James Ashbury Allison

James Ashbury Allison (born August 11, 1872 in Marcellus , Michigan , † August 3, 1928 in Indianapolis , son of Noah and Myra Allison) was an American businessman and entrepreneur.

James Allison worked for his father's company, the Allison Coupon Company , at the age of 12 and took over the company in 1890 after his father's death. Together with Carl Fisher and Percy Avery , he improved the carbide lamp so that it could easily be used as a headlight on motor vehicles. For production, the Concentrated Acetylene Company was founded, which manufactured Perst-O-Lite headlights from 1904 and was thus able to achieve extraordinary economic success.

In 1907 Allison married Sarah Cornelius.

Together with Arthur Newby and Frank Wheeler , Fisher, Avery and Allison founded the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1910 , on which the 500-mile race has been driven every year since 1911. In 1927, Allison became the sole managing director. In connection with the racetrack, he opened a tuning company on September 14, 1915, the Indianapolis Speedway Team Company , from which the Allison Engine Company emerged .

His house, Riverdale , achieved international renown for its architecture and horticulture.

In 1928 he divorced his wife Sarah and a month later married his former employee, Lucile Musset. He died of pneumonia in the summer of 1928 , just a week after his second marriage. Allison was buried in Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis.