Revere Motor Company

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Revere Motor Car Corporation
Revere Motor Company
legal form Corporation
founding 1917
resolution 1926
Reason for dissolution Business closure or bankruptcy
Seat Logansport , Cass County , Indiana , USA
management
  • Newton Van Zandt
    President & CEO
  • Charles E. Barnes
    President
Branch Automobile manufacturer

The Revere Motor Car Corporation and its successor company Revere Motor Company is a former American car manufacturers , who from 1918 to 1926 in Logansport ( Indiana a high-capacity) in small series luxury car built, whose design was European influences. The brand name was Revere , although the manufacturer also used REVERE and preferred the spelling ReVere from 1920 .

Adolph Monsen

Adolph Monsen was the driving force behind the company. Like many other automobile pioneers, he came to automobile production as a cyclist and bicycle manufacturer. Around 1900, he started in Chicago with the production of steam car brand Monsen . After a boiler explosion in one of his vehicles, in which he was injured, he switched to gasoline-powered vehicles in 1908. He offered a wide range and produced roadsters, utility vehicles and funeral vehicles in rather small numbers. Then he ran an automobile agency for Marion and Bergdoll . He operated racing between 1909 and 1912 on both round and street circuits. In 1909 he took part with a Marion in the Wheatley Hills Sweepstakes belonging to the Vanderbilt Cup races. Through his friend, the then Marion factory manager and chief engineer Harry C. Stutz , he was later accepted into Marion's factory racing team .

prehistory

Gil Andersen in the Stutz factory team, 1915

Monsen won his former racing colleagues Tom Rooney (1881-1939) and Gil Andersen (1879-1935) for the project. Rooney had driven for Premier . Andersen, who was born in Norway, was Monsen's teammate at Marion and then belonged to the Stutz factory team White Squadron . He was also works manager at Stutz.

How Monsen's contact with Newton E. Van Zandt came about is not known, nor is it why Monsen gave him the helm of the company. Van Zandt was from Wilton, Iowa . He had no experience in automobile construction; his last position before Revere was that of a vice president of the Hobart Cable Piano Company in LaPorte, Indiana . This company existed from 1900 to the 1960s.

Revere Motor Car Corporation

guide

The founding of the Revere Motor Car Corporation was announced in early 1917 and took place in Logansport towards the end of the year. The site was apparently chosen as a location because of its location between the early automotive centers of Indianapolis and Chicago . The fact that the Greater Logansport Club  - probably the local Chamber of Commerce - contributed US $ 22,000 to the purchase of an empty sawmill in which the plant was being set up was also helpful in choosing the location .

Van Zandt became President and CEO, AA Seagraves Vice President, CH Wilson Chief Financial Officer and ER Mattingly Board Spokesman . Adolph Monsen , Tom Mooney , Gil Andersen were responsible for the technology and with August S. Duesenberg a representative of the engine supplier also had a seat on the board of directors.

The further division of tasks is not clear. Monsen seems to have been responsible for the drive and Andersen probably designed the chassis . Rooney's responsibilities as a member of the development team are unclear.

organization

Advertisement for the Biddle model D 4-pass. Touring (1917). The vehicle bore little resemblance to the Revere .

The procurement of the share capital was unsatisfactory, which was also due to the difficult economic environment: since April 6, 1917 the United States was at war with the Central Powers in the First World War . The fact that Van Zandt only managed to acquire US $ 50,000 instead of the targeted US $ 1.5 million share capital was also due to the meager accompanying material and the less than professional presentation. For example, a rather amateurish drawing of a photo of a Biddle allegedly made by Van Zandt was used as an illustration , which bore little resemblance to the actual product.

development

The Revere is certainly given potential. Like most vehicles from similarly sized manufacturers, the Revere was an assembled vehicle , which means that it was put together from parts and components from suppliers. This was a widespread method that also enabled such car manufacturers to produce efficiently and profitably.

In August 1917, the chassis of a first prototype was created, which was later bodied as a Touring . Like many other automakers of the time, Revere did not have its own body shop.

marketing

Van Zandt contributed the brand name including the unusual spelling, which was apparently only used from 1920. The brand name refers to a prominent figure of the American Revolutionary War , Paul Revere . Its portrait also adorns the radiator grille. The spelling of the brand name with a capital letter in the word is a peculiarity of the brand and can be found not only in advertising from 1920, but also under the brand emblem and at the factory gate.

The company advertised with the slogan America's Uncomparable Car and The last word in classy design built by people who know, for people who want, the classiest ... .

"Cannon Ball" Baker

Erwin "Cannon Ball" Baker with Indian motorcycle (1912)

Even before the big public appearances of the Revere , Van Zandt organized an advertising campaign that was still unusual and highly regarded at the time. He won over the former racing driver Erwin "Cannon Ball" Baker (1882-1960) for the implementation of a promotional drive that led through the 48 capitals of the Continental United States . Baker covered a total of 16,234.5 mi (26,126.9  km ) between June and September 1918  . It seems that he used the mentioned first prototype for this, which he drove to Racine , Wisconsin without assembly , in order to have it bodyworked there in the Racine Manufacturing Company . In the following decade, numerous manufacturers organized such tours of this type, which was promoted by the rapidly growing road network. For Baker this would be the beginning of a new career; As a specialist for such tasks, he carried out over 100 such long-distance trips in the following years.

Sluggish start

In 1916, the Duesenberg brothers separated their racing team from the relatively small engine factory and merged the latter with one of their business partners. This resulted in the Duesenberg Motors Corporation (DMC) based in Elizabeth (New Jersey) . The company mainly produced engines for boats and smaller ships, but also for airplanes and artillery tractors  - and the racing engines of the Duesenbergs. Only in autumn 1917 was a version of this long-announced engine ready for use in passenger cars. It was very expensive and intended for smaller manufacturers of luxury sports cars. In addition to Roamer and Biddle , Revere was one of the first companies to enter into purchase commitments. It was also the only one that relied entirely on these engines. When the DMC first restricted the delivery of these engines due to large armaments orders and had to stop them completely by order of the government in 1918, Revere production was practically shut down before it really started. One source cites the production of only 6 vehicles for 1918 as a pre-series . Other experts doubt that a Revere even came about this year . Only these two vehicles, which were also shown at the major national trade fairs, are really verifiable at the beginning of 1918.

Van Zandt negotiated with DMC to use the engine patent. It was issued to the Duesenberg brothers in 1914 and was used by the DMC . It seems that they tolerated Monsen producing a modified version for their own needs. It is known as Revere-Duesenberg or Monsen-Duesenberg and anticipates elements of the later Rochester-Duesenberg engine. Ultimately, this engine was easier to manufacture and more powerful than the moderately throttled Duesenberg Model G racing car engine .

These problems cost a lot of time and brought Revere Motor Car Corporation to the verge of collapse. Regular production only started in early 1919. It is doubtful that the systems really "hummed". Still got Revere not enough engines. The previous Duesenberg organization with its armaments-oriented production was dissolved, and Monsen had legitimate hopes that Revere would be able to acquire rights and production resources for the Walking Beam engine. It turned out differently. The DMC facilities were taken over by John North Willys for his Willys Corporation . Negotiations with Revere were broken off and one of the Group's subsidiaries, Rochester Motors Company, Inc. in Rochester (New York) , was awarded the contract in early 1919. Already at the end of 1919 the engines, heavily revised with the help of Fred S. Duesenberg , appeared on the market as Rochester-Duesenberg Model G. It was available in two versions: the G or G-3 with 5 liters displacement and 71 bhp output and the G-1 with 5.6 liters and 81 bhp. Revere moved into the latter, but was still dependent on the in-house Revere-Duesenberg for a while . Out of necessity, the practice was born of installing every available walking beam motor in the available chassis so that vehicles could even be delivered; however, no Revere with the five-liter G-3 is known. Early Revere were therefore, depending on availability, equipped with Duesenberg Model G (Walking Beam), Revere-Duesenberg and increasingly with the new Rochester-Duesenberg Model G-1 .

An order from the car enthusiast King Alfonso XIII had considerable advertising potential . from Spain , who added a Revere Model A Victoria Touring to his fleet in the summer of 1919 at US $ 7,800. Van Zandt never missed an opportunity to draw the public's attention to the prominent customer. A Revere dealer had a copy made, which was shown at the 1920 Cleveland, Ohio Auto Show .

Illegal maneuvers

There weren't many such bright spots. It had been shown early on that at least parts of the management were more interested in quick stock gains than in building a sales organization. Unfortunately, Van Zandt was one of them, who gambled away the trust of potential investors with windy actions.

Revere Motor Sales Corporation

The trigger was possibly that not enough investors could be found. Van Zandt claimed in a report to the shareholders in September 1919 that a "syndicate in the east" [of the USA] had made a down payment for 1,000 vehicles and wanted to raise US $ 45 million for them within five years; According to another representation, this information was even contained in the Revere share prospectus. There is also said to have been an - unrealistically high - profit of US $ 500 per vehicle. If this representation is correct, then Van Zandt is guilty of investment fraud because none of it was applicable .

Now possibly driven by his own promises, Van Zandt went one step further. The Revere Motor Sales Corporation was founded in New York City as a sales organization. It was directed by Luther M. Rankin . She filed a lawsuit against Revere for allegedly failing to deliver 900 vehicles. This gave the impression that the Revere was not only a coveted product, for the sale of which an organization was already being set up, but that 100 vehicles had already been delivered.

In February 1920 Revere was reorganized with additional capital of US $ 1.5 million.

Van Zandt and Duesenberg

Duesenberg Model A Touring body by Millspaugh & Irish (1922).

1919 was an eventful year for Van Zandt. In September he made the aforementioned promises to the Revere investors, which he must have known could not be kept. At the same time, he was negotiating with Fred Duesenberg and his brother August about the Duesenberg passenger car planned for license production . The Revere Motor Car Corporation was not intended for this, but a new company still to be founded. In October 1919 an agreement was reached between the Duesenbergs on the one hand and Van Zandt and his partner Luther Rankin on the other. For a sum of unknown amount, the latter received the right to use the patents necessary for the production of the said passenger car and the brand name Duesenberg . The Duesenberg Automobile & Motor Company, Inc. (DAMC) was established on March 8, the 1920s. Van Zandt and Rankin held the majority and financed this through the contribution of their Duesenberg rights and with other investors, including CFO Francis A. Reilly , who also had connections with the New York Revere sales organization. Van Zandt became president of the company and Rankin became vice president and managing director. Fred Duesenberg was Vice President in Charge of Engineering on the management board , August became Deputy Chief Engineer. The DAMC received a new building in Indianapolis, 70 miles (approx. 100 km) away from Logansport. While Van Zandt was building the DAMC , he kept his position at Revere and shared his workforce between the two companies.

