Inter-State Automobile Company

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Inter-State Automobile Company

logo
legal form Corporation
founding 1909
resolution 1919
Reason for dissolution Self-dissolution
Seat Muncie , Delaware County , Indiana , USA
management Thomas F. Hart, Frank C. Ball
Branch Automobiles , commercial vehicles , armaments

The Inter-State Automobile Company was a US- American automobile and commercial vehicle manufacturer that existed from 1909 to 1914; it was reorganized after bankruptcy in 1914 as the Inter-State Motor Company and existed in this form until 1919. The brand name was Inter-State .

Company history

Inter-State Automobile Company

The company was founded by Thomas F. Hart in November 1908. The company's headquarters were located at 142, Willard Street in Muncie , Indiana . Hart had several partners who helped with the funding, including businessman Frank C. Ball , co-founder and partner in Ball Corporation , which at the time was primarily making preserving jars . The name of the company and its product was the result of a competition that Hart held in Muncie.

The first Inter-State , 35/40 hp , was a conventionally constructed mid-range car with a powerful, large-volume, side-controlled four - cylinder engine , which was initially available as a touring , runabout or demi - tonneau (“ close coupled ”) at USD  1750 each . An image of a 35/40 hp Model 28 Single Rumble Runabout suggests that the Roadster had a choice of seating. “Single Rumble” means that a single seat has been attached to the rear instead of the double seat of the four-seat version. The term 35/40 hp is a bit misleading. The power was given as 35 bhp (22.4 kW), which according to vehicle data would have resulted in 28.9 PS according to ALAM ( Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers ).

Inter-State Forty Model 31-A Demi Tonneau (1911)

The vehicle became the Inter-State Forty for 1910 , got an even bigger engine, a longer wheelbase and more body styles. The designation is derived from the engine output (40 bhp or 29.8 kW).

By 1911, the range was expanded to six open versions and a second model was added with the Fifty . With a list price of USD 2700, this came close to the luxury class of the time. It was powered by a T-head motor. The Fifty was initially only available as a large touring with seven seats.

In 1912 the range was expanded further. The new Thirty was the Forty of the previous year with its wheelbase and engine, but now with an output reduced to 30 bhp (22.4 kW). The Forty received an even larger engine with a nominal 40 bhp in the same chassis . It was available as a roadster or touring. From Fifty now there were more versions, from Forty less. Most of the Inter-State adopted the heavier fore-door bodies that had become fashionable, with doors leading to all seats. Only the Thirty Roadster received the speedster-like structure of the earlier Forty . It is likely that Hart not only created an “entry-level model” for USD 950 in this way, but also reduced stocks of existing bodies. With 1012 automobiles produced, this was the most successful year for the company, which otherwise produced in the three-digit range.

A brand slogan read: "We could get more for this car" . "We could ask for more for this car".

At that time there were negotiations with Joseph J. Cole of the Cole Motor Car Company , who sought a merger of ten vehicle manufacturers from Indiana . However, this ultimately failed due to the conditions imposed by the banks.

The company increasingly ran into liquidity problems. This can also be seen in the fact that a new six-cylinder model could appear with the Model 45 , but this was only available in a single version (at USD 2750.-). All other models have been discontinued.

There were disputes with the investors about the need for and the extent of a financial injection. The timing of this critical phase for the company is not clear. It can either be interpreted in such a way that Ball had already stepped in at the beginning of 1913 and assumed the accrued debt, or that Ball only intervened later. As a result, it is only undisputed that he took on debts, but not when it happened. Therefore, depending on the source , the six-cylinder Inter-State Model 45 is assigned to the old or the new management. Against the second version speaks that Hart applied for a voluntary bankruptcy in October 1913 and justified this with "disagreement in the board", which made him unable to raise working capital. When, even under this pressure, no solution could be found with the investors, the bankruptcy proceedings were due in late 1913.

