Handley Motors

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Handley-Knight Company
Handley Motors Inc.

logo
legal form Inc.
founding 1920
resolution 1923
Reason for dissolution insolvency
Seat Kalamazoo , Kalamazoo County , Michigan , USA
management James I. Handley
Branch Automobile manufacturer

The Handley Motors Inc. , previously Handley-Knight Company , was a short-lived American automobile manufacturers in the early 1920s. The brand name was first Handley-Knight and then Handley .

James I. Handley

Marion-Handley Six-60 Model K Touring (1916)

JI Handley was an automotive manager and entrepreneur who had been president of the American Motors Company in Indianapolis until it closed in 1914 . This produced the famous American Underslung luxury car . Handley then went to Willys-Overland and took over the management of the chronically underfunded subsidiary Marion Motor Car Company , manufacturer of the respected Marion passenger cars. In the course of a crisis at Willys-Overland, he acquired the Marion Motor Car Company in 1914 and tried to reorganize it as Marion-Handley . He led the company under the umbrella of the Mutual Motors Company in Jackson (Michigan), which he founded . In the model years 1916-1918 a little over 2000 Marion-Handley were produced, then Handley had to throw in the towel here too.

Company history

Handley-Knight Model B 5 passenger Touring (1922)

Handley was well connected. In January 1920, he managed to organize the financing of a new company with a total of US $ 1 million. He became president of the Handley-Knight Company ; the two main financiers, WE Upjohn and CS Campbell , Vice Presidents. WO Otis became secretary and chief financial officer. Like the other board members Charles A. Blaney , WH Conklin , RJ Fitness and CV Kean Jr. , he was involved in the company.

The company invested in new production facilities, construction of which began in 1920. Handley assumed an annual production of 5,000 vehicles, which later turned out to be a gross misjudgment.

Handley-Knight had completed a prototype by the beginning of July of the same year , and regular production of the only type in the program, Model A , began on October 1, 1920 for the 1921 model year. The advertising slogan was: America's Finest Knight-Motored Car , what to the pusher motor system Knight moved, which was used because of its complicated construction mainly in high-priced vehicles. The lines were conservative, the workmanship and the materials used were first class. A concept was published in Motor Age Magazine on November 18, 1920. Model A was available as a seven-seater touring or sedan and a four-seater sedan coupe . The radiator grille was reminiscent of Willys-Overland and Buick .

Model B appeared in 1921, but only differed in details from its predecessor. A five-seater Touring has now been added to the previous body variants. A deluxe version of the seven-seater Touring was available for an additional price of $ 200. This allowed Handley to lower the base price, which I promised more sales. In any case, Handley-Knight vehicles were sometimes significantly cheaper than comparable earlier Marion vehicles .

Handley Motors, Inc.

The only major change in the brand's history came in November 1922. Handley reorganized the company as Handley Motors, Inc. and canceled orders for Knight valve engines from Willys-Overland. Instead, he now relied on conventional, overhead six - cylinder engines from the Midwest Engine Company in Indianapolis ( Indiana ) and the Falls Motor Corporation in Sheboygan Falls ( Wisconsin ). The brand name changed to Handley . The only technical differences between the new vehicles and their predecessors were their conventional six-cylinder engines and a few details. There were now two versions. The smaller 6-40 with the Falls engine of 40 bhp (29.8 kW) got a shorter wheelbase of 115 inches (2921 mm) and a fashionable pointed radiator, similar to the German Benz . Depending on the source, it was offered either as a five-seater touring or also as a two-seater roadster . The larger 6-60 with 60 hp (44.7 kW) - Midwest -Motor differed externally turn little from its predecessor Handley-Knight Model B . For the first time, at least with the Midwest engine, competitive power was available.

A distinguishing feature of the Handley were the brackets attached to the top of the drum-shaped headlights, which were used for the advertising slogan If it got Handles, it's a Handley (“If it has handles, it's a Handley”). However, most of the illustrations and work photos of the Handley-Knight already show these lamp brackets and the direct competitor Reo also used them occasionally.

Takeover and end

Production of the six-cylinder models started in January 1923. Only very few copies are likely to have been made; as early as March or April 1923, Morris Markin took over Handley production facilities and the neighboring Dort Motor Car Company plant for the Checker Cab Manufacturing Company to manufacture taxis there. Their production started in May 1923. James Handley's hopes that the Handley could continue to be manufactured at Checker were dashed with the increasing success of the new taxi and the decision of the new owners to focus on them from now on. Handley passed away shortly afterwards; according to a source as a result of suicide .

