Gibson Manufacturing Corporation
| Gibson | |
|---|---|
| legal form | Gibson Manufacturing Corporation |
| founding | 1946 |
| Seat | Longmont, Colorado, USA |
| management | Wilber Gibson |
| Branch | Tractor construction, forklift construction |
The Gibson Manufacturing Corporation was a US engineering company. Between 1946 and 1952, around 50,000 to 60,000 Gibson tractors in the power range between 6 hp and 40 hp were sold.
history
Gibson Manufacturing Corporation from Longmont ( Colorado ) was founded in March 1946 by Wilber Gibson. His father Harry Gibson built railcars in his company in Seattle (Washington) and had already started showing an interest in tractor construction there. Production began in Longmont as it was a small agricultural community at the time, with little or no industry, so unionized workers were not to be expected. On the contrary, the population and local politicians were happy that one entrepreneur invested millions of dollars and offered hundreds of jobs.
In addition to tractors, forklifts were also produced, which were mainly bought by the government for use in the navy . In 1952 the company was sold to Helene Curtis Industries of Chicago in Illinois , which stopped manufacturing tractors. The company's decline and relatively quick end was the result of several factors. The intensified competition in combination with the fact that the two branches of forklift production and tractor construction were competing internally were probably the decisive factors. The company's founder, Wilbur Gibson, died of a heart attack in 1959 at the age of 44.
Products
Model A was built first. This was a 6 hp tractor with a dead weight of 397 kg. Like the following models, the D , SD and Super D , it was powered by an air-cooled single-cylinder engine . Like all little Gibsons, it was steered with a lever mounted to the right of the seat. To drive to the left it had to be pushed forward, to drive to the right it had to be pulled back. This construction was chosen for reasons of uniqueness, simplicity and also to reduce production costs. Alternatively, versions with a conventional steering wheel were also offered.
Starting with the D2 model , two-cylinder engines were installed. The SD model was characterized by a hood, a radiator grille and fenders. It weighed around 500 kilograms.
The larger H and I models had up to forty horsepower and weighed over two tons. They were tested in the testing laboratory of the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in May 1949 .
literature
- Jim Glastonbury: Tractors - Technical marvels . Regency House Publishing Limited, 2003, ISBN 3-89736-324-0 .