Cole Motor Car Company

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Cole Motor Car Company

logo
legal form Corporation
founding 1904/1908
resolution 1925
Reason for dissolution Business abandonment
Seat Indianapolis ( Indiana ), United States
management Joseph J. Cole
Branch Automobile manufacturer

The Cole Motor Car Company was an American automobile manufacturer from 1908 to 1925 in Indianapolis ( Indiana resident was). The Cole automobiles were luxury cars. The company was one of the first to use V8 engines.

history

The early years

In 1904 Joseph J. Cole bought the Gates-Osborne Carriage Company and renamed it the Cole Carriage Company . There he built his first automobile. It was a high-wheeled buggy with a two-cylinder engine. Legend has it that he forgot to put brakes on the car. On his first test drive, he had to drive in circles until the tank was empty.

At that time, the Cole Carriage Company was building 3,000 wagons a year. Automobile production began in the same year under the direction of the engineer Charles S. Crawford , who later worked for Stutz . The new car was offered as the "Cole Solid Tire Automobile". About 170 copies were sold before Cole correctly ruled that this type of automobile would have no future.

In June 1909 he founded the Cole Motor Car Company and developed a conventional, small car, the Cole 30 . Initially it had a two-cylinder engine that delivered 14 bhp (10.3 kW) and a frame with a 2286 mm wheelbase. The only structure available was a runabout , which he offered with 2, 2/4 or 4 seats. The prices were US $ 725, US $ 750 and US $ 775, respectively. The Cole Solid Tire Automobile was also still available for purchase. About 100 copies were built.

Four cylinder engines

At the end of 1909 a completely new vehicle appeared as Model 1910. To general confusion, it was also named Series 30 . But since this numbering referred to the engine output of 30 bhp (22 kW), it was not lacking in logic. The wheelbase was 2,743 mm. There were four different open structures. The cheapest was the Tourabout for US $ 1400; the others, two touring cars and a runabout called the Flyer , cost US $ 1,500 each. Cole had sold 783 cars by the end of the year.

"Wild Bill" Endicott on a Cole 30 flyer at the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup

The Flyer was quite successful in auto racing too. One car won the 1909 Brighton Beach Marathon, a 24-hour race with 16 participants. Two Cole 30 flyers also took part in the 1910 Massapequa Sweepstakes with William "Wild Bill" Endicott and Louis Edwards at the wheel . Endicott when the prestigious competition with a speed of 203.38 km / h in 2 h 18 min 4.32 s.

The Cole Series 30 got a significantly longer chassis (with a wheelbase of 2997 mm) and new bodies in 1911. A roadster and a touring car with 2 and 5 seats respectively for US $ 1,600 each and a fore-door touring (this meant that it had doors at the back and front) and a toy tonneau (this was a sporty one , narrow body, which was very popular at the time) for 4 passengers at a price of US $ 1,650 each.

A Series 40 replaced the 30 in 1912. This car was larger and had a 3,099 mm wheelbase. It had a more powerful four-cylinder engine with 40 bhp (29 kW) and a displacement of 4,692 cc. The price list started at US $ 1,885 for one of four open bodies. There was also a Colonial Coupe for US $ 2,250 and two sedans for US $ 3,000 and US $ 3,250, respectively. These prices identified the Cole as a luxury car.

The new six-cylinder engine

In 1913, Cole offered no less than three model series: the 40 series, now with 2,946 mm wheelbase, a 50 series with 50 bhp (37 kW) with the chassis of the earlier 40 series and the brand's first six-cylinder cars. This was the 60 series , but it only delivered 40 bhp (29 kW). The wheelbase was an enormous 3,353 mm and the price list was US $ 2,485 for each of the two open bodies, US $ 3,000 for the coupé and an astronomical US $ 4,250 for the 7-seater sedan. The 40 series only had open bodies, a roadster and a touring car for US $ 1,685 each. Series 50 had the same superstructures plus a toy tonneau for US $ 1,985 each. In addition, all Cole got a battery ignition and electric lighting for the first time.

