Northern 7 HP

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Northern
Silent Northern Runabout 5 HP (1902).
Silent Northern Runabout 5 HP (1902).
Silent Northern
Northern 5 HP
Northern 6½ HP
Northern 7 HP Type A
Northern 7 HP Type B
Production period: 1902-1908
Class : Lower middle class
Body versions : Roadster , dos-à-dos
Engines: Gasoline engine
1.7 liters
(5–7 HP ALAM)
Length:
Width:
Height:
Wheelbase : 1702-1778 mm
Empty weight : about 500 kg
Previous model without
successor without

The American motor vehicle manufacturer Northern Manufacturing Company , founded in 1902 , from 1906: Northern Motor Car Company , offered a motorized buggy with a single cylinder engine throughout its production period . The model was marketed as the Northern Runabout in the versions Silent Northern 5 HP (1902-1903), Northern 6½ HP (1904), Northern 7 HP Type A (1906) and Northern 7 HP Type B (1907-1908). Whether the vehicle 1905 as a 7 HP or already as 7 HP Type A was referred to, can not be clarified on the basis of available sources. The designer was the automobile pioneer Jonathan D. Maxwell . The series belongs to the lower middle class at the time and was available from 1905 with an additional, rear-facing bench as dos-à-dos .

Northern Manufacturing

Northern logo (1905).

The company was founded by Detroit investors around the industrialists William A. Barbour and William E. Metzger, who brought in two very well-known designers: Jonathan D. Maxwell (1864-1928) as plant manager and designer and Charles Brady King (1868-1957) as chief engineer. Both came from the Olds Motor Works in Lansing ( Michigan ); Maxwell was there involved in the development of the Oldsmobile Curved Dash . He left Northern Manufacturing in 1904 and co-founded Maxwell-Briscoe . King became his successor as a designer at Northern . In the same year, the Northern 15 HP appeared, a mid-range model with a two-cylinder engine, of which a delivery van was also available from 1906. With the very innovative Northern Type K , the entry into a luxury class followed in the same year. In 1908 Northern and the Wayne Automobile Company in Detroit merged. The Everitt-Metzger-Flanders Company (EMF) emerged from this in 1909 . King left as early as 1908 and two years later founded the King Motor Car Company .

Maxwell-Briscoe subsequently became one of several forerunners of the Chrysler Corporation , EMF was taken over by the Studebaker Corporation and formed one of the foundations of the Studebaker automobile.

Model history

With his design, Maxwell succeeded in establishing the Northern brand and laying the foundation for the company's reputation. No doubt his experience with the Oldsmobile Curved Dash influenced the development of the first Northern . The model, also known as the Silent Northern or Northern 5 HP , appeared for the model year 1902. In the first year of production, a respectable 300 copies were made. The vehicle remained in the range until Northern production ceased . During this time it was repeatedly upgraded and improved. However, these could not prevent the design, which was entirely up-to-date when it was introduced, from becoming technically outdated. After the introduction of further models from 1904, the Runabout was the smallest and by far the cheapest model of the manufacturer and the only one that it produced according to the conventional construction method.

The Northern Runabout was featured in a special issue of Frank Lesley's Monthly Magazine in January 1904.

The Northern Runabout was a carefully built automobile with an engine built across the driver's seat, two-speed planetary gearbox with reverse gear, and a single drive chain centered on the rear axle. It was still steered with a lever. Design features were the chassis side members in the form of long leaf springs , as they had already been used in the Curved Dash , and a subframe that carried the body. It was attached to the chassis using a device patented by Northern at just four points. Northern hoped this construction would provide greater driving comfort.

The company attached great importance to simplifying vehicle operation. While Charles King took radical paths with the larger models, approaches in this direction can already be found on the runabout. They are first used from 1905 in the form of a starter crank that can be operated from the driver's seat, but they may have been used earlier by Maxwell.

From 1905 a second, rear-facing bench was available. There does not seem to have been any other body variants. The vehicle was offered successively as 5 HP , 6½ HP , 7 HP and Model B ; The designation 6 HP is also detectable. In the course of the facelift, the wheelbase grew from 68 to 70 and finally to 88 inches (1727, 1778 and 2235 mm). Similar to Ford later, the Northern Manufacturing Company also managed to offer its product cheaper over time. The price fell from originally US $ 800 to US $ 750 and finally US $ 650. A Curved Dash cost US $ 650 in most years of production; But customers also benefited from what was probably the best sales network of the time.

Depending on the source, production ended in 1907 or 1908. The name Silent Northern , introduced for the single-cylinder model , was occasionally also used for the two-cylinder Northern .

technology

Northern program from 1905. The runabout offered unusual amenities such as a starter crank that could be operated from the seat, a single lever for operating the gears, and a body that was separate from the chassis. Ball bearings were expensive, their use was considered a quality feature and was often mentioned in advertising.