Inter-State Motor Company

Inter-State Model T Touring (work picture, published in various publications in 1916)

On February 15, 1914, Ball took over the company's plant and facilities and organized the Inter-State Motor Company as its successor, combined with a reorientation towards a market segment well below the previous one.

The only model was now the model TR presented for model year 1915 (from 1916 model T ). It was located a little above the dominant Ford Model T and was initially only available as a five-seater Touring for USD 1000. The Inter-State had a wheelbase more than 25 cm longer than the Ford, achieved a third more at just over 31 bhp (23.1 kW), but initially cost more than double the Ford. Although the price of the Inter-State Touring was reduced by USD 150.- to USD 850.- in the following year, this unfavorable price ratio improved only insignificantly in the following year, because Ford for its part only demanded USD 440.- and even significantly undercut the end of 1916 with USD 360. So the market for the inter-state was not large and the company remained a small, regional provider. A roadster for the same price was added to the Touring in 1916, and there were also closed versions: a 5-seater sedan and a 2-seater coupé for only USD 1050 each. The series was expanded again in the following year. A slightly more luxurious Divided Seat Touring and a 4-seater roadster completed the offer. The sedan now cost USD 1250 and the coupe was omitted. Instead, there was the brand's only delivery van ever listed . The Deluxe Delivery was built on the practically unchanged car chassis and carried a payload of 850 lb (385 kg). At USD 850, it was an attractive offer for small businesses and shops with home delivery services. 1918 initially brought few changes, but higher prices. The entry-level model was the 2-seater roadster at USD 875. The Touring cost USD 925.- and the 4-seater roadster USD 950.-. The sedan was now called the Touring Sedan and had a price tag of USD 1325; the delivery van was simply called the Delivery Wagon and cost USD 25 more than in the previous year. Ford was still selling its 1918 Roadster for USD 345 and the Touring for USD 360.

This advertisement of the New York Inter-State agency for the Model T indicates the ohv engine with 30 bhp output and the power-saving rear axle construction for smoother running (1916)

With a declaration of war on the German Reich on April 6, 1917, the USA took part in the First World War . At the end of 1917, the War Industries Board (WIB), as the responsible government agency, initiated the rationing of materials essential to the war effort. This hit the automotive industry differently. Commercial vehicles and probably also tractors were classified as important, but passenger cars (then known as pleasure cars ) were given the same low priority as musical instruments, fur coats or perfume. For smaller manufacturers, this meant a de facto standstill that threatened their very existence. Although this was usually not the only reason, several car manufacturers had to give up because of it. In this way, reputable brands such as Abbott , Pathfinder or Lambert were lost . However, the availability of certain materials and components was only part of the problems caused by the war. There was also a massive transport problem because the military practically blocked the rail network for the non-prioritized economy. It was not only becoming increasingly difficult to find important components, but also to organize their forwarding within a reasonable period of time. This also applied to the delivery of finished vehicles to customers. In this situation, armaments contracts from the army were one of the few alternatives for manufacturers like Inter-State . There is no evidence that complete trucks were made for the army; The company was also not part of the network of 62 commercial vehicle and component manufacturers who developed and manufactured the Liberty Truck .

Inter-State switched to arms contracts in May 1918, making it one of the first operations in the United States to do so. The end of the war in November 1918 came as a surprise; the war had been expected to continue until 1919 or 1920. The government had planned accordingly, so that there were large-scale cancellations of orders. Coupled with the extremely poor payment behavior of the government, this led to payment difficulties at numerous companies, such as Lozier and Simplex . The Inter-State Automobile Company was also hard hit. In February 1919 C. F. Ball had informed the public that a resumption of car production would be sought after the remaining government contracts had been completed. Instead, he decided in March to sell the company. At the beginning of 1920 General Motors acquired the plant to build the new Sheridan here.

Ford license?

Ford Model T Touring (1914)

Probably because of the visual similarity and because of the type designation “T”, which was chosen for reasons that are no longer comprehensible today and does not fit into the usual branding scheme, it is sometimes referred to as a license production of the Ford Model T at Inter-State . While it cannot, of course, be ruled out that Inter-State has used Ford patents, license production of the entire automobile is so unlikely that it can be ruled out. The engine of the Inter-State Model T was bought in anyway and therefore would not have had to be licensed by Inter-State . There are also otherwise too weighty technical differences to speak of a replica. At the time the Inter-State was launched (1915) , the Ford Model T had a two-speed planetary gearbox with hand throttle and a foot pedal each for clutch, reverse gear and the foot brake. The wheelbase measures only 100 inches (2540 mm), the suspension consists of transverse semi-elliptic leaf springs at the front and rear and the handbrake acts on the transmission. The Inter-State Model T has a conventional three-speed transmission with cone clutch with the usual pedals, the wheelbase is 110 inches (2794 mm), the suspension consists of longitudinally arranged front semi-elliptic and rear three-quarter elliptic leaf springs and the handbrake also acts on the brake drums the rear axle.

Ultimately, such a collaboration did not correspond to the intentions of Henry Ford himself, who had only just gained complete control of his company. Here, too, there is no evidence of such collaborations with other licensees. On the contrary, Ford endeavored to grow the company on its own and set up plants in Germany and abroad.

