Simplex Automobile Company

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Simplex Automobile Company
legal form Inc.
founding 1907
resolution 1920
Seat New York City , New York , USA
Branch Automobiles

Simplex from 1911
Simplex Model 50 from 1912 with a body by JM Quinby & Co.
Simplex Crane Model 5 from 1916
1917 Simplex Crane Model 5 built by Brewster & Co.

Simplex Automobile Company was an American manufacturer of automobiles .

Company history

Herman Broesel founded the company in New York City in 1907 . In addition, he took over the Smith & Mabley Manufacturing Company, including the plant and chief engineer Edward Franquist. They started with the production of automobiles. The brand name was Simplex .

Broesel died in late 1912. In September 1913, his sons sold the company to Goodrich, Lockhart and Smith . Production was then relocated to another facility in New Brunswick , New Jersey .

At the end of 1914, the Crane Motor Car Company was taken over. Its head, Henry Crane, became the second vice president. The equipment from his Bayonne plant was moved to New Brunswick in early 1915. The vehicles he developed were officially offered under the Simplex brand with the addition of Crane Model 5 , which was often shortened to Crane-Simplex .

In 1916 the Wright-Martin Aircraft Company bought the company. After the USA entered the First World War , aircraft engines were manufactured at the New Brunswick plant. At the end of October 1917, it was announced that car production would cease for the time of the war. After the end of the war, this decision remained in principle. However, in 1918 and 1919 individual vehicles were made from existing parts.

On February 27, 1920, Hare's Motors took over the company. That was the end for the Simplex Automobile Company.

In 1922 Henry Crane bought some shares and founded the Crane-Simplex Company .

vehicles

The first model for the period from 1907 to 1908 was the Model 50 . This luxury car had a four-cylinder engine with T-head . Each 146.05 mm bore and stroke were 9787 cc displacement . The engine was specified with 50 hp . The engine power was transmitted to the rear axle via a four-speed gearbox and two chains. The chassis had a wheelbase of 315 cm . The only structure was a toy tonneau with four seats.

In 1909 this model was available with three different wheelbases. A two-seat speed car and a four-seat toy tonneau had a wheelbase of 315 cm as in the previous year. For a seven-seater sedan and a seven-seater landaulet , a 323 cm wheelbase has been handed down. The wheelbase of the seven-seater touring car was 328 cm.

In 1910, only the short wheelbase with a body as a runabout and the long wheelbase as a touring car were available for this model . The Model 90 was new . The enlarged bore of 154.94 mm resulted in a displacement of 11,015 cm³. The engine was specified with 90 hp. The wheelbase was 315 cm. The touring cars were available with five and seven seats.

In 1911 the Model 50 was still available with two different wheelbases. However, now only the chassis was offered. External body manufacturers produced the bodies according to customer requirements. Are called Brewster & Co. , AT Demarest & Co. , Healey & Company , Holbrook Company and JM Quinby & Co. The Model 90 was as rigid and as a five-seater touring cars on offer. Model 38 was new . It had a four-cylinder engine with 123.825 mm bore, 165.1 mm stroke, 7952 cm³ displacement and 38 hp. The wheelbase was 323 cm. The only body style available was a seven-seater touring car. In contrast to the previous models, the vehicle had a cardan drive .

In the period from 1912 to 1913 the range was even larger than before. The Model 38 was available with 323 cm wheelbase than four- and five-seater touring cars and 348 cm wheelbase than touring cars, and Landaulet Limousine, each with seven seats. The Model 50 had a wheelbase of 315 cm as a four-seater touring car, 328 cm of wheelbase as a five-seater touring car and 348 cm of wheelbase as a seven-seater in the touring car, landaulet and sedan designs. The Model 90 with the wheelbase of 315 cm known from the previous year was available as a four- and five-seater touring car. It corresponded technically and in terms of wheelbase to the new Model 75 . This was available as a four- and seven-seat touring car, two-seat runabout, limousine and landaulet. Choices were chain and cardan drive.