According to another account, Markin had acquired both the there factory and control of Handley Motors, Inc. in the winter of 1922/1923 . The choice fell on Kalamazoo because many skilled workers and engineers with automotive experience were looking for a new job here after plant closings. James Handley had therefore received the promise to continue to manufacture his vehicles here. After his death in late 1923, this agreement became obsolete.

Handley-Knight and Handley model overview

model Construction period engine cylinder Cubic capacity
cm³ (ci) 		Power
bhp (kW) 		Wheelbase
(mm) 		body List price
A. 1920-1921 Willys-Knight 4 row slider 3942
(240.6) 		48 bhp (35.8 kW) 3145
(125) 		Touring
(7 pl.) 		US $ 2985.-
A. 1920-1921 Willys-Knight 4 row slider 3942
(240.6) 		48 bhp (35.8 kW) 3145
(125) 		Sedan
(7 pl.) 		US $ 3750.-
A. 1920-1921 Willys-Knight 4 row slider 3942
(240.6) 		48 bhp (35.8 kW) 3145
(125) 		Sedan Coupe
(4 pl.) 		US $ 3750.-
B. 1922 Willys-Knight 4 row slider 3942
(240.6) 		48 bhp (35.8 kW) 3145
(125) 		Touring
(7 pl.) 		US $ 2450.-
B. 1922 Willys-Knight 4 row slider 3942
(240.6) 		48 bhp (35.8 kW) 3145
(125) 		Deluxe Touring
(7 pl.) 		US $ 2650.-
B. 1922 Willys-Knight 4 row slider 3942
(240.6) 		48 bhp (35.8 kW) 3145
(125) 		Sedan
(7 pl.) 		US $ 3750.-
B. 1922 Willys-Knight 4 row slider 3942
(240.6) 		48 bhp (35.8 kW) 3145
(125) 		Sedan Coupe
(4 pl.) 		US $ 3750.-
B. 1922 Willys-Knight 4 row slider 3942
(240.6) 		48 bhp (35.8 kW) 3145
(125) 		Touring
(5 pl.) 		US $ 2250.-
6-40 1923 If 6 series OHV 3205
(195.6) 		40 bhp (29.8 kW) 2921
(115) 		Standard Touring
(5 pl.) 		US $ 2000.-
US $ 1350.-
6-40 1923 If 6 row ohv 3205
(195.6) 		40 bhp (29.8 kW) 2921
(115) 		Roadster
(2 pl.) 		US $ 2000.-
US $ 1350.-
6-60 1923 Midwest 6 row 4398
(268.4) 		60 bhp (44.7 kW) 3145
(125) 		Standard Touring
(7 pl.) 		US $ 2450.-
6-60 1923 Midwest 6 row 4398
(268.4) 		60 bhp (44.7 kW) 3145
(125) 		Deluxe Touring
(7 pl.) 		US $ 2650.-
6-60 1923 Midwest 6 row 4398
(268.4) 		60 bhp (44.7 kW) 3145
(125) 		Coupé
(4 pl.) 		US $ 3450.-
6-60 1923 Midwest 6 row 4398
(268.4) 		60 bhp (44.7 kW) 3145
(125) 		Sedan
(7 pl.) 		US $ 3450.-

This table was compiled from several sources.

technology

Handley-Knight Model B 4-passenger "Coupe-Sedan" (1922). The data are largely identical to those of Model A.
Front view of the Knight slide motor.

All Handley-Knight and Handley were technically closely related assembled vehicles , that is, “assembled” cars that were assembled from bought-in components. These were conventionally constructed passenger cars of the US American upper class and upper middle class .

The most obvious difference was in the engines. Model A and B used System Knight pusher motors obtained from Willys-Overland (WO). was a long-time licensee for System Knight valve motors . The engine of the Handley-Knight was bought from there. It was a four-cylinder manufactured at the WO plant in Elyria, Ohio ; However, there is no corresponding engine in WO's vehicle program, which suggests that it was therefore specially manufactured for Handley-Knight. Its bore and stroke were 4⅛ × 4½ inches , resulting in a displacement of 240.6 ci corresponding to 3942 cm³. According to another source, the displacement was 227.2 ci, corresponding to 3723 cm³. The power stated was 48 bhp (35.8 kW) at 1800 rpm or 54 bhp. According to the NACC rating usually used in the USA at that time, the 4⅛ inch cylinder bore resulted in 27.24 hp. Accordingly, the Handley-Knight was valued at 27.2 tax horsepower in Great Britain .

