History of American (US) Motor Car / Automobile Manufacturers

8.15 United States

• 8.15.1. Cadillac
  
  
• The Cadillac Automobile Company was formed in Detroit in August 1902 using the assets that remained when the short lived Henry Ford Company ceased trading earlier that year.
  
  
• The first car, a 10 hp 2-seater, produced in October 1902, was almost identical to the Model A Ford.
  
  
• Between 1903 and 1908 the company produced the Model A to T range of vehicles (the 1903 “A” models originally called “Runabout” and “Tonneau”).
  
  
  
  
• In 1909 the company was purchased by General Motors and later that year produced the Model Thirty.
  
  
• In 1910 Cadillac became the first manufacturer to produce a car with a fully enclosed cab.
  
  
• The electric starter, developed in 1911 by Charles Kettering of Cadillac, was first fitted to Cadillac's “1912” models.
  
  
• Between 1909 and 1930 the company produced some fifteen different models. A vast range of Cadillacs were also manufactured during the 1930s; some 42 different “Series”.
  
  
  
  
• The model names between 1936 and 1942 used the year along with the series number; the Series 37-75 being a 1937 Series 75.
  
  
• The “Sixty Special” name was used on many occasions between 1938 and 1993. The Sixty Special Fleetwood model produced in 1941-42 being a fine example; nearly 1,900 being made.
  
  
• The Fleetwood name has also been used to indicate some of Cadillac’s finest cars since the mid 1920s, with greater use being made of the name on models produced between 1941 and 1996.
  
  
• The Fleetwood Brougham produced between 1993 and 1996 was the largest car manufactured in the USA.
  
  
• By late 1949 Cadillac had produced one million cars since its formation in 1902.
  
  
• The first Cadillac to bear the DeVille name was the 1949 Coupe DeVille. From 1965 the name has indicated one of Cadillac's top two models.
  
  
• The twelvth model to carry the DeVille name was produced between 2000 and 2005. It was one of the first cars fitted with thermal imaging night vision technology.
  
  
• The “59 Caddie” was famous for its prominent tail fins, which were based on the fins of the P38 Lightning fighter plane. Over 140,000 of these cars were made.
  
  
• The Eldorado models were produced from 1953, the 304 Eldorado Brougham cars produced in 1957 being fine examples.
  
  
• The last Eldorado was produced in April 2003, replaced by the XLR roadster in 2004.
  
  
  
  
• In 1998 Cadillac sold 182,570 cars.
  
  
• Models produced since 2002 include the CTS, DTS, BLS, STS, SRX and the XLR.
  
  
• 8.15.2. Chevrolet
  
  
• Chevrolet was founded in 1911 by Louis Chevrolet and William Durant. The following year the company introduced the 4.9 litre, six-cylinder Classic Six model.
  
  
• In 1912 the company sold nearly 3,000 cars.
  
  
• In 1917 Chevrolet became a division of  General Motors. See Part 2, Section 8.15.5.
  
  
• Models produced between 1911 and 1940 include the Baby Grand, Little Four, Little Six, Series H and Styleline.
  
  
• The first cars to be produced in 1945 were pre-war models that had been renamed Stylemaster and Fleetmaster.
  
  
• New models, the Special Series and the Deluxe were introduced in 1949, with over 100,000 produced in the first year.
  
  
• A range of Corvette sports cars have been manufactured by Chevrolet since 1953, including the Roadster, C2-C6, ZO6, Callaway, ZR-1 and in 2006, the C6 convertible and ZO2 models.
  
  
  
  
• Over 110,000 Corvette Stingray’s were produced between 1963 and 1967. The car had a 5,358 or 6,997 cc engine and was capable of 140 mph (222 kph). 
  
  
• Between 1955 and 1957 the company produced the “Tri Chevys”. Over 4.7 million of these cars were produced.
  
  
• Fuel injection was an option on the ’57 Chevy”, the first American car to offer it. A station wagon version, the Normad, was also made. 
  
  
• The Impala was first produced in 1958 and during the 1960s it was the top selling car in America, with over one million sold in 1965. By 1996 over 13 million had been produced. 
  
  
• An Impala model was available between 1958-85, 1994-96 and 2000-07.
  
  
• The Chevrolet Camaro was introduced in 1967 as a competitor to Ford’s Mustang model. Four generations of the car were produced up to 2002 when production ended.
  
  
  
  
• The 1982 model was fitted with fuel injection. About 4.8 million were produced.
  