At that time, the Duesenberg Model A was to be built with an eight-cylinder in-line version of the walking beam engine. At least the prototype presented in 1920 used engine parts from the Revere-Duesenberg , such as the rocker arms designed by Monsen. Shortly after the prototype was presented, Fred Duesenberg decided to abandon the walking beam valve drive in favor of an OHC control , which delayed the start of production by almost a year.

First bankruptcy

Revere always struggled with financing problems and the aforementioned delivery failures. The sales figures were more than sobering. After the delayed start in 1918 with a maximum of 6 vehicles built, 50 vehicles were sold in 1919. Duesenberg did not deliver any engines in the last year of the war, and without Monsen's efforts to develop his own version of the Walking Beam engine, this would have been the end. 1919 was the "best" year of production for the brand. It remains to be seen whether Monsen was better advised to stick to the walking beam engine than to buy another engine. The competitor Stutz, for example, relied on T-head motors from Wisconsin .

An economic crisis at the beginning of the 12920s also troubled the company. In 1920, 43 Revere went on sale. In the course of the year the notation ReVere was introduced. At the end of December, three creditors filed for bankruptcy. Van Zandt cleared his chair in January 1921 with the official reason that he wanted to devote more time to Duesenberg . The company was placed under bankruptcy administration in February 1921. The Citizens Loan and Trust Company in Logansport was appointed as trustee.

Because of Van Zandt's fantasies about the New York sales syndicate, he was personally confronted with fraud proceedings in August. He announced that he had resigned from his position at Revere months ago and could therefore not be held responsible. Beyond this idiosyncratic interpretation of his responsibility as managing director, even a year after the lawsuit was opened, he did nothing to refute the allegations against the company and himself. In particular, he stayed away from Logansport after his resignation.

Van Zandt ultimately tried unsuccessfully to renovate Duesenberg. His dubious business practices probably led to his hasty departure from Revere as well as to a reorganization at Duesenberg without him in June 1921, where he was replaced as president. Rankin remained Duesenberg's managing director until 1922 . Duesenberg's problems are blamed on incompetent management.

Van Zandt and Richelieu

Richelieu T-85 Touring, probably with Fleetwood body (1922)

After his apparently little glorious finish at Duesenberg tried Van Zandt end of 1921, the Richelieu Motor Car Corporation in Asbury Park ( New Jersey fund). He had poached some employees from Duesenberg , including the sales manager NG Rost . Fred Duesenberg's former assistant, William Beckman , became the company's chief engineer and a vice president. He had already worked on the walking beam development at Duesenberg . He left Richelieu in mid-1922 and later worked again with Duesenberg .

Although Van Zandt appeared as an investor, it is believed that he had secured a vehicle at Revere , which he brought to Richelieu and which later served as the blueprint for the Richelieu T-85 . In fact, there are great similarities between the two brands' vehicles, beyond the radiators reminiscent of contemporary FIAT and Oldsmobile models, and strange similarities in the sales literature.

Meanwhile, the determined prosecutor of Indiana because of lawsuits against Revere . As a result, Van Zandt was written out for arrest and arrested in Philadelphia . He managed to convince the Governor of Pennsylvania , William Cameron Sproul , that the allegations were insufficient for an extradition to Indiana. When the responsible authorities later learned that Van Zandt was in New York City , the prosecutor and the chief of police from Logansport followed him. At gunpoint, Van Zandt's bodyguard foiled the attempt to arrest him.

Now completely impoverished, Van Zandt died of a heart attack on May 2, 1923, unnoticed by the public, in the Cadillac Hotel in New York City.

Second bankruptcy

Production numbers remained low. The year 1921 was downright disastrous with only 27 vehicles, 1922 with 39 vehicles only slightly better. Obviously, Revere failed to regain lost confidence; the car itself was rated positively. In November 1922 there was a second bankruptcy.

Revere Motor Company

As a result, the plant was sold to new investors for US $ 52,000. In February 1923 the company was reorganized for the last time. This went hand in hand with the renaming in Revere Motor Company . With the exception of Adolph Monsen, the entire leadership has been replaced. The new president was Charles E. Barnes , Chief Financial Officer Henry A. Kraut and Secretary Fred J. Steffens . Monsen served as Vice President and General Manager.

The engine problem now seemed to have been defused. Revere usually delivered the vehicles with the cheaper Rochester-Duesenberg G-1 and offered their own type as an option for an additional charge. In 1923 sales appeared to be recovering. With 43 units, this was, together with 1920, the brand's second best annual result. However, another obstacle increasingly appeared: the car, designed in 1917 and only modified in terms of the engine, was visibly aging. At the same time, the large-volume four-cylinder in the luxury class - and not only there - lost to buyers' favor. Preference was now given to six-cylinder and increasingly V8 engines, such as those offered by competitors such as Cole , Daniels , Oakland , Oldsmobile and of course Cadillac . For a number of years, eight-cylinder in-line engines were the measure of all things in terms of smoothness and power delivery. Revere responded in several ways. On the one hand, the program has been streamlined to three or four variants, depending on the source. From 1925, a six-cylinder, the Continental J6 , was also offered as an alternative. Compared to the - still practically unchanged - basic model, which has meanwhile been sold as the Model M , the six-cylinder Model 25 was also not quite as expensive.

