Elcar

US, 1915 – 1931

(1) Elkhart Carriage & Motor Car Co, Elkhart, Ind.

(2) Elcar Motor Co, Elkhard, Ind.

From 1909 to 1915 the products of the Elkhart Carriage & Motor Car Co were known as Sterlings, but for the 1916 season the car’s name was changed to Elcar. The first Elcar model was a conventional car made in two- and five-seater versions, powered by a 20hp 4-cylinder Lycoming engine of 3-litres capacity. This engine was used by Elcar until the mid-1920s, but the range was increased by a 6-cylinder car with 3.6-litre Continental engine in 1918. A conventional range of Elcar cars was built during the 1920s, all using the 4-cylinder Lycoming or 6-cylinder Continental engine, a number of the former being make as taxicabs. In 1925 the Elcar company branched out into the 8-cylinder field, with a Elcar car powered by a 4.8-litre straight-8 Lycoming engine. In its final form this engine developed 140bhp, making it the third most powerful car engine in America at the time. Production of Elcar cars was never large, reaching a peak in 1919 with 4.000 Elcar units sold. Experiments with the Powell Lever engine came to nothing, though a Lever-powered Elcar 6 with 8in stroke appeared at the 1930 New York show. In their last year, 1931, the Elcar factory was used for the construction of the revived Mercer, which used an Elcar chassis and a 140bhp Continental engine. Only two of these cars were made.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; KM

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