Apparently, the prestige of the valve motors, which were mainly used by leading brands such as Mercedes , Daimler , Minerva , Voisin or Brewster , hardly rubbed off. Rather, the Handley Knight suffered from the somewhat narrow-chested four-cylinder engine, while at least a six-cylinder would actually have been class standard. With the corresponding conversion with the models 6-40 and 6-60 , Handley also gave up one of the few unique selling points. The Handley Six-40 had a 3.2 liter valve-in-head six-cylinder from Falls ; its approx. 45 bhp (33.6 kW) are unlikely to have provided outstanding performance even with the shorter and therefore lighter chassis. The Six-60 with its 4.4-liter, also overhead-steered six-cylinder with 60 bhp (44.7 kW) from Midwest was the most powerful of all Handley and Handley-Knight automobiles.

All vehicles had a three-speed gearbox with reverse gear and cardan drive .

The chassis consisted of a conventional ladder frame with rigid axles at the front and rear and, with some certainty, semi-elliptic leaf springs all around. The wheelbase was 125 inches (3,175 mm) on Models A , B, and 6-60 ; the 6'40 had a shorter wheelbase of 115 inches (2921 mm). Standard were wooden-spoke artillery wheels with removable rims. The steering came from Gemmer . Braking was done by means of drums on the rear axle.

The pride of the company was the in-house manufactured bodies - which are atypical for assembled cars - which were hand-made in small series according to the principles of individual body construction. The structure was made of ash wood and was planked with aluminum sheet. Equipment and workmanship were first class.

Market position

Handley-Knight Model A 7-passenger Touring (advert from late 1920)

The US auto market was dominated by the Ford Model T in the early 1920s . In 1924, every second new car sold in the USA was a T-model; General Motors achieved a market share of 23 percent with all brands. The rest of the market was divided into a few smaller corporations and dozens of small brands, often serving a regional market. On the one hand, this was due to the high delivery costs due to the long distances, but it was also due to the inadequate development of the country; a national road construction program was only just beginning. The advantage of the small manufacturers with local dealer networks and fast spare parts supply quickly disappeared. The Handley-Knight Company was one such regional provider.

Unlike its predecessors Marion and Marion-Handley or the Willys-Knight Model 20, from which some technical inspiration came, the Handley-Knight was clearly designed for the upper class and competed with Cadillac or the Packard Single Six . This was also continued with the 6-60 . There are very different prices for the 6-40 : US $ 2000 and US $ 1350; with the latter, this would clearly have been a mid-range model. It is doubtful whether it could be manufactured with its elaborate construction at this price. The lower price may be an offer to liquidate after the business closes.