  
• Other models produced between 1950 and 1980 include the BelAir, Chevy ll, Chevelle, Monte Carlo, Vega, Monxa and Nova.
  
  
• The Cavalier was a compact Chevrolet produced from 1982 to 2005. By 1999 just over 5.2 million had been produced.
  
  
• The company replaced the Cavalier in 2005 with the Cobalt and Astra models.
  
  
• Models produced in 2007 include the Avero, Cobalt, Corvette, HHR, Impala, Malibu and the Monte Carlo.
  
  
• 8.15.3. Chrysler
  
  
• The Chrysler Corporation was formed in 1925 by Walter P Chrysler from the assets of the Maxwell Motor Company that first produced cars in 1904.
  
  
• Maxwell was the profitable part of the the United States Motor Company that existed briefly between 1910 and 1913 and comprised of eleven  vehicle companies.
  
  
• The name was changed to Maxwell Motor Corporation in 1921, with Walter Chrysler as Chairman, and then to the Chrysler Corporation in 1925.
  
  
• The first car to bear the Chrysler name was the Chrysler 6 that was launched in 1924 (when the company was still called the Maxwell Corporation). Over 32,000 of these cars were sold in the first year.
  
  
• The first car produced by the Chrysler Corporation was the Chrysler Four in 1925, followed by the Imperial 80 model in 1926.
  
  
• The Plymouth and DeSoto brand names were introduced in 1928. Chrysler also acquired the Dodge Brothers Motor Vehicle Company in 1928, a company that had been formed  by John and Horace Dodge in 1914.
  
  
  
  
• Between 1934 and 1937 Chrysler produced the Airflow model, a car with a very streamlined body that the company had developed in their new wind tunnel.
  
  
• They were the first car manufacturer to use this technology.
  
  
• The first models introduced after World War 2 include the 5,229 cc Crown Imperial and New Yorker in 1946.
  
  
  
  
• In 1950 the company produced nearly 170,000 cars, a figure that increased to over 224,000 in 1965.
  
  
• By the late 1970s Chrysler encountered serious financial problems but soon recovered and in 1987 it acquired the American Motors Corporation (which was formed in 1954 by the merger of the Hudson Car Company and the Nash-Kelvinator Corporation).
  
  
• Between 1954 and 1987 AMC brought together Hudson, Rambler, Nash, Overland Automotive Willys Motor Company, Kaiser Motors and  Kaiser-Jeep.
  
  
• In 1998 the Chrysler Corporation was purchased by Daimler-Benz of Germany and became the DaimlerChrysler Motors Company LLC.
  
  
• In 2004 DaimlerChrysler introduced the 3.2 litre Crossfire sports car, producing over 76,000 by 2005.
  
  
• The original 300 "letter series" were luxury cars built by Chrysler between 1955 and 1965, with a new letter used for each year's model.
  
  
• In 1979 the 300 name made a brief reappearance when 3,811 limited special edition Cordoba cars were produced.
  
  
• DaimlerChrysler re-introduced the “letter series” in 1999 for their 300M sporting sedans and a new generation 300 model entered production in 2004.
  
  
•  Five versions were produced, including a sedan and a station wagon. 
  
  
• Models available in 2007 include the PT Cruiser and Convertible, Town & Country, Sebring Sedan and Convertible, the 300, Pacifica, Crossfire and Aspen.
  
  
• 8.15.4. Ford
  
  

• In 1896 Henry Ford built his first “horseless carriage” which he sold to fund work on an improved model. By mid 1898 he had built a total of three vehicles, including a large delivery truck.
  
  

• In July 1898, backed by a group of investors, Henry Ford produced about 19-25 prototype vehicles for the Detroit Automobile Company. In February 1901, due to lack of funds, the company was dissolved.
  
  

• Nine months later, in November 1901, he formed the Henry Ford Company but left this company in 1902.
  
  

• Note: The Henry Ford Company reformed as the Cadillac Automotive Company  in August 1902.  See Part 2,  Section 8.15.1).
  
  

• The Ford Motor Company was founded in June 1903 by Henry Ford. 
  
  

• The first car produced by the Ford Motor Company was a two-cylinder Model A  in July 1903.
  
  

• For further information on Ford’s early history, including the “Model T”, see Part 1, The Early History, Sections 6.3 and Part 2, The Last 100 Years, Section 9.3 (Model T Ford).
  
  

• In 1922 Ford acquired the Lincoln Motor Company (which had been formed five years earlier).
  
  

• Production of the second generation Model A started in October 1927 and continued in the United States until December 1931.
  
