Austin Automobile Company

Austin Automobile Company
legal form	Company
founding	1902
resolution	1920
Seat	Grand Rapids , Michigan , USA
management	James E. Austin
Branch	Automobiles

Austin Automobile Company was an American manufacturer of automobiles .

Company history

In 1900 James E. Austin bought the Michigan Iron Works in Grand Rapids , Michigan . His son Walter S. Austin 1900 was interested in technology and experimented with vehicles. In 1902 the Austin Automobile Company was founded; maybe it was just a renaming. In December 1902 the first prototype of a car was ready. Series production began in 1903. The brand name was Austin . In the first year, 11 or 13 vehicles were sold depending on the source. The annual production figures were around 25 vehicles in 1904 and 1905 and around 30 vehicles from 1906 to 1919. In the last year of production, 1920, only ten vehicles were built. In total, that's around 500 vehicles. The buyers included William Randolph Hearst and Jack Johnson .

vehicles

On offer were high-priced vehicles that competed with Locomobile and Peerless .

Until 1908, the type designations consisted of the model and the horsepower number in Roman numerals . After that the number was written normally, but did not always correspond to the horsepower number. From 1916 onwards, all models were called Highway King .

At first there were only touring cars , from 1906 there were also runabouts and sedans, and from 1915 roadsters . A brougham is only recorded for 1916.

The prototype had a two-cylinder engine with 16 hp under the seat, a planetary gear and chain drive.

The Model XXV (Roman for 25) had a two-cylinder engine with 25 hp. In 1903 the chassis had a 229 cm wheelbase and in 1904 236 cm wheelbase. In contrast to the prototype, the engine power was transmitted to the rear axle via a cardan shaft .

In 1904 there was also the Model XVI (Roman for 16). Its two-cylinder engine developed 16 hp. The wheelbase was 236 cm. This was the last two-cylinder model.

The Model XXXV was (Roman for 35) the first model with a four-cylinder engine . It made 35 hp. The wheelbase was 254 cm in 1904 and 274 cm in the following year.

At the same time and with the same wheelbases, there was also the Model L (Roman for 50) with a 50 hp four-cylinder engine.

The LX model (Roman for 60) appeared in 1906. Its four-cylinder engine developed 60 hp. The wheelbase was 277 cm in the first year, 295 cm in the second year and 315 cm in the third year.

The model XC (Roman for 90) added to the range in 1907 and 1908. This was the first vehicle with a six-cylinder engine . It came from the Weidely Motors Company and developed 90 hp from a displacement of approximately 13,000 cc . The wheelbase was given as 330 cm in the first year and 340 cm in the following year.

The Model 45 with a six-cylinder engine was available from 1909 to 1912. The engine output was initially given as 45/60 hp and last year as 45/55 hp. The wheelbase was 320 cm.

In the same years there was the Model 50 with a four-cylinder engine. In the first year it was listed with 60 hp, then with 50/70 hp and last year with 48/66 hp. The wheelbase varied from 315 cm in the first year, 351 cm in the second year and 343 cm thereafter.

The model 60 with a six-cylinder engine was in the range from 1909 to 1911. The engine output of 60/90 hp and the wheelbase of 373 cm remained unchanged during this period.

1912 was the only year of production for the Model 70 . Its six-cylinder engine was specified with 49 hp. The wheelbase was 358 cm.

The 1913 Model 55 also only existed for one year. It also had a six-cylinder engine, but specified with 55 hp, and a wheelbase of 358 cm.

The Model 66 existed from 1913 until the differentiated model designations were abandoned in 1915. Six-cylinder engine, 66 hp and 358 cm wheelbase were its data.

The Model 77 of 1913 and 1914 differed from the aforementioned model only by its 77-horsepower engine.

In 1916 the first Highway King appeared . It too had a six-cylinder engine. The specification of 36.04 PS must refer to a special measuring method. The wheelbase was 361 cm.

The second Highway King was in the range from 1917 to 1920 . It was the first and only model with a V12 engine , supplied by Weidely and specified with 39.68 hp. The wheelbase corresponded to the previous year's model.

