Grout Automobile Company

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Grout Brothers Automobile Company
Grout Automobile Company
legal form Company
founding 1899
resolution 1913
Seat Orange , Massachusetts , USA
management Walter J. Gould
Branch Automobiles

Grout Model J from 1903. The front box can be opened and offers another bench seat.
Rear view. The chain to the rear axle can be seen.
Grout from 1904
Grout 12 HP from 1904 in Louwman Museum . The cow catcher , the round bonnet and the centrally placed headlights are striking .
Side view

Grout Automobile Company , previously Grout Brothers Automobile Company , was an American manufacturer of automobiles .

Company history

William Grout had gotten rich with his New Home Sewing Machine Company . His sons Carl, CB and Fred were not interested in sewing machines , but in automobiles and had been experimenting since 1896. William founded the Grout Brothers Automobile Company in Orange , Massachusetts for them in 1899 . Series production began in 1900. The brand name was Grout . Business was good. In 1904, 18 vehicles were built per week, i.e. around 936 a year.

In 1907 Walter Gould was dissatisfied with the way his sons ran the company. The 74-year-old took over the company against the will of his sons. He died on April 20, 1908.

In 1909 three businessmen from Orange took over the company, including Walter J. Gould. A reorganization led to the new name Grout Automobile Company . The two partners soon died. Financial problems began. Production ended in 1912. The plant was sold in September 1913.

The Red Arrow Automobile Company started using the plant in August 1914.

vehicles

In 1896 a steam car was created as a prototype . In 1898 the brothers built a vehicle for their own use powered by a gasoline engine from the Haynes-Apperson Company . In 1899 several test vehicles with gasoline engines and another steam car were built.

The series vehicles were initially exclusively steam cars. A stanhope has been handed down for 1900 , which was called New Home .

In 1901 the New Home was available as a Stanhope, Coupé and delivery van . A Fire Chief's Wagon is also mentioned.

In 1902 there were six models on offer. Model B , Model E, and Model H were runabouts , Model C a Stanhope, Model G a delivery van, and Model I a touring car .

In 1903 the range consisted of the Model H as a two-seat runabout, the Model J as a four-seat runabout and a five-seat tonneau . Another source states that Model J had a drop front seat . A front box could be opened and then offered space for two more people.

In 1904 one model had a steam engine with one cylinder and 7.5 hp . The chassis had a 193 cm wheelbase . Constructions were a runabout and a four seat Surrey . Another model had a more powerful engine with two cylinders and 12 hp. The wheelbase was 218 cm. The open touring car offered space for five people.

In 1905 the last-named model was still in the range. The engine output was now given as 12/18 hp. The wheelbase remained unchanged. The structure was now a tonneau with side access. In addition, a vehicle with a gasoline engine completed the offer. Like all of the following vehicles, it had a four-cylinder engine and cardan drive . It made 20 hp. The wheelbase was 259 cm. This model was also bodied as a tonneau with side access.

In 1906 the steam wagons were discontinued. The only model was the 30/35 HP . The engine output was specified as 30/35 hp. The wheelbase was still 259 cm. Two-seat runabouts and five-seat touring cars have been handed down.

For the period from 1907 to 1908, the wheelbase was extended to 274 cm. The engine now developed 35 hp. A three-seater runabout complemented the body options available.

In 1909 the wheelbase was extended to 295 cm. Roadsters with two, three and four seats replaced the runabouts. There was also a close-coupled tonneau with four seats.

In 1910, the engine power was specified as 40/45 hp and the wheelbase was 312 cm. There was a choice of a five-seat touring car, a four-seat baby tonneau , a four-seat Sport and a three-seat runabout.

In 1911 a smaller model was added to the range. The Model 35 had a 35 horsepower engine and a 295 cm wheelbase. It was available as a five-seat touring car and as a four-seat tonneauette. The Model 45 had a 45-horsepower engine and 312 cm wheelbase. It was bodied as a five- and seven-seater touring car and as a four-seater tonneauette.

In 1912 only the superstructure changed. The smaller model was available as a touring car with two and five seats. The larger model was available as a roadster with two and four seats and as a touring car with five and seven seats.

Model overview

year model cylinder Power ( hp ) Wheelbase (cm) construction
1900 Steam New Home Stanhope
1901 Steam New Home Stanhope, delivery truck, coupe
1901 Steam Fire Chief's Wagon
1902 Model B Steam Runabout
1902 Model C Steam Stanhope
1902 Model E Steam Runabout
1902 Model G Steam delivery trucks
1902 Model H Steam Runabout
1902 Model I Steam Touring car
1903 Model H Steam Runabout 2-seater
1903 Model J Steam Runabout 4-seater
1903 Steam 5-seater tonneau
1904 Steam 1 7.5 193 Runabout, Surrey 4 seater
1904 Steam 2 12 218 5-seater touring car
1905 Steam 2 12/18 218 Side entrance tonneau
1905 Gasoline 4th 20th 259 Side entrance tonneau
1906 30/35 HP 4th 30/35 259 Runabout 2-seater, touring car 5-seater
1907-1908 35 HP 4th 35 274 Touring car 5-seat, runabout 2-seat and 3-seat
1909 35 HP 4th 35 295 Touring car 5-seat, Close-Coupled Tonneau 4-seat, Roadster 2-seat and 3-seat and 4-seat
1910 40/45 HP 4th 40/45 312 Touring car 5-seat, Baby Tonneau 4-seat, Sport 4-seat, Runabout 3-seat
1911 Model 35 4th 35 295 5-seater touring car, 4-seater tonneauette
1911 Model 45 4th 45 312 5-seater and 7-seater touring car, 4-seater tonneauette
1912 Model 35 4th 35 295 2-seater and 5-seater touring cars
1912 Model 45 4th 45 312 5-seater and 7-seater touring cars, 2-seater and 4-seater roadsters

Brand name Weston

Weston Motor Syndicate from London imported the vehicles to England and offered them as Weston between 1899 and 1903 . A second source confirms the Weston brand name for England, but neither the importer nor the time frame.

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. 662-664 (English).
  • George Nicholas Georgano (Ed.): The Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile . Volume 2: G-O . Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, Chicago 2001, ISBN 1-57958-293-1 , pp. 651 (English).

Web links

Commons : Grout 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. 662-664 (English).
  2. ↑ George Nicholas Georgano (Ed.): The Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile . Volume 2: G-O . Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, Chicago 2001, ISBN 1-57958-293-1 , pp. 651 (English).
  3. ↑ Grout Brothers Automobile Company (accessed March 30, 2018)
  4. ↑ 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. 1533 (English).
  5. ↑ George Nicholas Georgano (Ed.): The Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile . Volume 3: P-Z . Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, Chicago 2001, ISBN 1-57958-293-1 , pp. 1735 (English).