In 1914 the Model 38 was only available with the long wheelbase. A four-seater Tourabout , a seven-seater coach and chassis without factory superstructures have been handed down. The Model 50 received a different engine. A bore of 136.525 mm and a stroke of 165.1 mm resulted in a displacement of 9667 cm³. The engine was still specified with 50 hp. The only wheelbase was 348 cm. Only four-seater Tourabouts and pure chassis were sold. The Model 75 was now specified with 75 hp. The wheelbase was 315 cm. Factory bodies are not listed.

In 1915 these three models remained largely unchanged. The Model 38 was available as a seven-seat sedan and chassis, the Model 50 as a five-seat touring car and chassis, and the Model 75 only as a chassis. The Crane Model 5 was new . It had a six-cylinder engine with 111.125 mm bore, 158.75 mm stroke and 9238 cc displacement. The engine was rated at 46 hp. The engine power was transmitted to the rear axle via a cardan shaft . The wheelbase was 366 cm. Seven-seater touring cars and pure chassis are known.

In 1916 there were only Model 50 and Crane Model 5 , each with no changes compared to the previous year.

From 1917 to 1919 the range was limited to the Crane Model 5 . It was in the price lists without a body.

Model overview

year model cylinder Power ( hp ) Wheelbase (cm) construction
1907-1908 Model 50 4th 50 315 Toy Tonneau 4-seater
1909 Model 50 4th 50 315 Speed ​​Car 2-seater, Toy Tonneau 4-seater
1909 Model 50 4th 50 323 7-seater landaulet, 7-seater sedan
1909 Model 50 4th 50 328 7-seater touring car
1910 Model 50 4th 50 315 Runabout
1910 Model 50 4th 50 328 Touring car
1910 Model 90 4th 90 315 5-seater and 7-seater touring cars
1911 Model 38 4th 38 323 7-seater touring car
1911 Model 50 4th 50 315 chassis only
1911 Model 50 4th 50 328 chassis only
1911 Model 90 4th 90 315 5-seater touring car
1912-1913 Model 38 4th 38 323 4-seater and 5-seater touring cars
1912-1913 Model 38 4th 38 348 7-seater touring car, 7-seater landaulet, 7-seater sedan
1912-1913 Model 50 4th 50 315 4-seater touring car
1912-1913 Model 50 4th 50 328 5-seater touring car
1912-1913 Model 50 4th 50 348 7-seater touring car, 7-seater landaulet, 7-seater sedan
1912-1913 Model 75 4th 90 315 4-seater and 7-seater touring car, 2-seater runabout, limousine, landaulet
1912-1913 Model 90 4th 90 315 4-seater and 5-seater touring cars
1914 Model 38 4th 38 348 Tourabout 4-seater, Coach 7-seater
1914 Model 50 4th 50 348 Tourabout 4-seater
1914 Model 75 4th 75 315 chassis only
1915 Model 38 4th 38 348 7-seater sedan
1915 Model 50 4th 50 348 5-seater touring car
1915 Model 75 4th 75 315 chassis only
1915 Crane Model 5 6th 46 366 7-seater touring car
1916 Model 50 4th 50 348 5-seater touring car
1916 Crane Model 5 6th 46 366 7-seater touring car
1917-1919 Crane Model 5 6th 46 366 chassis only

Production numbers

A total of 1865 vehicles were built. This includes 467 vehicles designed by Crane.

year Production number
1907 93
1908 178
1909 100
1910 123
1911 150
1912 200
1913 250
1914 250
1915 223
1916 121
1917 116
1918 61
total 1865

motor race

One vehicle was used in the Indianapolis 500 race in 1911 . The driver was Ralph DePalma . He reached sixth place.

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. 1349-1351 (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. 1457 (English).

Web links

Commons : Simplex Automobile Company  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c 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. 1349-1351 (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. 1457 (English).