Model overview

model construction time engine
Cubic capacity c.i. / cm³		 Power
bhp / kW		 Wheelbase
inches / mm		 body Prices
US $		 Remarks
35/40 hp 1909 R4 sv 4649 / 283.7 35 / 26.1 112.0 / 2845 Runabout , 4 pl. 1750.- Kimes: wheelbase 122 inches (3099 mm)
35/40 hp 1909 R4 sv 4649 / 283.7 35 / 26.1 112.0 / 2845 Touring , 5 pl. 1750.- Kimes: wheelbase 122 inches (3099 mm)
35/40 hp 1909 R4 sv 4649 / 283.7 35 / 26.1 112.0 / 2845 Demi - tonneau 1750.- Kimes: wheelbase 122 inches (3099 mm)
Forty
Model 30		 1910 R4 sv 5212 / 318.1 40 / 29.8 118.0 / 2997 Touring, 5 pl. 1750.-
Forty
Model 31		 1910 R4 sv 5212 / 318.1 40 / 29.8 118.0 / 2997 Demi-Tonneau, 4 pl. 1750.-
Forty
Model 32		 1910 R4 sv 5212 / 318.1 40 / 29.8 118.0 / 2997 Roadster , 3 pl. 1750.-
Forty
Model 33		 1910 R4 sv 5212 / 318.1 40 / 29.8 118.0 / 2997 Roadster, 4 pl. 1750.-
Forty
Model 34		 1910 R4 sv 5212 / 318.1 40 / 29.8 118.0 / 2997 Torpedo , 4 pl. 2000.-
Forty
Model 30-A		 1911 R4 sv 5212 / 318.1 40 / 29.8 118.0 / 2997 Touring, 5 pl. 1750.-
Forty
Model 31-A		 1911 R4 sv 5212 / 318.1 40 / 29.8 118.0 / 2997 Demi-Tonneau, 4 pl. 1750.-
Forty
Model 32-A		 1911 R4 sv 5212 / 318.1 40 / 29.8 118.0 / 2997 Roadster, 3 pl. 1750.-
Forty
Model 33-A		 1911 R4 sv 5212 / 318.1 40 / 29.8 118.0 / 2997 Roadster, 4 pl. 1750.-
Forty
Model 34-A		 1911 R4 sv 5212 / 318.1 40 / 29.8 118.0 / 2997 Torpedo, 4 pl. 2000.-
Fifty
Model 35		 1911 R4 6389 / 389.9 50 / 37.3 124.0 / 3150 Touring, 7 pl. 2700.- Engine only 1911; incomplete data.
Thirty
Model 30-A		 1911 R4 sv 5212 / 318.1 30 / 22.4 118.0 / 2997 Fore-door touring, 5 pl. 1750.-
Thirty
Model 32-A		 1911 R4 sv 5212 / 318.1 30 / 22.4 118.0 / 2997 Roadster 1700.-
Forty
Model 40		 1912 R4 sv 5734 / 349.9 40 / 29.8 118.0 / 2997 Fore-door touring, 5 pl. 2400.-
Forty
Model 41		 1912 R4 sv 5734 / 349.9 40 / 29.8 118.0 / 2997 Fore-door demi-tonneau, 4 pl. 2400.-
Forty
Model 42		 1912 R4 sv 5734 / 349.9 40 / 29.8 118.0 / 2997 Fore-door Roadster, 2 pl. 2400.-
Fifty
Model 50		 1912 R4 T head 7722 / 471.2 50 / 37.3 124.0 / 3150 Fore-door Touring, 7 pl. 3400.-
Fifty
Model 51		 1912 R4 T head 7722 / 471.2 50 / 37.3 124.0 / 3150 Fore-door demi-tonneau 3400.-
Fifty
Model 52		 1912 R4 T head 7722 / 471.2 50 / 37.3 124.0 / 3150 Fore-door roadster 3400.-
Model 45 1913 R6 sv 6178 / 377.0 38.4 (NACC) 132.0 / 3353 Touring 2750.- also displacement 376.9 (6176 cm³)
Model 45 1914 R6 sv 6178 / 377.0 38.4 (NACC) 132.0 / 3353 Touring 2750 also displacement 376.9 (6176 cm³)
Model TR
Series 71		 1915 R4 sv
Rutenberg & Beaver 		3153 / 192.4 30 / 22.4 110.0 / 2794 Touring, 5 pl. 1000.- Engine 1915-1916; also Rutenberger & Beaver
Model T
Series 71		 1916 R4 sv
Rutenberg & Beaver 		3153 / 192.4 30 / 22.4 110.0 / 2794 Touring 850.- Engine 1915-1916; also Rutenberger & Beaver
Model T
Series 71		 1916 R4 sv
Rutenberg & Beaver 		3153 / 192.4 30 / 22.4 110.0 / 2794 Roadster, 2 pl. 850.- Engine 1915-1916; also Rutenberger & Beaver
Model T
Series 71		 1916 R4 sv
Rutenberg & Beaver 		3153 / 192.4 30 / 22.4 110.0 / 2794 Sedan , 5 pl. 1050.- Engine 1915-1916; also Rutenberger & Beaver
Model T
Series 71		 1916 R4 sv
Rutenberg & Beaver 		3153 / 192.4 30 / 22.4 110.0 / 2794 Coupé , 2 pl. 1050 Engine 1915-1916; also Rutenberger & Beaver
Model T 1917 R4 ohv
beaver 		3153 / 192.4 31 / 23.1 110.0 / 2794 Touring, 5 pl. 850.-
Model T 1917 R4 ohv
beaver 		3153 / 192.4 31 / 23.1 110.0 / 2794 Roadster, 2 pl. 850.-
Model T 1917 R4 ohv
beaver 		3153 / 192.4 31 / 23.1 110.0 / 2794 Divided Seat Touring, 5 pl. 895.-
Model T 1917 R4 ohv
beaver 		3153 / 192.4 31 / 23.1 110.0 / 2794 Roadster, 4 pl. 895.-
Model T 1917 R4 ohv
beaver 		3153 / 192.4 31 / 23.1 110.0 / 2794 Sedan, 5 pl. 1250.-
Model T 1917 R4 ohv
beaver 		3153 / 192.4 31 / 23.1 110.0 / 2794 Deluxe Delivery 850.-
Model T 1918 R4 ohv
beaver 		3153 / 192.4 31 / 23.1 110.0 / 2794 Touring, 5 pl. 925.-
Model T 1918 R4 ohv
beaver 		3153 / 192.4 31 / 23.1 110.0 / 2794 Roadster, 2 pl. 875.-
Model T 1918 R4 ohv
beaver 		3153 / 192.4 31 / 23.1 110.0 / 2794 Roadster, 4 pl. 950.-
Model T 1918 R4 ohv
beaver 		3153 / 192.4 31 / 23.1 110.0 / 2794 Touring Sedan, 5 pl. 1325.-
Model T 1918 R4 ohv
beaver 		3153 / 192.4 31 / 23.1 110.0 / 2794 Delivery wagon 875.-

