Samson Tractor Company

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Samson tractor around 1920

Samson Tractor Company was an American company that manufactured farm tractors from 1900 to 1923, trucks from 1920 to 1923, and a planned passenger car in 1919. At times the brand belonged to the General Motors group.

history

The Samson Iron Works were founded in Stockton (California) in 1900 and renamed the Samson Tractor Company in 1916 after the successful start of production of farm tractors and smaller engines . Another name change to Samson Sieve-Grip Tractor Company took place in 1917. In the same year William C. Durant acquired the company for General Motors , which at that time was looking for opportunities to enter the market for tractors and farm equipment. This was dominated by Fordson with their Model F at that time . In 1918, GM also bought the Janesville Machine Company in Janesville, Wisconsin, which specialized in agricultural equipment, for one million US $ . The following year production was merged with Samson and the Stockton plant was closed. This resulted in the Samson Tractor Company Division of General Motors in Janesville.

Expectations rested mainly on the new Samson M model . Production of the four-wheeled tractor started on May 19, 1919 with an output of 10 vehicles a day. The price was initially a moderate 690 US $. It quickly became apparent that this was not cost-covering. Meanwhile, Ford reduced the price of its Fordson tractor according to the same principles as its Model T , and Samson had to raise the price sharply to US $ 840. The Model D , also known as the Iron Horse , became a sales debacle. Such devices were also available from other manufacturers. Instead of a horse, it could be harnessed to a wagon or work tool. It was operated by a person who walked behind it. This ended the plans to outperform Ford in this sector. In 1923, GM closed the Samson division.

Selected Samson tractor models

Samson model M

The most important pillar at Samson before the takeover by GM was the Sieve Grip series, heavy, large and archaic-looking monsters with three wheels. The chassis was pulled low. The water cooler was located directly behind the massive suspension of the steered front wheel and behind it, roughly in the middle between the front and rear axles, the engine. The rear wheels were larger than the front and were made of cast iron with no tires. The drive took place on the rear axle, the driver sat at the back of the vehicle. Sieve Grip were available with various motors from the GM shelf.

  • 1914 Samson Sieve Grip 6-12 ; 6/12 hp single cylinder engine
  • 1915 Samson Sieve Grip 10-25 ; 10/25 HP GMC engine
  • Samson Sieve Grip 12-25 ; 12/25 hp
  • Samson Sieve Grip Model 30X (built under GM direction)
  • Samson model S-25
  • 1918 Samson Model M ; Four-wheel tractor (built under GM direction)
  • Samson Model D, also Samson Motor Cultivator or Iron Horse ("Iron Horse")

Samson truck

Samson truck around 1920

A series of light trucks with on tons and 1¼ tons payload that were offered from 1920 onwards should provide an additional pillar for Samson . They were driven from ohv - four-cylinder engine of the car Chevrolet 490 of made there from 2.802 cc (171 ci) 26 bhp (19.4 kW) at 1800 / min. The timing was unfortunate. When the Samson truck appeared, the commercial vehicle market was in upheaval. On the one hand, army trucks that were no longer needed crowded the used car market, on the other hand there was a market concentration in which specialized, sometimes newly emerging companies such as Mack or White had the better cards. A number of car manufacturers who had built heavy commercial vehicles on the side, such as Packard , Peerless or Locomobile , were forced to withdraw from this business area because the truck and car business were increasingly separating and because they were operating with fleet discounts that small providers could not keep up with . In addition, Samson competed with the smaller ¾-Tönner, of course, with a number of car manufacturers who were able to offer such delivery vans at low cost using key components from their passenger car range.

"Whole Family Car"

At about the same time as the development of the Samson truck, work began on a new car that was also to appear under the Samson brand. The company's intention was to "build the first and only car designed for farmers". The new model was to be called the "Whole Family Car" (meaning "car for the whole family"). It was built on a conventional frame with a wheelbase of 118 inches (2,997 mm). The low-priced and uncomplicated ohv four-cylinder engine of the Chevrolet FB served as the drive, producing 37 bhp (27.6 kW) at 2,000 rpm from a displacement of 3,671 cm³ (224 ci). The body was designed as a nine-seater open touring ; the rear bench and the emergency seats could be removed and the car converted into a pick-up . The plan was to sell 2,250 units in the first year and 5,000 in 1920. However, the management stopped the project shortly before the start of production when it became foreseeable that the Model M tractor would not be able to meet the high expectations. For decades , the Whole Family Car remained the only model announced by GM but not produced.

The end

In 1920 William C. Durant had to leave General Motors for the second time and this time for good. In 1923, the company closed its unprofitable Samson division and handed over the Janesville plant to Chevrolet. It was used until December 2008 and last made SUVs for Chevrolet and GMC.

literature

  • Mike Brazeau: Samson Tractors. In: Generations of GM Wiki . Retrieved August 24, 2011.
  • Beverly Rae Kimes (Ed.), Henry Austin Clark, Jr.: Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1805-1942. 2nd Edition. Krause Publications, Iola WI 1985, ISBN 0-87341-111-0 , pp. 1277 and 273.
  • Beverly Rae Kimes (Ed.): Packard, a History of the Motor Car and the Company. (= Automobile Quarterly ). General edition, 1978, ISBN 0-915038-11-0 , pp. 680-681.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ tractors.wikia.com about Samson tractors
  2. ^ BR Kimes (ed.): Packard, a History of the Motor Car and the Company. (= Automobile Quarterly). 1978, ISBN 0-915038-11-0 , pp. 680-681 (English)
  3. ^ The first and only farm-designed car. In: Kimes / Clark: Standard Catalog. 1985, p. 1277.
  4. ^ Kimes / Clark: Standard Catalog. 1985, p. 273.
  5. ^ Kimes / Clark: Standard Catalog. 1985, p. 1277.