The last Revere received a peculiar double steering wheel, with which parking should be made easier. It is unclear how this device worked.

The success of all these measures was minimal: In the last two years of production, only 27 vehicles were delivered. How many of these were accounted for by the four-cylinder Model M and the six-cylinder Model 25 can no longer be determined. It appears that production stopped without a fuss in 1926.

technology

Engines

Patent drawing "Walking Beam" valve drive (two-valve, 1913)

Duesenberg Model G.

The engine planned for the Revere was the Duesenberg Walking Beam four-cylinder Model G , a high-performance engine developed for racing. This engine was so successful that in 1916 - according to the company - 60 percent of all racing cars in its class were powered by it. A few years earlier there was still a European dominance, for example from Mercedes , Peugeot or Fiat .

The engine has a cast iron - block with non-removable cylinder head . The barrel-shaped crankshaft housing is made of cast aluminum and also contains the camshaft , which is offset above the double-bearing crankshaft. The two valves per cylinder are recessed in "chambers" on the left side of the engine at the top, which expand the combustion chamber . Opposite them are two spark plugs per cylinder. There is a screwable maintenance opening for each cylinder. The advantages of the chosen design are a compact combustion chamber, which means higher compression and more power with the same weight. In addition, this design allows a simple exhaust manifold . The same would apply to the intake manifold , but the Duesenbergs went their own way here too. In order to feed the preheated mixture into the combustion chamber, instead of a manifold, a system of chambers and passages is cast in the crankshaft housing and engine block, so that only the carburetor, which is located deep on the engine side, is visible from the outside.

Duesenberg engines cannot easily be built into an ordinary chassis. The engine and gearbox are interlocked, but the racing car engine has a special three-point bracket for mounting in the chassis. The front one goes into the foremost chassis cross strut, the two rear ones are cast into the flywheel housing and do not lead to the longitudinal members, as is usual with road vehicles, but to the main cross member. This should keep tension in the frame away from the engine.

Probably the most striking feature of this engine is the eponymous valve train via eight rocker arms attached to the left of the engine block . Each is approximately 14 inches (35 cm) long and attached to a common shaft at the tipping point. This is located approximately 6 inches (15 cm) above the camshaft. Each rocker arm is fastened to the camshaft at the lower end and to the respective valve at the upper end by means of roller bearings . The walking beams are attached under a removable casing. Changes compared to the racing version concern the crankshaft with unbalance compensation and the fuel supply through lines into the cylinder head. The Duesenberg Model G was available in two versions. The smaller one makes 80 bhp (60 kW) from 301  in³ (4899 cm³) displacement , the larger, used by Revere , 103 bhp (77 kW) from 360.8 in³. (5910 cm³) cubic capacity (due to different conversions and roundings there are also 360.5 in³. And other approximate values). It results from a 4⅜ inch (111.1 mm) bore and a 6 inch (152.4 mm) stroke . The NACC rating based on the cylinder bore is 30.6 HP.

The circumstances at DMC meant that very few Revere were delivered with this engine. In addition to the Series A , this is at best still Series C .

The first prototype mentioned had a hardly modified racing car engine, without the changes to the crankshaft and fuel supply.

Revere-Duesenberg

Duesenberg had announced its street version in 1915 - possibly too early - and thus aroused the interest of various manufacturers of luxury vehicles, including Revere . Apparently, Monsen recognized early on that there could be bottlenecks in the delivery of these engines. He responded by designing his own version of this engine, which was derived from the Duesenberg Model G car engine with two-valve technology and which was possibly available as early as 1919.

With unchanged, also non-removable cylinder head and displacement, Monsen changed the crankshaft housing and set the camshaft higher. Accordingly, the condensed Walking Beam - rocker , the Duesenberg valve gear remained the same in principle. This version was even a little more powerful than the original model. 105 bhp (78 kW) at 3800 / min (probably a typo in the speed) and also 106 bhp (79 kW) at 2800 / min are mentioned.

These engines seem tolerated by the Duesenbergs as patent holder of the walking beam to be produced -Ventiltriebs and Revere built soon more of it than Duesenberg G . When production of the revised Rochester-Duesenberg Model G started at the end of 1919, the situation eased for customers. At Revere , the cheaper-to-manufacture Rochester-Duesenberg G-1 described below became the brand's new standard motor. The stronger Revere-Duesenberg , also known as Monsen-Duesenberg , remained available as an option or replaced it towards the end of production. Bore, stroke and displacement of the Revere-Duesenberg correspond to the Duesenberg Model G described above .

The last model with this engine was the Series M , introduced in 1923 and offered alongside the six-cylinder Series 25 for the company's last two years .

Rochester-Duesenberg Model G-1

Rochester Motor Co. advert for Rochester-Duesenberg engines. Except for the cylinder bore, the G-3 model shown is identical to the somewhat stronger G-1 used by Revere . (1919)


After the end of the First World War, the government stopped its development and armaments contracts for the DMC . The company had just switched its production to armaments orders - predominantly boat and aircraft engines - and production was just about to start. In this situation it was decided to sell the company. In 1919 it was taken over by the auto parts supplier Willys Corporation .

The machines, tools, and rights to the walking beam motor went to the Willys Corporation subsidiary Rochester Motors Company, Inc., and discussions with Revere , which were well advanced in this regard, were broken off. With the help of Fred Duesenberg, the engine at Rochester was revised in important points and better adapted to the intended use. The engine should run quieter, quieter, smoother and more flexible than its predecessor. In return, a performance loss of around 20% was accepted. The street versions were already called Model G at Duesenberg ; this designation was taken over from Rochester , whereby G-1 stands for the somewhat larger engine described here.