  

• The 3.3 litre car, which had a top speed of about 65 mph (104 kph), was available in several different body styles and four colours.
  
  

• The “Tudor” version was the most popular, accounting for nearly one third of all sales.
  
  

• By February 1929 one million Model A’s had been produced; production reaching its peak during 1929, with over 1.7 million manufactured.
  
  

• A total of 4,849,340 Model A Fords were produced, of which nearly 10% were pickup trucks.
  
  

• The Model A was also produced in Great Britain (from 1931), France (date required), Germany (from 1932) and Canada (date rquired).
  
  

• The Model A was also produced in the USSR by the GAZ company as the “NAZ A” from 1932 to 1936. About 100,000 of these versions were made.
  
  

• The Model A was replaced by the Model B and over four million of these cars were produced between 1932 and 1935.
  
  
  
  

• Production of the more powerful, 3,612 cc, Model 18/Ford V-8 was also started in 1932, with over 230,000 being made that year. The 65 hp car had a top speed of 80 mph (128 kph).
  
  

• The second generation, 1,172 cc, Model C was manufactured in Great Britain and Germany between 1934 and 1937. Just over 96,000 were made.
  
  

• Note: The first generation Model C was produced in the United States in 1904-05. About 800 were made.
  
  

• The 933 cc Model Y was produced in Great Britain (1932-37), where just over 157,000 were made, France (1932-34) and Germany (1933-36). It was not manufactured in the United States.
  
  
  
  

• Models produced in Great Britain between 1940 and 1980 include the Anglia, Prefect, Consul, Zephyr, Zodiac, Granada, Capri, Escort and Cortina.
  
  

• Over one millon of the Capri and Cortina models were made. Ford’s car production ended in Great Britain in 2001.
  
  

• Models produced in Germany between 1940 and 1980 include the Taunas, Granada, Capri and Escort. 
  
  

• Over the years Ford also manufactured vehicles in a number of other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, Holland, Mexico, and South Africa.
  
  

• Models produced in America between 1946 and 1990 include the Crown Victoria, Custom, DeLuxe, Escort, EXP, Fairlane Skyliner, Falcon, Fiesta, Galaxy,  Maverick, Mustang, Pinto, Tempo and the Thunderbird.
  
  

• In 1955 Ford introduced the two-seater Thunderbird.
  
  

• Between 1955 and 1957 a total of 53,166 of these first generation, 4,785 cc and 5,112 cc, models were made.
  
  

• A second set of seats was fitted to the second generation model that was introduced in 1958.
  
  

• Ford produced the Thunderbird model from 1955 to 1997 and 2002 to 2005, selling nearly 93,000 in 1960.
  
  

• The largest models were produced between 1972 and 1976 and had either a 7 or 7.5 litre engine, achieving 8-12 mpg.
  
  

• By 2005 eleven generations of Thunderbirds had been produced. How many in total?
  
  

• The Mustang was first produced in 1964 when it became the world’s fastest selling car, with over 680,000 sold in the first sixteen months. By 2006 over eight million had been made. 
  
  

• The 1964 model had a 2,785 cc engine and a top speed of 118 mph (189 kph).
  
  
  
  

• The engine was increased to 7,013 cc in 1968, giving the 335 hp (250 kW) car  a top speed of 142 mph (227 kph).
  
  

• By 2007 five generations of the Mustang had been produced: 1964-73, 1974-78, 1979-93, 1994-2004 and the fifth generation since 2005.
  
  

• The Escort is one of Ford’s top selling cars. Between 1968, when production started, and 2003 nearly twenty million had been produced worldwide.
  
  

• The Ford Fiesta entered production in 1976 and has been produced in Brazil, China, Europe, India, Mexico, South Africa and Venezuela. By 2006 over twelve million had been made.
  
  

• In 1996 the company produced its 250 millionth vehicle and by 2006 a quarter of the top forty best selling cars in the world were produced by Ford.
  
  

• In 2007 Ford also manufactured cars under the following names: Lincoln, Mercury, Mazda, Volvo, Jaguar and Land Rover.
  
  

• Models produced in the United States in 2007 include the Focus, Fusion, Five Hundred, Crown Victoria and the Mustang.
  

• 8.15.5. General Motors
  
  
• General Motors was founded in 1908 as a holding company for the Buick Motor Company.
  
  
• William C Durant, who controlled Buick in 1908, quickly expanded General Motors by acquiring other vehicle manufacturers.
  