brand
NACC rating model		 body Cyl. Power
bhp / kW		 Wheelbase in. List price comment
Handley Knight Model A
27.23 HP		 Touring, 7-pl. R4, slider 48 125/3175 US $ 2985.- Price 1920–1921
Handley Knight Model A
27.23 HP		 Sedan, 7-pl. R4, slider 48 125/3175 US $ 3750.- Price 1920–1921
Handley Knight Model B
27.23 HP		 Touring, 7-pl. R4, slider 48 125/3175 US $ 2450.- Deluxe + $ 200. Prize 1922
Handley 6-60
29.4HP		 Touring, 5/7-pl. R6, ohv 60 125/3175 US $ 2450.- Introduction January 1923
Handley 6-40
23.44		 Touring, 5-pl. R6, ohv 40 115/2921 US $ 2000
US $ 1350.-		 Introduction January 1923
Ace Combat Model C Touring , 5-pl. R6 77 120/3048 US $ 2975 Model 1922; only open
Auburn 6-51 Touring R6 50 (?) US $ 3250
Buick Six Series K
60 HP		 K-45 2dr Touring, 5-pl. R6 118/2997 US $ 1495.-
Buick Six Series K
60 HP		 K-49 4dr Touring, 7-pl. R6 124/3150 US $ 1795.-
Buick Six Series K
60 HP		 K-47 4dr Sedan, 5-pl. R6 118/2997 US $ 2295.-
Buick Six Series K
60 HP		 K-50 4dr Sedan, 7-pl. R6 124/3150 US $ 2695.-
Cadillac Type 59 Touring, 7-pl. V8 60 125/3175 US $ 3740
US $ 3940.-		 1st and 2nd series
Cadillac Type 59 Touring, 7-pl. V8 60 132/3353 US $ 3740/3940
US $ 3150
US $ 2885.-		 1st and 2nd series
Cadillac Type 59 Sedan, 5-pl. V8 60 125/3175 US $ 4750.-
US $ 4950.-		 1st and 2nd series
Cadillac Type 59 Imperial Limousine, 7-pl. V8 60 132/3353 US $ 5190.-
US $ 5390.-		 1st and 2nd series
Cole Aero Eight Tourster
Touring		 V8 80 127/3226 US $ 2850.-
Cole Aero Eight Tourosine
Limousine, 7-pl.		 V8 80 127/3226 US $ 3995
HCS Series IV, Model 4 Touring, 5-pl. R4 52 120/3048 US $ 2200.- Price 1923–1924
HCS Series VI, Model 6 Touring R6 80 126/3200 US $ 2650.- Price 1923–1924
Packard Single six Touring, 5-pl. R6 52 116/2947 US $ 2485.- Price 1920; like Phaeton 5p and Runabout 4p
Revere Model C Touring, 4-pl. R4 100 131/3327 US $ 4650.- Prize 1921
Stephens Salient Six Touring, 6-pl. R6 ohv 59 124/3150 US $ 2400.- Price 1921; sank to US $ 1850 resp. 1650

A Ford Model T Touring cost only US $ 575 in 1920. At the other end of the price spectrum, the cheapest Pierce-Arrow Touring, Model 31, was available from US $ 7250. A Lincoln Model L Touring cost from US $ 4,600 when the brand was launched in 1921. In the lower range of the upper class at that time, where the Handley Knight is to be used, increasingly six and even eight-cylinder engines were offered, for example by Cadillac, Cole , Daniels , Jackson , Peerless , Oakland or Oldsmobile . In addition to the general cost structure that bothered every small supplier, there were possible causes for the failure of the Handley-Knight : The slide technology gradually went out of fashion because it lost its advantage of greater smoothness and the first-class workmanship the problem of prestige of the four-cylinder did not make up for it. Conversely, the other engines came too late and deprived the vehicle of its independence.

Handley-Knight today

Handley-Knight Model B 5 passenger Touring (1922) in the Gilmore Car Museum

Only two handley knights ready to drive are known. One, a Model A Touring, was built in 1920 and registered for the company's founder's son, James Handley, Jr., in early 1921. This vehicle seems to have been part of the Harrah collection for a while and came to Great Britain in the 1960s.

A 1922 Handley-Knight Model B Touring is part of the collection at the Gilmore Car Museum , 6865 West Hickory Road, Hickory Corners, Michigan .

Of the 6-40 and 6-60 built from January to the end of April 1923 , no one appears to have survived .

Remarks

  1. ↑ Carfolio names 240.678 ci from W × H 4.13 × 4.5 inches (3944 cm³, W × H 104.8 × 114.3 mm); Classic Car Database incomprehensible 227.2 ci, corresponding to 3723 cm³.
  2. ↑ This performance is calculated, not measured. It refers to a standard introduced by the ALAM ( Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers ) around 1904, which its successor organization, the National Automobile Chamber of Commerce (NACC), extended to vehicles with 8 and 12 cylinders around 1915. The power is calculated: cylinder bore ² × number of cylinders; the result is divided by the constant 2.5. The formula became more imprecise with increasingly higher speeds; later the more practical formula of the Society of Automobile Engineers emerged from this ( SAE-PS ).