The most important changes included a revised cylinder head with eight valves, but only one instead of two spark plugs per cylinder. The unusual walking beam valve control has been retained in a milder form. A new crankshaft housing with a deeper tub made it possible to accommodate the camshaft higher up in the housing so that shorter rocker arms could be used. These changes resulted in further adjustments. A new chain was necessary to drive the camshaft and ancillary units, and a conventional intake manifold replaced the unusual solution with lines inserted in the block. As a result, the carburetor was also placed higher on the engine block. The crankshaft received three plain bearings instead of the two roller bearings previously used .

Again, the manufacturer offered two displacement sizes. There are no indications that the smaller one with practically unchanged dimensions was used by Revere compared to the Duesenberg G / 301 . Of great importance to Revere , however, was the Rochester-Duesenberg G-1 , which became the brand's standard drive as soon as it was available in sufficient numbers. This is likely to have been the case in the course of 1920. In fact, it seems that after Rochester Motors' production ended, there was enough stock to be available from Revere until at least 1925.

The displacement of the G-1 is 340.5 in³ (5579 cm³) with a bore of 4¼ inches (107.95 mm) and a stroke of 6 inches (152.4 mm). For Revere with this engine - the models C , D and M are occupied  - an output of 81 bhp (60 kW) is noted. The NACC rating is 28.9 HP.

Continental 6Y

A few vehicles received the aforementioned six-cylinder Continental J6 . It was a less powerful but cultivated and proven engine that was typically equally suitable for large cars and commercial vehicles. The displacement of the side-controlled engine is 331 in³ (5430 cm³) with a bore of 3¾ inches (95.25 mm) and a stroke of 5 inches (127 mm). A Schebler carburetor was used.

The only Revere with this engine, the Series 25 , is rated at 70 bhp (52 kW) and has a NACC rating of 33.7 HP.

Motors used in the overview

Motor
rating		 Duesenberg Revere-Duesenberg Rochester-Duesenberg Continental
Model G
361 ci		 "Monsen-Duesenberg" Model G-1
340.5 ci		 Model 6J
331 ci
Use with Revere approx. isolated
1917–1920		 1918-1925 1920-1925 1925-1926
Mainly used in


 isolated racing engines
Series A
Series C

 Series A (?)
Series C
Series D
Series M
 Series C
Series D
Series M

Series 25
Rating
(NACC)		 30.6 HP 30.6 HP 28.9 HP 33.7 HP
power 103 bhp 105 bhp
106 bhp		 81 bhp 70 bhp
at 1 / min 2600 2800 2500
Construction Cast iron - aluminum engine block - crankcase four-stroke engine (Otto)

 Gray cast iron engine block
four-stroke engine (Otto)
cylinder four, row six, row
Valves 8
lying		 12
standing
Valve train Walking beam
inlet and side outlet		 SV
Crankshaft bearings 2 3 4th
Bore × stroke 4⅜ × 6 inches
111.1 × 152.4 mm 		4.316 x 6 inches
109.6 x 152.4 mm 		4¼ x 6 inches
107.9 x 152.4 mm 		3¾ × 5 in.
95.25 × 127.0 mm
Cubic capacity in ³
cm³		 360.8 in³
5910 cm³ 		360.8 in³
5910 cm³ 		340.6 in³
5912 cm³ 		331, in³
5430 cm³
compression 3.6: 1
3.44: 1, also different information		 4.3: 1
Carburetor Stromberg Schebler
Engine lubrication Forced lubrication to the crankshaft and connecting rod bearings
ignition Magnet , later battery battery
Spark plugs 8th 8th 6th
Remarks A stated speed of 3800 rpm seems to be based on a writing error. Performance data of 80–90 bhp could refer to the smaller G / 301 (80 bhp at 2300 rpm).

Power transmission

Advertisement by the Brown-Lipe Gear Company from 1917

Four-speed transmissions are mentioned, especially in vehicles before 1920, followed by those with three forward gears. One source calls the transmission an in-house design. One preserved vehicle has a four-speed Brown-Lipe transmission . So there is the possibility that Revere had it manufactured by this then well-known manufacturer.

Both single and multi-plate clutches can be detected. Standard rear axle ratio was probably 3.6: 1, but others can also be proven.

chassis

It seems that Monsen's engineers literally designed the vehicle around this engine. Its modern ladder frame was a conventional but robust construction. It had cranked side members in both the front and rear , which helped keep the vehicle low. Andersen had also provided semi-elliptical leaf springs at the rear , which were not attached under the side member, but attached to the outside on the sides. It was unusual for this era that mounts for retrofittable shock absorbers were already provided. The tank held 25 gallons (95.6 liters) of fuel.

On all Revere , main and auxiliary brakes act on drums on the rear axle. Another special feature typical of the brand is an adjustment device for the brakes using a hand wheel, which is accessible through an opening in the floor of the car, and a cable pull.

The vehicles were usually Buffalo - Laced wheels 32 x 4½ inch dimension.

Electrics

The starter and generator were purchased from North East , the magneto ignition on earlier models was an American Bosch ZR4 system.