The information in this table has been compiled and converted from several sources. It can be assumed that the output of the six-cylinder Model 45 was 45 bhp (33.6 kW), but there is no evidence from sources.

Production numbers

Model year number of pieces
1909 323
1910 627
1911 839
1912 1012
1913 614
1914 117
1915 1123
1916 1238
1917 1413
1918 876
Total 8182

The adjacent production figures by model year are based on information from automotive historians Beverly Rae Kimes and Henry Austin Clark, Jr. in the Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942 .

With the exception of the shortened model year 1918, Model T always managed between 1,100 and 1,400 units per year and was thus higher than the best year of the predecessor brand (1912). It is unclear whether the production of the T , which was designed for larger quantities, was worthwhile.

Racing

A racing car called the Bulldog 50 took part in the first edition of the Indianapolis 500 . Driven by Harry Endicott (1883-1913), he finished 16th and missed a cash prize. Endicott was the brother of the more famous racing driver William "Farmer Bill" Endicott (1876-1944), who took part in the same race. Harry Endicott was killed in a car accident in 1913.

Inter-State today

A 1911 Inter-State Forty Model 31-A Demi-Touring at the 2015 Carmel Tour d'Elegance.

Several inter-states still exist. The best known of these is probably the Bulldog 50 racing car from 1911. Also known are a Forty Model 31-A Demi-Tonneau from 1911 and a six-cylinder Model 45 7-passenger Touring with the chassis number 6668. In 2010 there were also six existing Inter-State T- Models known. The Inter-State Motor Car Registry serves to exchange information between the few owners of an Inter-State .

Remarks

  1. ↑ The ALAM was the first US American standards organization. The power is calculated: cylinder bore ² × number of cylinders, the result is divided by 2.5. SAE-PS was later developed from this formula , it is also the basis of the British tax-PS at that time. Their problem was that the factor 2.5 became less precise with increasingly higher speeds.
  2. ↑ Corresponds to the Tourabout
  3. ↑ Analog Close Coupled Touring, a tonneau with the rear offset to the front; probably 4 pl. as in 1910.
  4. ↑ The term "Fore-door" refers to the fact that all places were accessible through a door; Roadsters had none before and Touring only had the rear.

literature

  • Beverly Rae Kimes (ed.), Henry Austin Clark Jr.: Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942. 3. Edition. Krause Publications, Iola WI 1996, ISBN 0-87341-428-4 .
  • Beverly Rae Kimes: Pioneers, Engineers, and Scoundrels: The Dawn of the Automobile in America. Published by SAE ( Society of Automotive Engineers ) Permissions, Warrendale PA, 2005, ISBN 0-7680-1431-X .
  • 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 0-78647-136-0 .
  • Axel Madsen: The Deal Maker: How William C. Durant made General Motors , John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1999; ISBN 0-4713-9523-4 .
  • Alfred P. Sloan : My Years With General Motors , 2nd edition (Sept. 1965), Verlag Moderne Industrie (German licensed edition of My Years With General Motors , Doubleday & Co., Garden City NY, USA.)
  • Lawrence R. Gustin, Kevin M. Kirbitz, Robert A. Lutz (Introduction): David Buick's Marvelous Motor Car: The Men and the Automobile that Launched General Motors. RateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2nd amended and expanded edition, 2011; ISBN 1-466-26367-9 .
  • Albert Mroz: Illustrated Encyclopedia of American Trucks and Commercial Vehicles. Krause Publications, Iola WI 1996; ISBN 0-87341-368-7 .
  • Albert Mroz: American Cars, Trucks and Motorcycles of World War I: Illustrated Histories of 224 Manufacturers. Mcfarland & Company Publishers, Jefferson NC, 2009; ISBN 978-0-7864-3967-6 .
  • George Nick Georgano (Ed.), G. Marshall Naul: Complete Encyclopedia of Commercial Vehicles. MBI Motor Books International, Osceola WI (1979); ISBN 0-87341-024-6 .
  • GN Georgano (Ed.): Complete Encyclopedia of Motorcars, 1885 to the Present. Dutton Press, New York, 2nd edition (hardcover), 1973; ISBN 0-525-08351-0 .
  • National Automobile Chamber of Commerce : Handbook of Automobiles 1915–1916. Dover Publications, 1970.