The year 1914 brought a number of changes. The 40 and 50 series were replaced by the new Four model , a four-cylinder car with 28.9 bhp (21.25 kW) output and a wheelbase of 3,048 mm. Roadsters, touring cars and toy tonneaus were on offer for US $ 1,925 each and a coupé with 3 seats for US $ 2,350. The six-cylinder was also renamed and was now called Six . It delivered 43.8 bhp (32.2 kW) and had an even larger chassis with a 3454 mm wheelbase. There was a large touring car with 7 seats and the usual roadster and toy tonneau bodies. All of them cost US $ 2,600.00 each. The coupe was available for US $ 3,000 and the sedan for US $ 4,000.

Sales were low in 1914 and so Cole reduced prices in the 1915 model year. There were new names again. The four was now called the Standard 4-40 . There was no longer any Toy Tonneau from him and the other bodies were significantly cheaper: US $ 1,485 for the two open versions and US $ 1,885 for the coupé. The Six was split into two model lines. The smaller Model 6-50 had a 29 bhp (21.3 kW) engine and a wheelbase of 3,200 mm. As a 4- or 7-seater touring car it cost US $ 1,865 (still less than before the Four), as a roadster US $ 2,465, and as a coupe US $ 2,250. Although the large 6-60 on the chassis of last year's Six with a 3454 mm wheelbase got a powerful 40 bhp (29 kW) engine, the prices were lower than last year's model. Roadsters and touring cars with 7 seats cost US $ 2,465, the coupe US $ 2,750 and the sedan US $ 3,750.

Joseph Cole received at least two offers to buy from William C. Durant , the last after his involuntary departure from General Motors . At that time he tried to set up a new automobile company around Chevrolet . Cole wasn't interested because he feared the company could move to Detroit and the brand would lose its identity there. Instead, he tried with Thomas F. Hart from the Inter-State Automobile Company in Muncie (Indiana) to form an association of up to ten vehicle manufacturers from Indiana based on the General Motors model. The project failed due to the conditions imposed by the banks.

Ready-made automobiles

Cole was able to juggle models and engines however he wanted for two reasons: The first was that the company refused to make an annual model change until 1915 and instead switched to series, which were changed when management needed it held. Many early automobiles were built in this style, e.g. B. Packard stayed with this system until the late 1930s.

The second reason was that the Cole was a ready-made automobile , which means that all important parts, such as engine, clutch, gearbox, axles, etc. were bought in from other companies. Automakers who worked in this way had a slightly lower reputation than those with greater vertical integration. For Cole, however, this was not only the easier way to build cars, but Joseph Cole argued that a car manufacturer who produced its own components could not possibly do so with the same quality as a specialist company. Cole, on the other hand, would carefully analyze the components and use the best possible. That is why he preferred the term " standardized car " (Ger .: standardized automobile) over the usual " assembled car " (Ger .: ready-made automobile ). At the same time he annoyed Henry M. Leland , the president of the rival Cadillac , which was advertised with the slogan Standard of the World .

The Cole V8

Big news came in mid-1915. Just a year after Cadillac unveiled the first V8 from a US manufacturer, and around the same time that the mighty Cunningham V8 was introduced, Cole brought out his own V8 - and it should stay with it until the closure of his company, whereby from 1916 the four- and six-cylinder engines were discontinued. This engine had a displacement of 5,675 cm³ and made 39.2 bhp (28.8 kW). It was built by GM's Northway division, which also made the V8 for Cadillac. The car was called Model 8-50. It had a wheelbase of 3,226 mm. There were five different structures at prices between US $ 1,785 and US $ 3,250. The goal was, of course, to compete with Cadillac, Stearns-Knight , who brought out their V8 sleeve valve engine in 1916, and Lozier , who in the last year of their existence lowered their prices significantly to the level of Cole.

The prices were higher. B. Mercer , McFarlan or Packard, whose prices started at US $ 3,000.00, or Kissel with three large model ranges of four- and six-cylinder cars that were only slightly cheaper.

