Thomas B. Jeffery Company

Thomas B. Jeffery & Company Thomas B. Jeffery Company
legal form	Company
founding	1900
resolution	1917
Reason for dissolution	reorganization
Seat	Kenosha , Wisconsin , USA
management	Charles W. Nash
Branch	Motor vehicles

Thomas B. Jeffery Company , previously Thomas B. Jeffery & Company , was an American manufacturer of motor vehicles .

prehistory

R. Philip Gormully and Thomas B. Jeffery operated the Gormully & Jeffery Manufacturing Company in Chicago , Illinois . They made bicycles . The brand names were American Ideal (1885–1892), American Safety (1885–1892), Challenge (1896–1898), Clipper (construction time unknown), Comet (1898), G & J (1898) and Rambler (1888–1900) . They were the second largest bicycle manufacturer in the USA. Only the American Bicycle Company was bigger. The two also operated the G & J Tire Company for tire manufacture, which later became United States Rubber .

In 1897 Thomas Jeffery and his son Charles made their first automobile . Charles made two more vehicles in 1898. Some vehicles were presented at the Chicago Auto Show in September 1900 and New York City in November 1900. They were Rambler called, unofficially G & J . Gormully died. Jeffery sold the company and the prototypes to the American Bicycle Company. The prototype became the Hydro-Car .

Company history

Thomas B. Jeffery founded Thomas B. Jeffery & Company in Kenosha , Wisconsin in 1900 . The duo developed a vehicle again and changed a number of things. In February 1902 the production of automobiles began. The brand name was Rambler . 1500 vehicles were built in the first year of production. This placed the company in second place in the American automotive industry behind Oldsmobile . In 1904 2342 vehicles were built and 3807 in the following year.

On April 2, 1910, Thomas B. Jeffery died of a heart attack while traveling in Italy . Charles became the new president. The company name was changed to Thomas B. Jeffery Company . Around 2,500 vehicles were manufactured in 1910 and around 3,500 in the following year. 1913 was the best year to date with 4435 vehicles. Commercial vehicles were added that year .

New models appeared in 1914 under the new brand name Jeffery . The decision to abandon the well-established Rambler name has been described as brave in the literature. In the year 10,417 passenger cars and 3,096 trucks were built . Because of the First World War in Europe , Jeffery foresaw an increased demand for commercial vehicles. Thereupon he increased their production at the expense of the cars. For 1915, 7,600 trucks and around 3,800 cars have been delivered.

Charles Jeffery survived the sinking of the RMS Lusitania on May 7, 1915. This experience and the memory of his father's sudden death a few years ago prompted him to sell the company in the summer of 1916. The buyer was Charles W. Nash .

In 1917 there was a reorganization. The new company name was Nash Motors .

vehicles

Rambler brand cars

One of the prototypes. The front engine, left-hand drive and steering wheel did not go into series production.

Rambler from 1902

Rambler from 1903 in London

1904 Rambler with front engine and grille on the day before the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run

Rambler Type Two from 1905 as Surrey

Rambler Model 31 from 1908

Rambler Model 44 from 1909

Rambler 50 HP Knickerbocker from 1912

Rambler from 1913

The vehicle from 1897 had a single cylinder engine .

The vehicles that were presented at the two trade fairs in 1900 had some special features. These included the front engine and left-hand drive . The press was skeptical that this would prevail. Further development work meant that the steering lever that was common at the time was replaced by a steering wheel . However, Jeffery became concerned about whether buyers would accept these specifics. Therefore, he redesigned the vehicle, which resulted in a delay.

The market launch took place in February 1902. The vehicles now had the engine under the seat and a steering lever that was operated from the right seat. The single cylinder engine developed 4 hp . The setup was a runabout with space for two people. The original price was 750 US dollars .

The 6 HP followed in 1903 . The engine output had been increased to 6 hp. There was a choice of light touring cars with two and four seats.

In 1904 there were two series in the range. The smaller one had a single cylinder engine with 7 hp. Model E as a runabout and Model F as a runabout with a roof had a chassis with a 198 cm wheelbase . When Model G as runabout and Model H as Tonneau was the wheelbase of 206 cm. The other series had a two-cylinder engine as a front engine with 16 hp and a chassis with a 213 cm wheelbase. Model J was a runabout, Model K was a tonneau, and Model L was a canopy tonneau. A steering wheel was now standard.

In 1905, Model E remained unchanged. The Model G and the Model H touring car now had an 8 hp engine. The Type One was new as a touring car. Its two-cylinder engine developed 18 hp. The wheelbase measured 229 cm. The Type Two had a slightly more powerful engine with 20 hp and a little longer with a wheelbase of 254 cm. It was bodied as a Surrey and a sedan .

