Kirk Manufacturing Company (automobile company)

Infobox Automobile


name =
manufacturer = Kirk Manufacturing Company Company
production = 1905
predecessor =
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body_style = roadster
engine = V8
transmission =
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length =
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height =
weight = 1400 lb (635 kg)
aka =
fuel_economy =
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Kirk Manufacturing Company was a pioneer brass era American automobile company, built at 958 Oakwood Avenue, Toledo, Ohio, [Clymer, Floyd. "Treasury of Early American Automobiles, 1877-1925" (New York: Bonanza Books, 1950), p.158.] from 1902 until 1905.

A manufacturer of bicycles, in 1899 Kirk announced it would begin building cars. [Kimes, Beverly Rae. "The Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1805-1942" (Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications, 1989), p.774.] They introduced the Yale in 1902. Describing it as "the Beau Brummel of the road", [Clymer, p.158.] it had the choice of two gasoline engine models: a two-cylinder 14 hp (10 kW) side-entrance tourer for US$1000 and a four-cylinder 24 hp (18 kW) for US$2500. This compared to US$650 for the high-volume Oldsmobile Runabout, [Clymer, p.32.] the $700 Ford Model S, US$1500 for the Colt Runabout [Clymer, p.63.] and Cole 30, [Clymer, p.104.] the US$1600 Oakland 40 [Clymer, p.84.] the FAL at US$1750, [Clymer, p.104.] and the Enger 40 [Clymer, p.104.] and Ford Model F at $2,000. Even so, the Yale was well below even Lozier's lowest-price Light Six Metropolian tourer and runabout, at US$3,250, [Clymer, p.111.] American's entry-level car, at US$4250 (its highest was US$5250), [Clymer, p.91.] or the Lozier Big Six, starting at US$5,000. [Clymer, p.111.]

Notes

ources

*Clymer, Floyd. "Treasury of Early American Automobiles, 1877-1925". New York: Bonanza Books, 1950.
*Kimes, Beverly Rae. "Kirk", in "The Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1805-1942", p.774. Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications, 1989.

ee also

*List of automobile manufacturers
*List of defunct automobile manufacturers