In 1923, optional headlights were offered on which small headlights were mounted in a periscope-like attachment. These could be swiveled horizontally and vertically using a lever on the dashboard. The bizarre-looking devices should also serve as cornering lights , searchlights and position lights . It could not be determined whether this idea was realized at Revere or whether it was a purchased product.

Model policy

With the exception of the last series, the individual Revere models differ only slightly from one another. There is no documentation as to why this manufacturer introduced such series and which series was produced for how long. They each assign the sources to a model year, which was taken over here, but in fact does not actually correspond to what we now call the model year . Other small manufacturers are known to have ordered parts and components for a set number of vehicles that were expected to be sold within a certain period of time. A good sale led to a short construction time, a bad one to a longer one. Even the big players in the industry such as Packard were not spared, but justified this with the fact that new models would appear whenever a sufficient number of improvements could be introduced in the opinion of the engineers.

The differences between the series resulted on the one hand from the experience with the current model and from product improvements, on the other hand from the availability and price of individual components. These changes could therefore be smaller or larger. So two other, smaller manufacturers, Biddle and Stephens , experimented with different wheelbases, and still others like Ace or Roamer also experimented with engines. Revere was pretty consistent in this regard and stayed true to the walking beam principle for most of the time . The engine changes shown are due to changed circumstances beyond Revere's control. It wasn't until the Series 25 six-cylinder model , probably too late, that a different approach was taken.

Unfortunately, the documents available only provide information on technical improvements to the Revere , they can rarely be assigned to individual series. So it seems that early models were more likely to be delivered with a four-speed transmission, while later models were more likely to have three-speed ones. The axle reductions probably changed more often, which can be explained on the one hand by the gearbox of choice and on the other hand by customer requirements that are relatively easy to meet. One of the few real innovations was the parking aid introduced around 1923. Unfortunately, it is not known from which series it was available - D , M and 25 are possible  - nor how it worked and whether it could be retrofitted. On the other hand, the six-cylinder engine, which was only available in Series 25 , can be clearly assigned . Revere introduced a six-cylinder model for the first time and responded to the changed market. Automobiles with four-cylinder engines were rarely in demand in the luxury class, and Revere , along with Mercer, was one of the last providers of such vehicles. However, the question of the availability of the Rochester-Duesenberg G-1 engine cannot be answered clearly. The production of the engine officially ended around 1923, but Revere may have taken precautions and stocked up a sufficient number of units to be able to offer the engine in 1924 and 1925.

Revere production prior to 1919 is estimated to be between two and six vehicles, including the prototype driven by Baker.

Model overview

Model
N.ACC rating 		construction time Intended engine
 Displacement
in³ / cm³ 		Power
bhp / kW 		body Price
US $ 		Remarks
Series A
30.6 HP 		1917-1920 R4 16V
Duesenberg 		360.8 / 5912 approx.
90/67 		Roadster , 2Pl .; Victoria Touring , 4 pl .; Touring, 7 pl. 3850.- each Racing version approx. 100 bhp / 75 kW
Series A
30.6 HP 		1919 R4 16V
Monsen-Duesenberg 		360.8 / 5912 105/78 Roadster, 2Pl .; Victoria-Touring, 4 pl .; Touring, 7 pl. 3850.00 each Prototype with 360.4 in³ = 5905 cm³ (103 bhp / 77 kW)
Series C
28.9 HP 		1920-1921 R4 8V
Rochester-Duesenberg 		340.6 / 5580 81/60 Speedster , 2 pl .; Roadster, 4 pl .; Touring, 4 pl .; Sedan , 5 pl. 4650, - to 6500, -
Series D
28.9 HP 		1922-1923 R4 8V
Rochester-Duesenberg 		340.6 / 5580 81/60 Roadster , 4 seats
Touring, 5 seats
Sedan, 5
seats Speedster, 4 seats 		3850, - to 4500, - Kimes / Clark: Not a speedster.
Classic Car Database: Roadster with 2 pl.
Series M
28.9 HP 		1924-1926 R4 8V
Rochester-Duesenberg 		340.6 / 5580 81/60 Roadster, 4 seats
Touring, 5 seats
Sedan, 5
seats Speedster, 4 seats. 		3850, - to 4500, - Kimes / Clark: Not a speedster.
Classic Car Database: Roadster with 2 pl.
Series 25
33.7 HP 		1925-1926 R6 sv , 12V
Continental 		331.0 / 5430 70/52 Roadster , 4 seats
Touring, 5 seats
Sedan, 5
seats Speedster, 4 seats 		Kimes / Clark: Not a speedster.
Classic Car Database: Roadster with 2 pl.
  • This table was compiled from several sources. The dimensions given may vary slightly due to rounding differences. There are different details about engine performance.
  • Rating according to NACC : The NACC ( National Automobile Chamber of Commerce ) was a manufacturer's organization whose predecessor introduced the first standards for motor vehicles in the USA. HP according to NACC build on it; these data are calculated, not measured.

Production numbers

Model year number of pieces
1918 6th
1919 50
1920 43
1921 27
1922 39
1923 43
1924 12
1925 21st
1926 6th
Total 247

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 . Other estimates put numbers as different as 250 or 2500 vehicles.

Motorsport

Eddie Hearne on Revere , Tacoma Speedway (1920).

Revere participated in racing. For 1920 participation in the 500 miles from Indianapolis with driver George Gerrie "Pete" Henderson (1895-1940) and Ernie Olsen as a regulated, accompanying mechanic is documented. Henderson drove the race car the full distance and finally drove it to the finish line in tenth place.