In 1906 all models with single-cylinder engines were discontinued. Type One was now specified with 18/20 hp and the Type Two still with 20 hp. The wheelbases remained unchanged. Then there was the Type Three . It had the smaller engine and was between the other two models with a wheelbase of 244 cm. All three were available as a five-seat Surrey. The Model 17 served as the entry-level model . Its two-cylinder engine was specified with 10/12 hp. The wheelbase of 224 cm enabled a two-seater runabout. There were also three cars with four-cylinder engines . Model 14 had 25 hp, a 269 cm wheelbase and a five-seater touring car body. Model 15 was specified with 35/40 hp and had the same body construction with a 310 cm wheelbase. Model 16 had the same engine but only 284 cm wheelbase and was a sedan.

In 1907 the Model 27 was the smallest model. Its two-cylinder engine was specified with 14/16 hp. The wheelbase was 229 cm. The runabout offered space for two people. Model 21 as a five-seat touring car and Model 22 as a two-seat runabout had a more powerful two-cylinder engine that was specified with 20/22 hp. The four-cylinder models ranked above this. The model 24 with 25/30-horsepower engine, and 274 cm wheelbase as well as the model 25 with 35/40-horsepower engine, and 284 cm wheelbase were each karosseriert than five-seat touring cars.

In 1908 the range was restricted. The model 31 with a two-cylinder engine, 22 hp and 269 cm wheelbase was included in the price lists as a detachable tonneau. The Model 34 , on the other hand, had a four-cylinder engine, 32 hp and 284 cm wheelbase. It was available as a three-seat roadster and a five-seat touring car.

In 1909, the Model 41 as a five-seater touring car and Model 47 as a two-seater runabout replaced the previous year's model with a two-cylinder engine. The power and wheelbase remained unchanged. The Model 44 replaced the Model 34 . The engine power was increased to 34 hp. A five-seat touring car and a four-seat close-coupled touring car are mentioned. The Model 45 was new . Its four-cylinder engine developed 45 hp. The wheelbase was 312 cm. The normal touring car had space for seven people, a close-coupled touring car for four people and a roadster for three people.

In 1910 the two-cylinder models were discontinued. All engines of this brand had four cylinders in the future . The Model 53 had the 34 hp engine known from the previous year and a wheelbase of 277 cm. Model 54 with 297 cm wheelbase and Model 55 with 312 cm wheelbase had an engine with 45 hp. All were available as touring cars, the longest model also as a sedan.

In 1911, the range of engines was limited to the 34 hp engine. Model 63 had 284 cm wheelbase and bodies as a touring car, roadster, coupé and town car . When Model 64 the wheelbase was 305 cm and in the Model 65 cm 325th Both were available as a touring car, toy tonneau and landaulet .

In 1912 the 38 HP was the entry-level model. Its engine developed 38 hp. The wheelbase was 305 cm. Some structures were given imaginative names. Cross country touring cars with five seats, Suburban Country Club with four seats, roadsters with two seats, sedans with four seats and Gotham sedans with seven seats have survived. Above that was the 50 HP with a 50 HP engine. It was available with two different wheelbases. The Country Club and Valkyrie bodies were based on the shorter chassis with a 305 cm wheelbase. Morraine touring cars, Metropolitan, Greyhound and Knickerbocker had a 325 cm wheelbase.

1913 saw the restriction to one model. The engine developed 42 hp. The wheelbase was again 305 cm. Cross country roadsters with two and three seats, cross country touring cars with four and five seats, Inside Drive Coupé with four seats and Gotham sedan with seven seats are mentioned. Right-hand drive was retained until the brand was abandoned.

year	model	cylinder	Power ( hp )	Wheelbase (cm)	construction
1902	4 HP	1	4th		Runabout 2-seater
1903	6 HP	1	6th		light touring car 2-seater and 4-seater
1904	Model E.	1	7th	198	Runabout
1904	Model F	1	7th	198	Runabout with roof
1904	Model G	1	7th	206	Runabout
1904	Model H	1	7th	206	Tonneau
1904	Model J	2	16	213	Runabout
1904	Model K	2	16	213	Tonneau
1904	Model L	2	16	213	Canopy tonneau
1905	Model E.	1	7th	198	Runabout
1905	Model G	1	8th	206	Runabout
1905	Model H	1	8th	206	Touring car
1905	Type One	2	18th	229	Tonneau
1905	Type Two	2	20th	254	Surrey, limousine
1906	Model 14	4th	25th	269	5-seater touring car
1906	Model 15	4th	35/40	310	5-seater touring car
1906	Model 16	4th	35/40	284	5-seater sedan
1906	Model 17	2	10/12	224	Runabout 2-seater
1906	Type One	2	18/20	229	Surrey 5 seater
1906	Type Two	2	20th	254	Surrey 5 seater
1906	Type Three	2	18/20	244	Surrey 5 seater
1907	Model 21	2	20/22	254	5-seater touring car
1907	Model 22	2	20/22	254	Runabout 2-seater
1907	Model 24	4th	25/30	274	5-seater touring car
1907	Model 25	4th	35/40	284	5-seater touring car
1907	Model 27	2	14/16	229	Runabout 2-seater
1908	Model 31	2	22nd	269	Detachable tonneau
1908	Model 34	4th	32	284	Roadster 3-seater, touring car 5-seater
1909	Model 41	2	22nd	269	5-seater touring car
1909	Model 44	4th	34	284	5-seater touring car, 4-seater CC touring car
1909	Model 45	4th	45	312	7-seater touring car, 4-seater CC touring car, 3-seater roadster
1909	Model 47	2	22nd	269	Runabout 2-seater
1910	Model 53	4th	34	277	Touring car
1910	Model 54	4th	45	297	Touring car
1910	Model 55	4th	45	312	Touring car, limousine
1911	Model 63	4th	34	284	Touring car, roadster, coupé, town car
1911	Model 64	4th	34	305	Touring car, toy tonneau, landaulet
1911	Model 65	4th	34	325	Touring car, toy tonneau, landaulet
1912	38 HP	4th	38	305	Cross Country Touring Car 5-seat, Suburban Country Club 4-seat, Roadster 2-seat, Limousine 4-seat, Gotham Limousine 7-seat
1912	50 HP	4th	50	305	Country Club, Valkyrie
1912	50 HP	4th	50	325	Morraine Touring Car, Metropolitan, Greyhound, Knickerbocker
1913	42 HP	4th	42	305	Cross Country Roadster 2-seater and 3-seater, Cross Country Touring Car 4-seater and 5-seater, Inside Drive Coupé 4-seater, Gotham Limousine 7-seater