There were few changes in 1917. The car was now called the Model 860 . There were five different structures and about the same price level as last year. Some bodies were given adventurous names such as “Tuxedo Roadster”, “Tourcoupe” or “Toursedan”, from which a “Foredoor Toursedan” existed (probably a 2-door sedan). 4,193 Cole automobiles were produced that year.

Aggressive Marketing

Cole Aero-Eight (1919)
Cole Motor Car Company stock dated June 6, 1919

The new way of marketing became even clearer in 1918. The advertising slogans were e.g. B. “There's a Touch of Tomorrow In All Cole Does Today” (German: In everything Cole does today, there is a trace of tomorrow) or “Did You Ever Go Balloning in a Cole?” (German: goods Do you ever balloon in a cole?). The latter slogan referred to the balloon tires, which were offered for the first time at an additional cost this year and which became standard equipment in 1925. The car was advertised as the Aero-Eight (abroad as the 870 model). There were only three different bodies left, a roadster, a "Sportster" and the obligatory touring car. They cost US $ 2,395 each and had space for 2, 4 or 7 passengers. The cars were also given a design that corresponded to fashion.

In 1919, the 870 Aero-Eight was technically largely the same as the previous year's model, but there were now seven different bodies with prices between US $ 2,595 and US $ 3,795 for the new Town Car and the Tour Coupe. Some closed bodies had an octagonal third side window as a rather dubious detail of beauty. That year 6,225 coles were created.

The Aero-Eight model 880 for 1920 was announced as “The Forecast of Future Fashions” (German: “The anticipation of future fashions”). The advertisement also claimed that 15,000 miles (over 24,000 km) was possible without changing tires. There were only three different structures, all of them open. A roadster with 2 seats and a speedster with 4 seats for US $ 2,750 each and a tourster (= touring car) for US $ 2,850. But the imaginative product names went even further: Sportsedan and Sportcoupe may still have sounded quite ordinary, but today “Sportosine” and “Tourosine” for some closed bodies are not without a certain comedy. These cars were fitted with adjustable "storm-tested" windshields that tilted slightly backwards. Cole now used Johnson carburetors and introduced one-piece rear axles and brake adjusters. The rear axle ratio (until 1922) was 4.45: 1. A new power measurement was introduced and replaced the old one from the NACC. The Cole V8 now had 80 bhp (59 kW), although it remained with Cole until the automotive industry was discontinued. The prices had risen somewhat and were now US $ 2,750 - 3,995.

The Cole models from 1921 were only slightly changed. Most of the strange design names disappeared, but “Sportosine” and “Tourosine” remained. There were eight different bodies and they were significantly more expensive: US $ 3,250 for the open car and between US $ 4,250 and US $ 4,450 for the closed.

The end

In 1922, Cole opened a larger factory. However, sales plummeted, mainly due to a brief but massive economic recession. Although there were more models and prices were drastically reduced (in most cases to a level below 1918/1919) , only 1,722 copies of the Aero Eight 890 , as it was called that year, could be built. The wheelbase was increased by ¼ ″ (26 mm) and the frame ends split. The sports coupé weighed 1,882 kg and, equipped with a 75 mph speedometer, cost US $ 3,385.

The changes to the Cole of the 890 series in 1923 were limited to modern headlights in cylindrical housings, air inlets on the bulkhead and a new windshield with adjustable upper half on the open car. The wire-spoke wheels, which replaced the old wooden-spoke wheels in the series, were also among the elegant details. Fashionable disc wheels were available on request. Only this year there was a sporty touch on some cars, which consisted in the fact that the running boards did not extend over the entire length of the vehicle, but were interrupted in the area of ​​the spare wheels mounted on the chassis. Again there were eight different bodies. The open versions were a bit more expensive, while the prices for the closed versions stayed the same. The most expensive version from 1922, the “Tourosine” for US $ 4,185.00, was no longer available and the strange names - with the exception of “Sportsedan” - had also disappeared. Only 1,522 cars left the factory that year.

