Chalmers / Chalmers-Detroit

US, 1908 – 1924

Chalmers Motor Car Co, Detroit, Mich.

The Chalmers was one of the most popular automobiles made in the United States for more than a decade. The Chalmers was the successor to the Thomas-Detroit which was built by a company which had been founded in 1906 by E.R. Thomas (builder of the Thomas car in Buffalo, N.Y.), Roy D. Chapin and Howard Earle Coffin; the two latter had previously served at Oldsmobile. The Thomas-Detroit of which some 500 were sold during the first year of production, was marketed through the parent firm in Buffalo which manufactured a larger line of cars under the Thomas emblem. The Thomas-Detroit was a medium priced four-cylinder car which had been designed by Coffin. In 1907, Hugh Chalmers, vice president of the National Cash Register Co and a noted salesman, entered the firm. Shortly after, he bought a half of E.R. Thomas’ stock and became president of the company which became the Chalmers-Detroit Motor Company. The Thomas-Detroit became the Chalmers-Detroit in 1908 and in 1910, the Chalmers. Open and closed Chalmers models in two lines comprised the Chalmers four-cylinder cars, with self-starters appearing in 1912. Chalmers (as Chalmers-Detroit) had distinguished itself in road races as early as 1908 when W.R. Burns won the Motor Parkway Sweekstakes at Jericho, N.Y., averaging 48.7mph in the six-lap 140.76 mile run.

In 1913, the Chalmers brought out its first 6-cylinder model, as well as the four and apart from small mechanical and design changes, continued both until 1914. The Chalmers four was dropped from the 1915 line, however, and sixes were to be used exclusively in Chalmers until the ending of manufacture. By 1915, some 20.000 Chalmers cars per year were coming off the Chalmers production line and would even exceed that figure before the advent of World War 1. In 1917, an L-head motor replaced the earlier overhead-valve type and on August 4th, Chalmers again headed racing news when Joe Dawson won the 24-hour stock Car Endurance Run at Sheepshead Bay, N.Y. Sales flagged following the end of the war and Hugh Chalmers, always the salesman, and with the realization that a competitor, Maxwell, wasn’t faring well either, arranged to lease his Chalmers plants to Maxwell, using his salesmanship to promote the two concerns and getting the benefit of Maxwell tooling and manufacturing equipment. By the early 1920s, however, many makes of cars were in financial difficulties due to over-expansion and recession, and Walter P. Chrysler was called in to try and reorganize Maxwell. Chrysler was at this time planning his own corporation and in 1922 Chalmers was taken over by Maxwell which had become a Chrysler subsidiary. The last Chalmer cars for sale were equipped with Lockheed hydraulic brakes but 1923 was the last year of Chalmers production with some 9000 units leaving the factories. The Maxwell survived until 1925 when it became the Chrysler Four.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; KM
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Stanley

US, 1897 – 1927

(1) Stanley Dry Plate Co, Newton, Mass., 1897 – 1899

(2) Stanley Manufacturing Co, Lawrence, Mass., 1899 – 1901

(3) Stanley Motor Carriage Co, Newton, Mass., 1901 – 1924

(4) Steam Vehicle Corporation of America, Newton, Mass., 1924 – 1927

The Stanley twins, F.E. and F.O., were partners in a photographic dry plate business in Newton, where they produced their first light steam Stanley car in 1897. This Stanley car proved a great success, over 200 Stanley cars being sold in the first year of production. In 1898 a Stanley car was timed over a mile at Charles River Park at 27.40mph. Among the customers of the Stanley cars were A.L. Barber and J.B. Walker, who purchased the manufacturing rights of the Stanley car, and produced it as the Locomobile and Mobile respectively. In 1899 some Stanley cars were advertised by the Locomobile Co of America under the name Stanley-Locomobile. The Stanley cars proceeded to evolve an entirely new design, which appeared in 1902 with a simple non-condensing engine, driving directly on the rear axle. The boiler was mounted at the front of these Stanley cars, frames were of wood, and steering was by tiller. Locomobile went over to Petrol cars at the end of 1903, but the Stanley cars prospered, listing an 8hp Stanley car at $750, and selling their Stanley cars to police and fire departments. More powerful versions Stanley cars rated at 10 and 20hp were available by 1904, and by 1906 the Stanley car had assumed its characteristic appearance, with coffin-like bonnet concealing the boiler, and wheel steering. The Stanley car could out-accelerate petrol cars, and that year Frank Marriott was timed at 127.66mph on Daytona Beach with the streamlined Woggle-Bug. Marriott tried again the following year, but a spectacular crash at about 150mph destroyed the car. Stanley cars 1908 Gentleman’s Speedy Roadster was capable of 60mph, and would run over 50 miles on a filling of water. 1913 Stanley cars were electrically-lighted, and 1915 brought the introduction of steel framed and V-shaped frontal condensers on the Stanley cars on a 10ft 10in wheelbase chassis which lent itself to seven-seater coachwork. However, the advent of Cadillac’s electric self-starter in 1912 had signaled the end of the steamer , with its need for a long warm-up from dead cold. The 1920 Model 735 Stanley car resembled a conventional petrol car in outward appearance with a flat radiator of typically American aspect, but the boiler of the Stanley car was still under the bonnet, and the double-acting 2-cylinder engine still drove direct on the back axle. Acceleration was well above par for the standards of the day, and the Stanley car would cruise at 45mph, with more available. But at around the $2.600 mark sales were low (about 600 Stanley cars per annum), and the Stanley cars had retired from the company during World War 1. The Stanley car firm was reorganized in 1925, and the last Stanley cars had hydraulic front-wheel brakes and balloon tyres.

US, 1907 – 1910

(1) Stanley Automobile Manufacturing Co, Mooreland, Ind., 1907

(2) Troy Automobile & Buggy Co, Troy, Ohio, 1908 – 1910

This Stanley car was a five-seater touring car weighing 1.550lb. The Stanley car was powered by a 2-cylinder, water-cooled engine of 3.6-litres. A friction transmission was used, with a single-chain to drive the rear axle.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; MCS, GMN

The information is written with the greatest of care. However, if you have any suggested amendments please contact us at office@prewarcar.com