Data are only available for the years of construction 1904 to 1908, key data for the engines only from 1906. Unless otherwise stated, the following information relates to the model year 1906. As far as known, all Northern were right-hand drive .

At the time of launch, Jonathan Maxwell was the company's chief engineer and Charles King was its operations manager. Like the whole design, the engine was similar to that of the Oldsmobile Curved Dash , which Maxwell had last worked on.

The vehicle had the engine transverse to the direction of travel and installed horizontally under the driver's seat, the body was only indirectly connected to the chassis by means of a subframe. The weight was about 1100 lbs , which corresponds to about 500 kg.

engine

All Northern single- cylinder models use the Maxwell-designed, water-cooled, single - cylinder, four-stroke engine . The performance is initially given as 5 HP at 600 min −1 . For 1904 there is evidence with 6 resp. 6½ HP before and from 1905 7 HP. There is only one indirect indication of the calculation method on which these values ​​are based: Northern had been a member of the Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers (ALAM) since the early summer of 1903 . The association usually insisted that members use the ALAM formula developed in-house . Accordingly, the power was not measured, but calculated from the cylinder bore . For vehicles like the Runabout with its single-cylinder engine, it delivered acceptable results.

The displacement is known for the last version of the engine: For the 7 HP it is 160.3 ci (1,744 cm³) with a 4¾ inch (approx. 121 mm) bore and 6 inch (approx. 152 mm) stroke. Unfortunately, the cubic capacity of the earlier models cannot be determined. After all, the bore at 5, 6 and 6½ HP must be approx. 90, 98 or 105 mm.

The use of a carburetor of our own design is documented for 1906.

Chassis and suspension

Front view of an early Oldsmobile Curved Dash. The subframe directly under the engine and the double oval leaf spring between the front axle and the subframe are clearly visible. The Northern used a very similar construction.

Another example of the multifunctionality of many components can be seen on the chassis. The oversized and downwardly curved leaf springs were not only used for the suspension of the vehicle, they are arranged lengthways in such a way that they are part of the chassis longitudinal members and thus form a structural part of the chassis. The axles are attached to the outermost ends of the springs ( cantilever suspension ). The body is not directly connected to the chassis, but rests on a subframe. This sits in the middle of the chassis, to which it is connected via movable bearing journals . At the front, between the subframe and the front axle, a transverse full elliptic leaf spring assembly is attached, the lower end of which is attached to the axle. This construction can already be found on the Oldsmobile Curved Dash ; Northern noted that the pivot pins were a proprietary development and named them trunnion hanger .

In a special automobile issue of Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly Magazine from January 1904, steel tubing is noted as material, while the Handbook of Gasoline Automobiles indicates angle steel in several editions. Images suggest that at least the subframe was made of angle iron, while the cross members of the main frame were possibly made of tubular steel. Its use was not atypical for voiturettes at the turn of the century .

At launch for 1904 and 1906 was lane front and rear optionally 56 inches (1422 mm) or 60 inches (1524 mm). 56 inches is a track that can be found on many US vehicles of the time. In 1905 Northern published only this.

Until 1904 the vehicle had a drum brake that worked on the differential . From 1905 an additional drum brake was added to the gearbox.

Northern used the same wheels in the runabout front and rear, which was not yet a matter of course. Tires measuring 28 × 3 inches (1906) were mounted on the wooden artillery wheels.

The wheelbase was 68 inches (1727 mm) until 1903 and 67 inches (1702 mm) after the introduction of the two-cylinder model in 1904. It grew to 70 inches (1778 mm) in 1905, with a single contemporary description citing 70 inches as early as 1904. The last vehicles were delivered in 1908 with a wheelbase of 90 inches (2286 mm), although it is unclear what the space gained was used for; Model A remained a two-seater with an optional additional bench.

Power transmission

For the years 1904 to 1907 a two-speed planetary gear and a reverse gear (by no means taken for granted at that time) are directly used; there is no evidence that any other solution was sought before or after.

body

The runabout is the only body variant that can be verified for the entire production period. From 1905 an additional, rearward-facing bench was available, which turned the vehicle into a dos-à-dos .

As is typical of the time, the structure consisted entirely of wood. A restored vehicle from 1903 painted in dark green and red is considered correct, while from 1904 to 1906 it is documented that the vehicles were delivered from the factory in carmine red.

Apparently Northern was the first motor vehicle manufacturer to use running boards .

