Chalmers Automobile
Encyclopedia
Chalmers Motor Car Company was a United States
based automobile
company located in Detroit, Michigan
. It was named after Hugh Chalmers of the National Cash Register Company. The brand is currently owned by Chrysler
.
recession. It merged with the Maxwell Automobile Company
in the early 1920s, and ended all production in late 1923.
With a 115 in (2921 mm) wheelbase
on 34 in (86 cm) wheels, Chalmers were expensive cars for the period. The 30 Touring and the 30 Roadster sold for US$
1500, when the Black
could be had as low as $375, the Brush Runabout
for US$485, Western
's Gale Model A US$500, and the high-volume Oldsmobile
Runabout
for US$650, while Cole 30 was US$1500, and the Oakland 40 was US$1600. The Chalmers 30 Coupe at US2400 was nearer the US$2000 Enger 40, while 40 Touring and 40 Roadster at US2750 and 40 Torpedo
at US3000 were still below American
's lowest-price model, at US$4250 (its highest was US$5250).
Taking part in early racing, a Chalmers won the 1910 Glidden Tour
.
The company also originated the Chalmers Award in professional baseball
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
based automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
company located in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. It was named after Hugh Chalmers of the National Cash Register Company. The brand is currently owned by Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
.
History
Chalmers flourished in the 1910s and then faltered in the 1920s post-World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
recession. It merged with the Maxwell Automobile Company
Maxwell automobile
The Maxwell was a brand of automobiles manufactured in the United States of America from about 1904 to 1925. The present-day successor to the Maxwell company is Chrysler Group.-History:...
in the early 1920s, and ended all production in late 1923.
With a 115 in (2921 mm) wheelbase
Wheelbase
In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels.- Road :In automobiles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the center of the front wheel and the center of the rear wheel...
on 34 in (86 cm) wheels, Chalmers were expensive cars for the period. The 30 Touring and the 30 Roadster sold for US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
1500, when the Black
Black Motor Company
The Black was a brass era United States automobile, built at 124 East Ohio Street, Chicago, Illinois, in 1906.It was a high wheeler buggy priced at a surprisingly low US$375-$450, when Gale's Model A was US$500, the high-volume Oldsmobile Runabout went for US$650, and the Ford "Doctor's Car" was...
could be had as low as $375, the Brush Runabout
Brush Motor Car Company
This article is about a USA auto-maker. For the British rail-locomotive company, see Brush TractionBrush Motor Company, or the "Brush Runabout Company," based in Detroit, Michigan, was founded by Alanson Partridge Brush , who designed a light car with a wooden chassis This article is about a USA...
for US$485, Western
Western Tool Works (automobile company)
Western Tool Works was a pioneering brass era automobile manufacturer in Galesburg, Illinois.Western in 1905 produced the Gale Model A, an open roadster, for sale at US$500, which was less than high-volume Oldsmobile Runabout, at US$650, the Ford "Doctor's Car" at US$850, or the Holsman high...
's Gale Model A US$500, and the high-volume Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile was a brand of American automobile produced for most of its existence by General Motors. It was founded by Ransom E. Olds in 1897. In its 107-year history, it produced 35.2 million cars, including at least 14 million built at its Lansing, Michigan factory...
Runabout
Oldsmobile Curved Dash
The gasoline powered Curved Dash Oldsmobile is credited as being the first mass-produced automobile, meaning that it was built on an assembly line using interchangeable parts. It was introduced by the Oldsmobile company in 1901 and produced through 1907...
for US$650, while Cole 30 was US$1500, and the Oakland 40 was US$1600. The Chalmers 30 Coupe at US2400 was nearer the US$2000 Enger 40, while 40 Touring and 40 Roadster at US2750 and 40 Torpedo
Torpedo (car)
The torpedo body style was a type of automobile body used from the early twentieth century until the mid-1930s, and which fell quickly into disuse by the Second World War....
at US3000 were still below American
American Motor Car Company
The American Motor Car Company was a short-lived company in the automotive industry founded in 1906, lasting until 1913. It was based in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The American Motor Car Company pioneered the "underslung" design.-History:...
's lowest-price model, at US$4250 (its highest was US$5250).
Taking part in early racing, a Chalmers won the 1910 Glidden Tour
Glidden Tour
The Glidden Tours were promotional events held during the automotive Brass Era by the American Automobile Association . The AAA, a proponent for safer roads, acceptance of the automobile and automotive-friendly legislation, started the tour to promote public acceptance and bring awareness of their...
.
The company also originated the Chalmers Award in professional baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
.
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External links
Sources
- Clymer, Floyd. Treasury of Early American Automobiles, 1877-1925. New York: Bonanza Books, 1950.