from BR Kimes / HA Clark: Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942 (1996) and carfolio.com: Specifications: Ace model types . Carfolio mentions an in-house four-cylinder engine for the pub ; the other sources name Gray-Bell as the manufacturer.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h} mychurchgrowth.com: Ace 1920-1922
2. ↑ american-automobiles.com: The Ace Automobile & The Apex Motor Corporation
3. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r} Kimes / Clark: Standard Catalog (1996), p. 14
4. ^ Georgano: Complete Encyclopedia of Motorcars (1973), p. 74
5. ↑ ^{a b} Kimes / Clark: Standard Catalog (1996), p. 694
6. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i} coachbuilt.com: Driggs Ordnance & Manufacturing Corp.
7. ↑ ^{a b c d} ypsiautoheritage.org: Apex Motors
8. ↑ ^{a b} Burness, Car Spotter's Guide 1920-1939, p. 7
9. ↑ Kimes / Clark: Standard Catalog (1996), pp. 452-453
10. ↑ ^{a b} Kimes / Clark: Standard Catalog (1996), p. 493
11. ↑ Kimes / Clark: Standard Catalog (1996), p. 520
12. ↑ ^{a b} ypsilantihistoricalsociety.org: History / Ace Automobile - 1920-1922
13. ↑ mychurchgrowth.com: Ace 1920-1922; Advert from 1921
14. ↑ ^{a b c d} carfolio.com: Specifications: 1921 Ace H
15. ↑ Kimes / Clark: Standard Catalog (1996), p. 538
16. ↑ ^{a b} Kimes / Clark: Standard Catalog (1996), p. 214
17. ↑ ^{a b c} carfolio.com: Specifications: 1921 Ace L
18. ↑ ^{a b c} carfolio.com: Specifications: 1922 Ace Pup 35-40
19. ↑ ^{a b c d e f} Kimes / Clark: Standard Catalog (1996), p. 15
20. ↑ carfolio.com: Specifications: 1922 Ace 35-40 Four Cylinder Sedan
21. ↑ carfolio.com: Specifications: 1922 Ace Scout 30-60
22. ↑ carfolio.com: Specifications: 1922 Ace 35-70 Six Cylinder Sedan
23. ↑ ^{a b c} carfolio.com: Specifications: 1922 Ace Combat 35-80
24. ↑ Kimes / Clark: Standard Catalog (1996), p. 73
25. ↑ Kimes (1996), p. 172
26. ↑ Kimes / Clark: Standard Catalog (1996), p. 353
27. ↑ Kimes / Clark: Standard Catalog (1996), p. 1117
28. ↑ Kimes / Clark: Standard Catalog (1996), p. 1116

literature

• George Nick Georgano (Editor): Complete Encyclopedia of Motorcars, 1885 to the Present ; Dutton Press, New York, 2nd edition (hardcover) 1973, ISBN 0-525-08351-0 (English)
• Beverly Rae Kimes, Henry Austin Clark Jr .: Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942. Krause Publications, Iola 1996, ISBN 978-0-87341-428-9 . (english) (english)
• Beverly Rae Kimes: Pioneers, Engineers, and Scoundrels: The Dawn of the Automobile in America ; Editor SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) Permissions, Warrendale PA (2005), ISBN 0-7680-1431-X (English)
• Tad Burness: American Car Spotter's Guide, 1920-39 ; Motorbooks International, ISBN 0-87938-026-8 (English)

Web links

Commons : Apex-Automobile  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• mychurchgrowth.com: Ace 1920-1922 (accessed August 28, 2014)
• american-automobiles.com: The Ace Automobile & The Apex Motor Corporation (accessed August 28, 2014)
• ypsiautoheritage.org: Apex Motors (accessed February 18, 2016)
• ypsilantihistoricalsociety.org: History / Ace Automobile - 1920-19 (English) (accessed August 14, 2014)
• coachbuilt.com: Driggs Ordnance & Manufacturing Corp. (accessed August 27, 2014)
• coachbuilt.com: Bender Body Company (accessed August 14, 2014)
• douglas-self.com: Rotary-Valve Internal Combustion Engines (accessed August 28, 2014)

Technical specifications

• carfolio.com: Ace car specifications (accessed August 28, 2014)
• carfolio.com: Specifications: 1921 Ace H (accessed August 28, 2014)
• carfolio.com: Specifications: 1921 Ace Model L Touring (accessed August 28, 2014)
• carfolio.com: Specifications: 1922 Ace 35-40 Pup Roadster (accessed August 28, 2014)
• carfolio.com: Specifications: 1922 Ace 35-40 Four Cylinder Sedan (accessed August 28, 2014)
• carfolio.com: Specifications: 1922 Ace 30-60 Scout Roadster (accessed August 28, 2014)
• carfolio.com: Specifications: 1922 Ace 35-70 Six Cylinder Sedan (accessed August 28, 2014)
• carfolio.com: Specifications: 1922 Ace 35-80 Combat Speedster (accessed August 28, 2014)