In 1921, Eddie Hearne (1887–1955) drove a very experienced pilot for Revere , who had contested his first race in 1909 in a FIAT . His mechanic at Revere was Harry Hartz (1894–1974), who then began his own successful racing career at Duesenberg .

The vehicle was one of the new Duesenberg eight-cylinders with SOHC instead of walking beam valve drive. Except for a front adapted to the shape of the Revere , it corresponded to the Duesenberg factory racers. The Canadian Pete Henderson competed for Duesenberg in the 1915 and 1917 seasons and for Maxwell in between . He then contested two races on a Duesenberg provided by Roamer , of which he won one. Eddie Hearne from Kansas City, Kansas was also a former Duesenberg pilot.

Appreciation

No source has been found listing problems with the design and quality of the Revere automobiles and it appears they were well respected. On the other hand, corporate management is viewed critically on all sides. With the exception of Adolph Monsen, it does not get a good rating. The toughest court cases with corrupt business practices and President Newton Van Zandt are Daniel Strohl in Hemmings Classic Car Magazine and Brett Berk in Car and Driver

Revere today

It is estimated that there are six to seven Revere automobiles left worldwide . Are known

  • a Touring with different designations with year of construction 1918 and 1920 with bright red paintwork and black fenders, which has served as a postcard motif and in many publications for illustration since the 1960s.
  • # 624 is a four-seater touring with vintage 1920. The vehicle is painted dark red with black fenders and red wire wheels.
  • # 1357 is another four-seater touring from 1920. This vehicle is described as very original with a Stromberg M-4 carburetor, Bosch magneto ignition, four-speed transmission from Browne-Lipe and Buffalo wire-spoke wheels. It was auctioned by Bonhams for US $ 137,500 in 2017 ; the estimated price was between US $ 125,000 and 175,000. This vehicle is painted brown with red rims.

Remarks

  1. ↑ Daniel Stohl quotes from an article that L. Spencer Riggs wrote for Automobile Quarterly . This dates the prototype to August 25, 1917. The article is not available.
  2. ↑ Daniel Stohl also quotes from L. Spencer Riggs' article in Automobile Quarterly . Accordingly, after the touring, only another prototype was created, which was built as a roadster and was shown at exhibitions from the beginning of 1918.
  3. ↑ The NACC rating was a predecessor formula for SAE-PS . The NACC ( National Automobile Chamber of Commerce ) was an association of the automotive industry founded in 1913 and the successor to the ALAM ( Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers ), which was the first to introduce this standard in the US automotive industry in 1903. It therefore corresponds to the NACC formula. The benefit is calculated; Cylinder bore ² x number of cylinders; the result is divided by 2.5. SAE-PS were later developed from this formula, it is also the basis of the British tax-PS at that time.
  4. ↑ Before 1921, the delivery problems with the engines meant that other engines were also installed, regardless of the intended drive.
  5. ↑ Predecessor formula for SAE-PS . NACC ( National Automobile Chamber of Commerce ) was an association of the automobile industry founded in 1913 and the successor to the ALAM ( Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers ), which introduced the first standards in US automobile manufacture in 1903. The benefit is calculated; Cylinder bore ² x 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.

literature

  • Don Butler: Auburn Cord Duesenberg. (= Crestline Series ). Crestline Publishing Co., 1992, ISBN 0-87938-701-7 .
  • Fred Roe : Duesenberg - The Pursuit of Perfection. Dalton Watson Publishers, London 1982, ISBN 0-901564-32-X .
  • Beverly Rae Kimes (Ed.), Henry Austin Clark Jr.: Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942. Krause Publications, Iola WI, 1996, ISBN 0-87341-428-4 .
  • Griffith Borgeson : The Golden Age of the American Racing Car. Ed. SAE ( Society of Automotive Engineers ), Warrendale PA, 1998, ISBN 0-7680-0023-8 .
  • 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 .
  • George Nicholas Georgano (Ed.): Complete Encyclopedia of Motorcars, 1885 to the Present. 2nd Edition. Dutton Press, New York 1973, ISBN 0-525-08351-0 .
  • Dennis Adler: Duesenberg . Heel-Verlag, Königswinter 2005, ISBN 3-89880-487-9 .
  • Randy Ema: The Man Behind the Machine - Friedrich S. Duesenberg. In: Automobile Quarterly. (ISSN 0005-1438), Volume XXX, No. 4, pp. 4-13 (1992).
  • George Moore: They always called him Augie - August S. Duesenberg. In: Automobile Quarterly. (ISSN 0005-1438), Volume XXX, No. 4, pp. 14-20 (1992).
  • Joseph S. Freeman, James O'Keefe: Out of the Crucible - A Racing History. In: Automobile Quarterly. (ISSN 0005-1438), Volume XXX, No. 4: 80-99 (1992).
  • Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers ALAM ( National Automobile Chamber of Commerce ; Inc. NACC): Handbook of Automobiles 1915-1916. Dover Publications. (Reprint 1970)
  • Karl Ludvigsen: Indy Cars 1911-1939: Great Racers from the Crucible of Speed. Enthusiast Books (Ludvigsen Library), 2005, ISBN 1-58388-151-4 .
  • Jon M. Bill: Duesenberg Racecars & Passenger Cars Photo Archive. Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum (Ed.), Iconografix, Hudson WI, Photo Archive Series, ISBN 1-58388-145-X .
  • Tad Burness: American Car Spotter's Guide, 1920-39. Motorbooks International, ISBN 0-87938-026-8 .