Web links

Commons : Inter-State  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Kimes, Clark: Standard Catalog. 1996, p. 771 (Inter-State).
  2. ↑ Kimes, Clark: Standard Catalog. 1996, p. 771 (Fig.Inter-State 35/40 Roadster).
  3. ↑ a b c d e f g h Dluhy: American Automobiles of the Brass Era. 2013, p. 87 (Inter-State).
  4. ^ NACC: Handbook of Automobiles 1915-1916 , 1970; P. 12 (PS NACC).
  5. ↑ a b c d e f g Kimes, Clark: Standard Catalog. 1996, p. 772 (Inter-State).
  6. ^ Kimes: Pioneers, Engineers, and Scoundrels (2005), p. 353.
  7. ^ A b Mroz: American Cars, Trucks and Motorcycles of World War I (2009), p. 177 (Inter-State).
  8. ↑ carfolio.com: Standard Specifications 1917 Inter-State Model T.
  9. ↑ Kimes, Clark: Standard Catalog. 1996, p. 580 (Ford T Touring 1915).
  10. ↑ Kimes, Clark: Standard Catalog. 1996, p. 580 (Ford T Touring 1916).
  11. ↑ Kimes, Clark: Standard Catalog. 1996, p. 581 (Ford T Touring late 1916).
  12. ^ Mroz: Ill. Encyclopedia of American Trucks and Commercial Vehicles (1996), p. 212 (Inter-State).
  13. ↑ Kimes, Clark: Standard Catalog. 1996, p. 773 (Inter-State).
  14. ↑ Kimes, Clark: Standard Catalog. 1996, p. 581 (Ford T Roadster 1915).
  15. ↑ Kimes, Clark: Standard Catalog. 1996, p. 581 (Ford T Touring, 3-door, 1918).
  16. ^ Kimes: Pioneers, Engineers, and Scoundrels (2005), p. 415.
  17. ↑ Kimes, Clark: Standard Catalog. 1996, p. 1346 (Sheridan).
  18. ↑ classiccardatabase.com: Standard Specifications 1915 Ford Model T.
  19. ↑ a b classiccardatabase.com: Standard Specifications 1915 Inter-State Model T.
  20. ↑ a b c d e classiccardatabase.com: Standard Specifications 1916 Inter-State Model T.
  21. ↑ a b classiccardatabase.com: Standard Specifications 1913–1914 Inter-State Model 45.
  22. ↑ a b conceptcarz.com: 1911 Inter-State Fifty "Bulldog" Indianapolis Racers.
  23. ↑ findagrave.com: Harry Endicott.
  24. ↑ conceptcarz.com: 1911 Inter-State Forty Model 31-A Demi-Tonneau.
  25. ^ Inter-State Motor Car Registry: Pictures.
  26. ↑ conceptcarz.com: 1913 Inter-State Model 45 7-pass. Touring; # 6668.
  27. ^ Inter-State Motor Car Registry.