Model overview

year	model	cylinder	Power ( hp )	Wheelbase (cm)	construction
1903	Model XXV	2	25th	229	Touring car
1904	Model XVI	2	16	236	Touring car
1904	Model XXV	2	25th	236	Touring car
1904	Model XXXV	4th	35	254	Touring car
1904	Model L	4th	50	254	Touring car
1905	Model XXXV	4th	35	274	Touring car
1905	Model L	4th	50	274	Touring car
1906	Model LX	4th	60	277	5-seater touring car, 4-seater runabout
1906	Model LX	4th	60	290	7-seater sedan
1907	Model LX	4th	60	295	8-seater touring car, 8-seater sedan
1907	Model XC	6th	90	330	8-seater touring car, 8-seater sedan
1908	Model LX	4th	60	315	Combination Roadster, Touring Car, Detachable Top Limousine
1908	Model XC	6th	90	340	Combination Roadster, Touring Car, Detachable Top Limousine
1909	Model 45	6th	45/60	320	Touring car, roadster, limousine
1909	Model 50	4th	60	315	Touring car, roadster, limousine
1909	Model 60	6th	60/90	373	Touring car, roadster, limousine
1910	Model 45	6th	45/60	320	5-seater touring car
1910	Model 50	6th	50/70	351	Touring car with 5 to 7 seats
1910	Model 60	6th	60/90	373	7-seater touring car
1911	Model 45	6th	45/60	320	5-seater touring car
1911	Model 50	6th	50/70	343	5 and 7-seater touring cars, limousine
1911	Model 60	6th	60/90	373	7-seater touring car
1912	Model 45	6th	45/55	320	5-seater touring car
1912	Model 50	6th	48/66	343	7-seater touring car
1912	Model 70	6th	49	361	7-seater touring car
1913	Model 55	6th	55	358	Touring car 4-, 5-, 7- and 9-seater, sedan 5- and 7-seater
1913	Model 66	6th	66	358	Touring car 4-, 5-, 7- and 9-seater, sedan 5- and 7-seater
1913	Model 77	6th	77	358	Touring car 4-, 5-, 7- and 9-seater, sedan 5- and 7-seater
1914	Model 66	6th	66	358	Touring car 5 and 7 seats, runabout 4 seats, limousine
1914	Model 77	6th	77	358	7-seater touring car
1915	Model 66	6th	66	358	Touring car 4-, 5- and 6-seater, runabout 3-seater, Close Coupled Roadster, Enclosed Saloon 4- and 5-seater, Saloon 7-seater
1916	Highway King	6th	36.04	361	6-seater touring car, 4-seater roadster, sedan, Vestibule Brougham
1917	Highway King	12	39.68	361	6- and 7-seater touring cars, 2- and 4-seater roadsters, coupé, sedan, limousine
1918	Highway King	12	39.68	361	6-seater touring car, 4-seater roadster, 7-seater sedan, 7-seater sedan
1919-1920	Highway King	12	39.68	361	6-seater touring car, 4-seater roadster, 7-seater sedan, 7-seater sedan

Production numbers

The approximate annual production figures are shown below.

year	Production number
1902	1
1903	13
1904	25th
1905	25th
1906	30th
1907	30th
1908	30th
1909	30th
1910	30th
1911	30th
1912	30th
1913	30th
1914	30th
1915	30th
1916	30th
1917	30th
1918	30th
1919	30th
1920	10
total	494

literature

• Beverly Rae Kimes, Henry Austin Clark Jr .: Standard catalog of American Cars. 1805-1942. Digital edition . 3. Edition. Krause Publications, Iola 2013, ISBN 978-1-4402-3778-2 , pp. 79-82 (English).
• George Nick Georgano (Editor-in-Chief): The Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile. Volume 1: A – F. Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, Chicago 2001, ISBN 1-57958-293-1 , p. 100. (English)

Web links

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

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Beverly Rae Kimes, Henry Austin Clark Jr .: Standard catalog of American Cars. 1805-1942. Digital edition . 3. Edition. Krause Publications, Iola 2013, ISBN 978-1-4402-3778-2 , pp. 79-82 (English).
2. ↑ George Nick Georgano (Editor-in-Chief): The Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile. Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, Chicago 2001, ISBN 1-57958-293-1 , p. 100. (English)