Web links

Commons : Revere Motor Company  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ George Ralph Doyle, George Nicholas Georgano : The World's Automobiles 1862–1962. A record of 100 years of car building. Temple Press Books, London 1963, p. 141 (English).
  2. ↑ a b Butler: Auburn Cord Duesenberg. 1992, p. 104.
  3. ↑ champcarstats.com: Adolph Monson [sic].
  4. ↑ vanderbiltcupraces.com: Drivers: A. Monsen.
  5. ↑ vanderbiltcupraces.com: 1909 Wheatley Hills Sweepstakes; Marion # 31 (Driver: A. Monsen).
  6. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac Daniel Strohl: ReVere's Ride. Hemmings Classic Car, February 2006
  7. ↑ a b Butler: Auburn Cord Duesenberg. 1992, p. 84.
  8. ↑ a b c d e f Kimes, Clark: Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942. 1996, pp. 1286-1287
  9. ^ Roe: Duesenberg - The Pursuit of Perfection. 1982, p. 47.
  10. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k Kimes, Clark: Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942. 1996, p. 1286 (Revere).
  11. ^ A b Roe: Duesenberg - The Pursuit of Perfection. 1982, p. 37.
  12. ↑ a b c Brett Berk, Car and Driver, September 6, 2017: Forgotten Automakers: Revere Motor Car Corporation.
  13. ↑ a b c Butler: Auburn Cord Duesenberg. 1992, p. 97.
  14. ↑ Roe: It all began with "A" - The first passenger cars. In: Automobile Quarterly. Vol. XXX, No. 4 (1992), p. 26.
  15. ↑ Roe: It all began with "A" - The first passenger cars. In: Automobile Quarterly. Vol. XXX, No. 4 (1992), p. 27.
  16. ↑ Homepage of the AHOF Automotive Hall of Fame
  17. ^ Butler: Auburn Cord Duesenberg. 1992, p. 98.
  18. ↑ a b Butler: Auburn Cord Duesenberg. 1992, p. 111.
  19. ↑ a b c d e Butler: Auburn Cord Duesenberg. 1992, p. 114.
  20. ↑ a b Butler: Auburn Cord Duesenberg. 1992, p. 131.
  21. ^ Butler: Auburn Cord Duesenberg. 1992, p. 105.
  22. ↑ Kimes, Clark: Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942. 1996, p. 1289 (Richelieu).
  23. ^ Roe: Duesenberg - The Pursuit of Perfection. 1982, p. 70.
  24. ↑ Classic Car Database: Revere Series 25 (1925, Continental 6J).
  25. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Classic Car Database: Revere Series 25 (1926, Continental 6J).
  26. ^ Butler: Auburn Cord Duesenberg. 1992, p. 69.
  27. ^ Roe: Duesenberg - The Pursuit of Perfection. 1982, p. 33.
  28. ^ Roe: Duesenberg - The Pursuit of Perfection. 1982, p. 22.
  29. ↑ a b c d e Butler: Auburn Cord Duesenberg. 1992, p. 88.
  30. ↑ a b c Roe: Duesenberg - The Pursuit of Perfection. 1982, p. 44.
  31. ↑ a b c d Classic Car Database: Revere Series C (1921, RD G-1 340.5 ci).
  32. ^ Roe: Duesenberg - The Pursuit of Perfection. 1982, p. 39.
  33. ↑ a b c d Bonhams: 1920 Revere-Duesenberg Four-passenger Tourer # 1357.
  34. ↑ Classic Car Database: Revere Series M (1923, Monsen-RD 360.8 ci).
  35. ↑ Classic Car Database: Revere Series M (1924, Monsen-RD 360.8 ci).
  36. ↑ Classic Car Database: Revere Series M (1925, Monsen-RD 360.8 ci).
  37. ↑ Classic Car Database: Revere Series M (1926, Monsen-RD 360.8 ci).
  38. ^ A b Roe: Duesenberg - The Pursuit of Perfection. 1982, p. 63.
  39. ↑ a b c d Roe: Duesenberg - The Pursuit of Perfection. 1982, p. 65.
  40. ^ Roe: Duesenberg - The Pursuit of Perfection. 1982, p. 66.
  41. ↑ a b c d e Borgeson: The Golden Age of the American Racing Car. 1998, p. 336.
  42. ↑ a b Butler: Auburn Cord Duesenberg. 1992, p. 89.
  43. ^ Roe: Duesenberg - The Pursuit of Perfection. 1982, p. 69.
  44. ↑ a b c d e converted with cubic inch calculator.
  45. ↑ a b champcarstats.com: chassis; Duesenberg 1913-38.
  46. ↑ a b c champcarstats.com: Pete Henderson.
  47. ↑ a b champcarstats.com: Ernie Olsen.
  48. ↑ champcarstats.com: Harry Hartz.
  49. ↑ champcarstats.com: Eddie Hearne.
  50. ^ Early American Automobiles: History of Early American Automobile Industry; Chapter 26: 1918.
  51. ^ Early American Automobiles: Early American Automobiles: Models 1917–1920. Two pictures of a Revere Touring, 1918 resp. 1920 (scroll).
  52. ↑ conceptcarz.com: Revere Model A Touring, chassis # 624 (1920).
  53. ↑ conceptcarz.com: Revere Model A Touring, chassis # 1527 (1920).