The
Kissel Motor Car Company was an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
automobileAn automobile, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
manufacturing company founded by Louis Kissel and his sons, George and William, on June 5, 1906 in
Hartford, WisconsinHartford is a city in Dodge and Washington Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2000 census, the city had a population of 10,905...
. The company custom built high-quality automobiles,
hearseA hearse is a funeral vehicle, a conveyance for the casket from e.g. a church to a cemetery, a similar burial site, or a crematorium. In the funeral trade, they are often called funeral coaches.-History:...
s, fire trucks,
taxicabA taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire, with a driver, for a single passenger, or small group of passengers, typically for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
s, and utility vehicles from their plant at 123 Kissel Avenue, Hartford. They offered trucks of 1½, 2, 3, 4, and 5 tons. During
World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
the company produced trucks for the military and prospered after the war but with stiff competition and the
Great DepressionThe Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, mounting losses, and an attempted hostile take-over by
New Era MotorsThe Ruxton was a front-wheel drive automobile produced by the New Era Motors Company of New York, New York, USA during 1929 and 1930. The car was the brainchild of William Muller and was built in the Moon Motor Car factory in St. Louis, Missouri...
' president
Archie AndrewsArchie Andrews may refer to one of two fictional characters:*Archie Andrews , U.S. comic book character*Archie Andrews , British ventriloquist's puppet...
forced Kissel to file for receivership protection in November, 1930.
Often called "Kissel Kars," of the 35,000 automobiles the company produced, only 150 are known to exist today.
The
Kissel Motor Car Company was an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
automobileAn automobile, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
manufacturing company founded by Louis Kissel and his sons, George and William, on June 5, 1906 in
Hartford, WisconsinHartford is a city in Dodge and Washington Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2000 census, the city had a population of 10,905...
. The company custom built high-quality automobiles,
hearseA hearse is a funeral vehicle, a conveyance for the casket from e.g. a church to a cemetery, a similar burial site, or a crematorium. In the funeral trade, they are often called funeral coaches.-History:...
s, fire trucks,
taxicabA taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire, with a driver, for a single passenger, or small group of passengers, typically for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
s, and utility vehicles from their plant at 123 Kissel Avenue, Hartford. They offered trucks of 1½, 2, 3, 4, and 5 tons. During
World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
the company produced trucks for the military and prospered after the war but with stiff competition and the
Great DepressionThe Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, mounting losses, and an attempted hostile take-over by
New Era MotorsThe Ruxton was a front-wheel drive automobile produced by the New Era Motors Company of New York, New York, USA during 1929 and 1930. The car was the brainchild of William Muller and was built in the Moon Motor Car factory in St. Louis, Missouri...
' president
Archie AndrewsArchie Andrews may refer to one of two fictional characters:*Archie Andrews , U.S. comic book character*Archie Andrews , British ventriloquist's puppet...
forced Kissel to file for receivership protection in November, 1930.
Often called "Kissel Kars," of the 35,000 automobiles the company produced, only 150 are known to exist today. The
Wisconsin Automotive Museum of Hartford has several of these remaining cars on display. The most famous car was one the company donated to Hollywood actress
Anita KingAnita King was an American racecar driver, actress, and thoroughbred racehorse owner.-Early life:Born Anna Keppen to German immigrants in Michigan City, Indiana, her father committed suicide in 1896 when she was twelve years old and two years later her mother died of pulmonary tuberculosis...
for her trans-continental trip in 1915 that marked the first-ever such trip by a female driving alone. The most popular Kissel model was the 1919
Speedster, nicknamed the
Gold Bug. The two passenger Gold Bug was owned by famous personalities of the time such as actor
Fatty ArbuckleRoscoe Conkling "Fatty" Arbuckle was an American silent film actor, comedian, director, and screenwriter. Starting at the Selig Polyscope Company he eventually moved to Keystone Studios where he worked with Mabel Normand and Harold Lloyd. He mentored Charlie Chaplin and discovered Buster Keaton...
and aviatrix
Amelia EarhartAmelia Mary Earhart ; was a noted American aviation pioneer and author. Earhart was the first woman to receive the Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded for becoming the first aviatrix to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean...
. Beginning in 1927, Kissel also produced the sporty
White Eagle Speedster.
Kissel used
MercuryMercury was a messenger, and a god of trade, profit and commerce, the son of Maia Maiestas, also known as Ops, the Roman version of Rhea, and Jupiter. His name is related to the Latin word merx...
as its logo. In the late 1930s,
Henry FordHenry Ford was the American founder of the Ford Motor Company and father of modern assembly lines used in mass production. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry. He was a prolific inventor and was awarded 161 U.S. patents...
requested use of the logo for a new marque the
Ford Motor CompanyThe Ford Motor Company is an American multinational corporation based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury brands, Ford also owns Volvo Cars of Sweden, and a small stake...
was planning to introduce, and permission was granted.
In 1935, the Kissels manufactured outboard motors and were major suppliers of Sears, Roebuck. In 1942 the business was sold to the
West Bend Aluminum CompanyThe West Bend Company was a West Bend, Wisconsin company from 1911 to 2003. It was best known for its aluminum cookware and electrical appliances, but it also made two-stroke cycle engines. Art Ingels used a surplus West Bend engine to power the first kart...
.
Sources
- Clymer, Floyd. Treasury of Early American Automobiles, 1877-1925. New York: Bonanza Books, 1950.