Pilot Motor Car Company

Pilot Motor Car Company
legal form	Company
founding	1909
resolution	1924
Reason for dissolution	insolvency
Seat	Richmond , Indiana , USA
management	George Seidel
Branch	Automobiles

Pilot Motor Car Company was an American manufacturer of automobiles .

Company history

The company was founded in Richmond , Indiana in 1909 . The Seidel Buggy Company is considered the predecessor company . Its director George Seidel also became President at Pilot. In the same year the production of automobiles began. The brand name was Pilot . Business was good for a few years.

In 1921 or 1922, Lorraine Car Company was taken over. The post-war depression created problems. Bankruptcy began in November 1923 . The last vehicles were built in early 1924. The plant was sold in April 1924. A total of over 5000 vehicles were built.

vehicles

First, had the vehicles four-cylinder engines of Teetor-Hartley . Six-cylinder engines were added in 1913 . 1914 was the last year for four-cylinder models. In 1916 there was a model with a V8 engine for a short time . In the 1920s, the more powerful six-cylinder engines came from Herschell-Spillman .

From 1909 to 1910 there was only the Thirty-Five . The engine was specified with 30/36 hp . The chassis had a 300 cm wheelbase . The only structure was a roadster .

1911 from the Thirty-Five Model D . A touring car joined the roadster . The Fifty Model B was also released . The engine was specified with 45/50 hp. There was no difference between the wheelbase and the superstructure.

In 1912 only the Thirty-Five was in the range. The wheelbase was extended to 305 cm. The touring car offered space for five people, the roadster for two and a speedster also for two people.

In 1913 there were three different models. The Model 40 had a 40 hp engine, 305 cm wheelbase and bodies as a two-seater roadster and five-seater touring car. In the Model 50 , the engine developed 50 hp. The wheelbase was 320 cm. The only body shape was a touring car with five seats. Model 60 was new . Its six-cylinder engine developed 60 hp. The wheelbase of 335 cm enabled touring car bodies with seven seats.

In 1914 the only change was that the Model 60 was also available as a five-seater touring car and as a two- and four-seater roadster.

In 1915 the range consisted of two models with six-cylinder engines. In the Model 55 it made 55 hp. The wheelbase was 320 cm. The touring car had space for five people. In the Model 75 , the engine made 75 hp. The wheelbase measured 335 cm. Five- and seven-seat touring cars and a two-seat roadster were available.

In 1916 they were renamed Model 6-55 and Model 6-75 . Both had the superstructure of the larger of the two previous year's models. In addition, a smaller model appeared with the Model 6-45 . It had a 45 hp engine, 302 cm wheelbase and was available as a five-seat touring car and four-seat roadster. In addition, the Model 8-55 was the first and only model from this manufacturer with an eight-cylinder engine . Engine power, wheelbase and superstructures corresponded to the Model 6-55 .

In 1917 the range was limited to the smallest model from the previous year. The engine output was specified as 43.5 hp. A chummy roadster with four seats and a touring car with five seats have survived.

In 1918 the wheelbase was lengthened slightly to 305 cm. The only structure was a roadster.

In 1919 this model was available as a five-seat touring car, four-seat roadster and five-seat sedan .

In 1920 a four-seater coupé was added.

In 1921 it was named Model 6-50 , although the engine power did not change. The wheelbase was extended to 330 cm. Touring cars, sedans and coupes remained unchanged. There was also a two-seater military roadster .

The Model 6-56 followed in 1922 . The new engine developed 68 hp. The wheelbase remained unchanged. There was a choice of touring cars with five and seven seats, roadsters with three seats, coupé with four seats, sedans with five seats and sportsters with four seats.

In 1923 the engine output was specified as 69 hp. A four-seat sport replaced the previous year's Sportster . In addition, a seven-seater sedan supplemented the superstructure.

In 1924, 68 hp were mentioned again. Sport and roadsters were eliminated. They were replaced by a two-seat Speedster, a four-seat Brougham and a four-seat Sportster .

Model overview

year	model	cylinder	Power ( hp )	Wheelbase (cm)	construction
1909-1910	Thirty-five	4th	30/36	300	Roadster
1911	Thirty-Five Model D.	4th	30/36	300	Touring cars, roadsters
1911	Fifty Model B	4th	45/50	300	Touring cars, roadsters
1912	Thirty-five	4th	30/36	305	5-seater touring car, 2-seater roadster, 2-seater Speedster
1913	Model 40	4th	40	305	Roadster 2-seater, touring car 5-seater
1913	Model 50	4th	50	320	5-seater touring car
1913	Model 60	6th	60	335	7-seater touring car
1914	Model 40	4th	40	305	5-seater touring car
1914	Model 50	4th	50	320	7-seater touring car
1914	Model 60	6th	60	335	5-seater and 7-seater touring cars, 2-seater and 4-seater roadsters
1915	Model 55	6th	55	320	5-seater touring car
1915	Model 75	6th	75	335	5-seater and 7-seater touring cars, 2-seater roadsters
1916	Model 6-45	6th	45	302	5-seater touring car, 4-seater roadster
1916	Model 6-55	6th	55	320	5-seater and 7-seater touring cars, 2-seater roadsters
1916	Model 6-75	6th	75	335	5-seater and 7-seater touring cars, 2-seater roadsters
1916	Model 8-55	8th	55	320	5-seater and 7-seater touring cars, 2-seater roadsters
1917	Model 6-45	6th	43.5	302	Chummy Roadster 4-seater, touring car 5-seater
1918	Model 6-45	6th	43.5	305	Roadster
1919	Model 6-45	6th	43.5	305	5-seater touring car, 4-seater roadster, 5-seater sedan
1920	Model 6-45	6th	43.5	305	5-seater touring car, 4-seater roadster, 5-seater sedan, 4-seater coupé
1921	Model 6-50	6th	43.5	320	5-seater touring car, 2-seater military roadster, 4-seater coupé, 5-seater sedan
1922	Model 6-56	6th	68	320	5-seater and 7-seater touring cars, 3-seater roadster, 4-seater coupé, 5-seater sedan, 4-seater Sportster
1923	Model 6-56	6th	69	320	5-seater and 7-seater touring cars, 4-seater sport, 3-seater roadster, 4-seater coupé, 5-seater and 7-seater sedan
1924	Model 6-56	6th	68	320	Touring car 5-seat and 7-seat, Speedster 2-seat, Brougham 4-seat, sedan 5-seat and 7-seat, Sportster 4-seat, Coupé 4-seat

Production numbers

year	Production number
1910	53
1911	66
1912	84
1913	158
1914	73
1915	155
1916	214
1917	928
1918	575
1919	805
1920	664
1921	710
1922	428
1923	283
1924	86
total	5282

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. 1192-1194 (English).
• 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. 1233 (English).

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. 1192-1194 (English).
2. ↑ 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. 1233 (English).