Faced with this situation, and because he was not yet in debt, JJ Cole decided in 1924 to close his company instead of jeopardizing his assets by continuing inefficient manufacturing. It is therefore no wonder that the old model 890, only slightly changed, found its way into the showrooms as the Master series. All models again had running boards over the full length of the vehicle. There were seven different bodies and the prices had dropped again significantly: open bodies cost US $ 2,175, the coupé US $ 2,750 and the other closed versions US $ 3,075. This year a Cole was given the honor of starting the Indy 500 race as a pace car .

Before the curtain finally fell, there were five models in 1925. Balloon tires measuring 34 ″ × 7.3 ″ were now part of the standard equipment and the cars were given new, two-part bumpers at the rear, which were called "bumperettes". Although Joseph Cole began liquidating his company in early 1925, 607 cars still left the factory. Cole died unexpectedly of an infection on August 8, 1925, shortly before he could have completed the liquidation of his company.

Models

Cole from 1919
Cole from 1920-1922
model Construction period cylinder power wheelbase
Model 30 1909 2 row 14 bhp (10.3 kW) 2286 mm
Series 30 1910 4 row 30 bhp (22 kW) 2743 mm
Series 30 1911 4 row 30 bhp (22 kW) 2997 mm
Fourty 1912 4 row 40 bhp (29 kW) 2946 mm
Fourty 1913 4 row 40 bhp (29 kW) 3099 mm
Fifty 1913 4 row 50 bhp (37 kW) 3099 mm
Sixty 1913 6 row 40 bhp (29 kW) 3353 mm
Four 1914 4 row 28.9 bhp (21.25 kW) 3048 mm
Six 1914 6 row 43.8 bhp (32.2 kW) 3454 mm
Standard 4-40 1915 4 row 40 bhp (29 kW) 3048 mm
Model 6-50 1915 6 row 29 bhp (21.3 kW) 3200 mm
Big Six 6-60 1915 6 row 60 bhp (44 kW) 3454 mm
Model 8-50 1916 8 V 39.2 bhp (28.8 kW) 3226 mm
Series 860 1917 8 V 39.2 bhp (28.8 kW) 3226 mm
Series 870 1918-1919 8 V 39.2 bhp (28.8 kW) 3226 mm
Aero Eight 880 1920-1921 8 V 80 bhp (59 kW) 3226 mm
Aero Eight 890 1922 8 V 80 bhp (59 kW) 3232 mm
Series 890 1923-1925 8 V 80 bhp (59 kW) 3232 mm

literature

  • John Bentley: Cole , The Old Car Book, No. 168, Fawcett Books, (1952), p. 107
  • Beverly Rae Kimes (Eds.) & Henry Austin Clark Jr.: Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942 , Krause Publications, Iola WI (1985); ISBN 0-87341-045-9 .
  • Tad Burness: American Car Spotter's Guide 1920-1939 , Motorbooks International, (1975): ISBN 0-87938-026-8 .
  • Beverly Rae Kimes: Pioneers, Engineers, and Scoundrels: The Dawn of the Automobile in America. Ed. SAE ( Society of Automotive Engineers ) Permissions, Warrendale PA 2005; ISBN 0-7680-1431-X .
  • James J. Flink: America Adopts the Automobile - 1895-1910 , MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), 1970; ISBN 0-262 06036-1 .
  • Robert D. Dluhy: American Automobiles of the Brass Era: Essential Specifications of 4,000+ Gasoline Powered Passenger Cars, 1906-1915, with a Statistical and Historical Overview. Mcfarland & Co Inc. publishers, Jefferson NC (2013); ISBN 0-7864-7136-0 .
  • Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers : Handbook of Gasoline Automobiles / 1904-1905-1906. Dover Publications, 1969.
  • National Automobile Chamber of Commerce : Handbook of Automobiles 1915–1916. Dover Publications, 1970.

Web links

Commons : Cole  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Vanderbilt Cup races
  2. a b Kimes: Pioneers, Engineers, and Scoundrels (2005), p. 353