literature

  • George Nick Georgano (Ed.): Complete Encyclopedia of Motorcars, 1885 to the Present. Dutton Press, New York, 2nd Edition, 1973; ISBN 0-525-08351-0 .
  • Beverly Rae Kimes (ed.), Henry Austin Clark Jr.: Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942. 3. Edition. Krause Publications, Iola WI, 1996; ISBN 978-0-87341-428-9 .
  • 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 .
  • Ben Merkel, John Fay: Checker the All-American Taxi. Earlswood Press, 2015; ISBN 0-95747-547-0 .
  • Tad Burness: American Car Spotter's Guide, 1920-39. MBI Motorbooks International, Osceola WI, 1975; ISBN 0-87938-026-8 .
  • Handley-Knight Company: Handley-Knight - Powered by the Famous Sleeve Valve Motor. , Sales brochure, 1920–1921.
  • Handley-Knight Company: Handley-Knight Model B Dat sheet (1922) .
  • National Automobile Chamber of Commerce (Ed.): Handbook of Automobiles 1915–1916. Dover Publications, 1970.
  • Albert Mroz: Illustrated Encyclopedia of American Trucks and Commercial Vehicles. Krause Publications, Iola WI, 1996; ISBN 0-87341-368-7

Web links

Commons : Handley-Knight  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Kimes, Clark: Standard Catalog of American Automobiles 1805–1942. 1996, p. 674 (Handley-Knight).
  2. ↑ a b Kimes, Clark: Standard Catalog of American Automobiles from 1805 to 1942. 1996, pp. 922-924 (Marion, Marion-Handley).
  3. ↑ a b c d e American Automobiles: The Handley-Knight Automobiles & The Handley Motors, Inc.
  4. ↑ a b Merkel, Fay: Checker the All-American Taxi. 2015; P. 17. (Handley-Knight)
  5. ↑ Handley-Knight: Model A Brochure (1920)
  6. ↑ a b c coachbuilt.com: Checker.
  7. ↑ a b c d Classic Car Database: 1923 Handley 6-40 Series.
  8. ↑ a b c d e f g h Burness: American Car Spotter's Guide, 1920-39 (1975), p. 119 (Handley)
  9. ↑ Handley-Knight: Model B data sheet (1922)
  10. ↑ Classic Car Database: 1922 Handley Knight B Series.
  11. ↑ a b Carfolio: Handley-Knight (1921 MY) specifications
  12. ↑ a b c d e f N.ACC: Handbook of Automobiles 1915 , 1970; P. 12; (NACC rating)
  13. ↑ a b Classic & Sports Car: Handley-Knight Seven Seat Open Tourer
  14. ↑ carfolio.com: Courier Model D, specifications (1922)
  15. ↑ Classic Car Database: 1923 Handley 6-60 Series.
  16. ↑ Kimes, Clark: Standard Catalog of American Automobiles 1805-1942. 1996, p. 15 (Ace).
  17. ↑ Kimes, Clark: Standard Catalog of American Automobiles 1805-1942. 1996, p. 73 (Auburn).
  18. ↑ a b c d Kimes, Clark: Standard Catalog of American Automobiles 1805-1942. 1996, p. 171 (Buick).
  19. ↑ a b c d Kimes, Clark: Standard Catalog of American Automobiles 1805-1942. 1996, p. 213 (Cadillac).
  20. ↑ a b Kimes, Clark: Standard Catalog of American Automobiles from 1805 to 1942. 1996, p. 353 (Cole).
  21. ↑ a b Kimes, Clark: Standard Catalog of American Automobiles from 1805 to 1942. 1996, pp. 692-693 (HCS).
  22. ↑ Kimes, Clark: Standard Catalog of American Automobiles 1805-1942. 1996, p. 1117 (Packard Single Six).
  23. ↑ Kimes, Clark: Standard Catalog of American Automobiles 1805-1942. 1996, pp. 1286-1287 (Revere).
  24. ↑ Kimes, Clark: Standard Catalog of American Automobiles 1805-1942. 1996, pp. 1395-1396 (Stephens).
  25. ↑ Kimes, Clark: Standard Catalog of American Automobiles 1805-1942. 1996, p. 582 (Ford).
  26. ↑ Kimes, Clark: Standard Catalog of American Automobiles 1805-1942. 1996, p. 1184 (Pierce-Arrow).
  27. ↑ Kimes, Clark: Standard Catalog of American Automobiles 1805-1942. 1996, p. 867 (Lincoln).
  28. ↑ Kimes, Clark: Standard Catalog of American Automobiles 1805-1942. 1996, pp. 413-415 (Daniels).
  29. ↑ conceptcarz.com: Handley-Knight Model B Touring (1922)
  30. ↑ trombinoscar.com: Handley-Knight Model B Touring