Model overview

model construction time engine
Cubic capacity c.i. / cm³		 Power
bhp / kW		 Wheelbase
inches / mm		 body Prices
US $		 Remarks
Silent Northern 5 HP 1902 1 sv 5 68/1727 Runabout 800.-
Silent Northern 5 HP 1903 1 sv 5 68/1727 Runabout 800.-
6½ HP 1904 1 sv 6.5 67/1702 Runabout, 2 pl. 750.-
6 HP 1904 1 sv 6.0 70/1778 Runabout, 2 pl. 750.- These data do not match the other sources.
7 HP 1905 1 sv 106.3 / 1744 7th 67/1702 Runabout, 2 pl. 650.- Occupied only by an advertisement
7 HP 1905 1 sv 106.3 / 1744 7th 70/1778 Runabout, 2 pl. 650.-
7 HP Type A 1906 1 sv 106.3 / 1744 7th 70/1778 Runabout, 2 pl. 650.-
7 HP Type B 1907 1 sv 106.3 / 1744 7th 70/1778 Runabout, 2 pl. 650.-
7 HP Type B 1908 1 sv 106.3 / 1744 7th 90/2286 Runabout 650.-

The information in this table has been compiled and converted from several sources.

Northern Runabout today

Northern 6½ HP Runabout (No. 1801; 1904). The crank next to the seat is used to start the engine.

A small number of Northern vehicles still exist. A 1903 runabout with chassis number 1512 won a National First Prize from the Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) in the 1950s . Sotheby’s auctioned it for the first time in 2008 for US $ 46,200 and a second time in 2016 when it raised US $ 40,000. The vehicle was recently repainted in dark green with a red chassis and similar accents. The performance is given as 7 HP, which only applies from 1905.

Also in 2008 Sotheby's auctioned another runabout with 6½ HP and the chassis number 1801. The year of manufacture 1904 was certified by the Veteran Car Club of Great Britain (VCCGB), which specializes in it . The vehicle, valued at US $ 40,000 to 50,000, achieved US $ 55,000. It has taken part in the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run several times , for example in 2009 with starting number 376, 2010 with starting number 425, 2011 with starting number 413, 2012 with starting number 383 or 2017 with starting number 304.

The vehicle with the chassis number 2181 is a runabout with 6½ HP and was built in 1992. The original wooden panels and accessories have been preserved on the vehicle, which has received multiple awards after a personal restoration by the owner. This vehicle has also taken part in the London to Brighton Run.

literature

Web links

Commons : Northern 5 HP  - collection of images, videos and audio files
Commons : Northern 6 HP  - collection of images, videos and audio files
Commons : Northern 6½ HP  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b c Kimes, Cark: Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1805-1942. 1996, p. 1348 (Silent Northern).
  2. ↑ a b Kimes: Pioneers, Engineers, and Scoundrels. 2005, p. 111.
  3. ↑ Kimes: Pioneers, Engineers, and Scoundrels. 2005, p. 339.
  4. ^ Kimes, Cark: Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1805-1942. 1996, p. 1523 (Wayne).
  5. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Kimes, Cark: Standard Catalog of American cars, 1805-1942. 1996, p. 1046 (Northern).
  6. ↑ a b Northern advertisement (January 1905).
  7. ↑ a b c d e f g h Dluhy: American Automobiles of the Brass Era , 2013, p. 102 (Northern).
  8. ^ Kimes, Cark: Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1805-1942. 1996, pp. 1060-1063 (Oldsmobile R, 6C, B).
  9. ↑ a b c conceptcarz.com: 1904 Northern runabout, # 2181st
  10. ↑ a b c d e f g A.LAM: Handbook of Gasoline Automobiles 1906 , p. 75 (Northern Runabout).
  11. ↑ Kimes: Pioneers, Engineers, and Scoundrels. 2005, p. 138.
  12. ↑ carfolio.com: Northern Model A 7 hp Runabout, 1906 MY.
  13. ↑ a b c d e f A.LAM: Handbook of Gasoline Automobiles 1904 , p. 46 (Northern Runabout).
  14. ↑ a b c d e f A.LAM: Handbook of Gasoline Automobiles 1905 , p. 60 (Northern Runabout).
  15. ↑ a b c conceptcarz.com: 1903 Northern Runabout, # 1512.
  16. ↑ a b conceptcarz.com: 1904 Northern runabout, # 1,801th
  17. ^ Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly (January 1904): The Automobile of 1904: Northern Advertisement.
  18. ↑ Flink: America Adopts the Automobile - 1895-1910. 1970, p. 279.
  19. ^ Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly (January 1904): The Automobile of 1904: Northern Runabout.
  20. ↑ a b c d Grace's Guide: Northern 6½ HP Runabout, reg. BS 8200.
  21. ↑ London to Brighton Veteran Car Run: 2017 Entry List, p. 19: 1904 Northern Runabout.

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 were later developed from this formula . It is also based on the British tax PS of the time. Their problem was that the factor 2.5 became less precise with increasingly higher speeds.
  2. ↑ Of course, steps (including foldable steps) have long been known from coach building.