Source:

Jeffery cars

Jeffery from 1915

In contrast to the previous series models, the vehicles had left-hand drive.

In 1914 the range consisted of three models. The 27 HP had a four-cylinder engine with an output of 27 HP. The wheelbase was 305 cm. There was a choice of a roadster with two seats and touring cars with four, five and seven seats. The 40 HP with a 40 HP engine had a slightly shorter wheelbase of 295 cm. It was available as a touring car and a limousine with five seats each. The 48 HP had a six-cylinder engine that was specified with 48 HP. The wheelbase was 325 cm. Touring cars with five and six seats and a limousine with five seats have survived.

In 1915 the weakest model was dropped. The wheelbase of the 40 HP has been extended to 320 cm. The list includes touring cars with five seats, roadsters with two seats, all-weather cars with two seats and sedans with four and seven seats. The six-cylinder model became the Chesterfield Six . The wheelbase was shortened to 310 cm. The body range included touring cars with five seats, roadsters with two seats and all-weather cars with two seats.

In 1916, the wheelbase of the 40 HP was cut back to 295 cm. Five- and seven-seat touring cars and sedans as well as a three-seat roadster were available. The Chesterfield Six was only available as a touring car with five seats.

In 1917 the Model 472 replaced the previous 40 HP . The five-seat superstructures were omitted. The roadster only offered space for two people. The model 671 had the already known six-cylinder engine. Its wheelbase was lengthened to 318 cm. The touring car had seven seats, the roadster three seats and the sedan five seats.

year	model	cylinder	Power ( hp )	Wheelbase (cm)	construction
1914	27 HP	4th	27	305	Roadster 2-seater, touring car 4-seater and 5-seater and 7-seater
1914	40 HP	4th	40	295	5-seater touring car, 5-seater sedan
1914	48 HP	6th	48	325	5-seater and 6-seater touring cars, 5-seater sedan
1915	40 HP	4th	40	320	5-seater touring car, 2-seater roadster, 2-seater all-weather, 4-seater and 7-seater sedan
1915	Chesterfield Six	6th	48	310	Touring car 5-seat, Roadster 2-seat, All-Weather 2-seat
1916	40 HP	4th	40	295	5-seater and 7-seater touring cars, 5-seater and 7-seater sedans, 3-seater roadsters
1916	Chesterfield Six	6th	48	310	5-seater touring car
1917	Model 472	4th	40	295	7-seater touring car, 2-seater roadster, 7-seater sedan
1917	Model 671	6th	48	318	7-seater touring car, 3-seater roadster, 5-seater sedan

Source:

commercial vehicles

Jeffery Quad

The commercial vehicles were given the model name Quad . The all-wheel drive was unusual . The Military Quad had four-wheel steering and four-wheel brakes.

Rambler brand car production figures

year	Production number
1901	2
1902	1,500
1903	3,693
1904	2,343
1905	3,807
1906	6,299
1907	?
1908	1,597
1909	1.963
1910	2,243
1911	3,000
1912	3,550
1913	?
total	29,997

Source:

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. 782-783 and pp. 1259-1262 (English).
• George Nicholas Georgano (Ed.): The Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile . Volume 2: G-O . Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, Chicago 2001, ISBN 1-57958-293-1 , pp. 789 (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. 1293-1295 (English).

Web links

Commons : Thomas B. Jeffery Company  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h} 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. 1259-1262 (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. 1293-1295 (English).
3. ↑ Bicycle Brands (accessed May 11, 2019)
4. ↑ ^{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. 782-783 (English).
5. ^ Halwart Schrader , Jan P. Norbye: The truck lexicon. All brands 1900 to today. Schrader Verlag, Stuttgart 1998, ISBN 3-613-01837-3 , p. 89.
6. ↑ Trombinoscar (French, accessed May 11, 2019)