  
• Oldsmobile (1897) became part of GM in 1908. The following year, in 1909, General Motors acquired Cadillac (1902), Elmore (1893), Oakland (1907), plus some others. Note: The date in brackets indicating when the company was formed.
  
  
• Durant left GM in 1910 and joined up with Louis Chevrolet, founding the Chevrolet company in 1911.
  
  
• In 1916 Durant bought a majority share holding in GM and rejoined the company as its president in 1917. Chevrolet become part of GM that year.
  
  
• Other companies that became part of GM in the 1920s include Vauxhall (1903) in 1925 and Opel (1902) in 1929.
  
  
• To overcome competition by the various manufacturers that now made up General Motors, Durant designated each to produce a different class of car.
  
  
• The Oakland name was dropped in 1931 and the Oldsmobile name in 2004.
  
  
• In 1953 GM produced its fifty millionth car; a Chevrolet BelAir model.
  
  
  
  
• In 2007 GM consisted of: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Holden, Hummer, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn and Vauxhall. It was also affiliated with GM Daewood, Suzuki and Wuling.
  
  
• 8.15.6. Lincoln
  
  
• The Lincoln car company was founded in 1917 by Henry M Leland and his son. In 1902 he was one of the co-founders of Cadillac, which subsequently became one of  Lincoln's main competitors.
  
  
• In 1922 Lincoln was acquired by the Ford Motor Company.
  
  
• Between 1920 and 1930 the company produced the Lincoln L-series. In 1931 the K-series was introduced, which had a 6.3 litre engine based on the V8 fitted to the L-series. 
  
  
  
  
• Whilst production ceased in 1939, a special Model K convertible was built in 1942 for President Franklin D Roosevelt.
  
  
• The Zephyr model was introduced in November 1935, originally as a 2 or 4 door sedan. A convertible coupe was introduced in 1938.
  
  
• In 1936 the company sold 22,000 cars of which 15,000 were the Zephyr. Production ceased in 1942.
  
  
• In 1932 Lincoln started designing a car that became known as the Continental.
  
  
• The first Continental car was produced in early 1939 as a one-off for Henry Ford’s son, Edsel (who was then President of the Ford Motor Company).
  
  
•  The car was such a hit with his friends that Edsel had more hand-built, both as sedans and convertibles. Twenty four were built that year, followed by four hundred in 1940.
  
  
• The Continental’s design was based around the Zephyr, with important changes which included the model’s trademark - the externally-mounted covered spare tire.
  
  
• The first post-war Continental that was produced from 1946 to 1948 was basically the same as the 1942 model, with an altered front grille and a heavier bumper; 3,334 were made.
  
  
  
  
• In 1946 Lincoln sold 13,496 cars.
  
  
• Between 1939 and 2002 there have been nine generations of the Continental.
  
  
  
  
• The car President John Kennedy was travelling in when he was assassinated in 1963 was custom built from a 1961 4-door Continental and code named the SS-100-X.
  
  
• Between 1949 and 1960 Lincoln introduced the Lincoln Sport (1949-51), the 5.5 litre Cosmopolitan (1949-54), Lido (1950-51), the Capri (1952-59), which was one of the first cars with an automatic headlight dimmer, Custom (1955) and the Premiere (1956-60).
  
  
• The 2-door luxury coupe Lincoln Mark Series was produced from 1956 to 1998, with a  4-door sedan Mark Vl available from 1980 to 1983.
  
  
• The Lincoln Town Car was introduced in 1981, although the name first appeared on a 1922 custom built Lincoln for Henry Ford.
  
  
• The name was also used for the Continental sedan from 1959 to 1980, before becoming a model in its own right.
  
  
• Measuring nearly 18 feet (5.49 meters), the Town Car was the largest American made car in 2006.
  
  
• The Lincoln LS (Luxury Sport) was produced from 2002 to 2006 and nearly 263,000 were made. The first versions were referred to as LS6 and S8 depending on the V6 or V8 engine choice. Manual transmission was also offered as an option.
  
  
• Between 2003 and 2005 the company also produced the mid-sized, luxury Lincoln Aviator SUV.
  
  
• Models avalable in 2007 include the Town Car, Mark LT,  MKX, MKZ and Navigator.
  
  
• 8.15.7. Other American Car Manufacturers
  
  
• American Motor Company, Auburn, Buick, Cord, Crosley, De Soto, Dodge, Duesenberg, Edsel, Hudson, Mercury, Nash, Oldsmobile, Packard, Peerless, Plymouth, Pontiac, Rambler, Standard Motor Company, Studebaker, Stutz, Tucker, Willys and Kaiser-Frazer.