Autocar Company

Infobox_Company
company_
company_name = Autocar Company Inc.
industry = commercial vehicles
company_type = Private subsidiary of Grand Vehicle Works Holdings, LLC
foundation = 1899
location_city = flagicon|USAHagerstown, Indiana
location_country = United States
products = Trucks
key_people = Andrew Taitz
revenue =
operating_income =
net_income =
num_employees =
homepage = [http://www.autocartruck.com www.autocartruck.com] :"See also Autocars Co., an Israeli automobile manufacturer of the 1960s"The Autocar Company is a Hagerstown, Indiana specialist manufacturer of refuse trucks. Started in 1899 in Ardmore, Pennsylvania as a manufacturer of Brass Era automobiles, and from 1907, trucks. The last cars were produced in 1912, but the company continued as a truck maker until 1953 when they were taken over by the White Motor Company. White was taken over in turn by Volvo Trucks in 1980 with Autocar continuing as a division. In 2001, it was sold to Grand Vehicle Works Holdings, which continues to use the brand name for their line of trucks.

History

The company was called the "Pittsburgh Motor Vehicle Company" but became the Autocar Company in 1899. [ [http://www.volvotruckcentre.com/News/newspage.htm Volvo Truck Center] ] By 1907, the company had decided to concentrate on commercial vehicles, and the "Autocar" brand is still in use for commercial trucks. Based on the minutes of company board of directors meetings during 1903-1907 it is known that in 1903 the Board of Directors included the president, Louis S. Clarke, the secretary, John S. Clarke, as well as, James K. Clarke. Both Louis Semple Clarke and his brother John S. Clarke were members of the fabled South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club of Johnstown Flood fame.

Founder

Autocar founder Louis Semple Clarke (1867-1957) had a lot of success as a mechanical engineer. Among Clarke's automotive innovations were: the spark plug for use in gasoline engines, a perfected drive shaft system for use in automobiles; and, the first design of a useful oil circulation system. Clarke's insistence of placing the driver on the left hand side of the vehicle led to that standardization throughout most of the automotive industry worldwide, and the consequent result that we drive on the right side of the road. [Clarke, Louis Semple, Death notice, "Time" magazine, Monday, Jan. 21, 1957] Clarke was also a talented photographer. His family were members of the elite South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club above Johnstown, PA, whose earthen dam at Lake Conemaugh burst on May 31, 1889, causing the Johnstown Flood. [See examples of his photos at: http://www.pennhighlands.edu/library/digital/people.htm]

Clarke sold his interest in Autocar in 1929 and retired from business. He died in Palm Beach, Florida, on January 6, 1957, and is buried in Allegheny Cemetery, in Pittsburgh.

Products

The first car in 1900 was a single cylinder chain drive runabout. About 27 were made.The 1904 Autocar was equipped with a tonneau, it could seat 4 passengers and sold for US$1700. The horizontal-mounted flat-2, situated at the front of the car, produced 11 hp (8.2 kW). This was a somewhat unusual engine design for the time, with most companies producing inline designs. A 3-speed transmission was fitted. The steel and wood-framed car weighed 1675 lb (760 kg). The early cars had tiller steering.

In 1905 the company was selling the Type XII car for $2,250 and another it called the Type X for $1,000. It discontinued the Type XI and sold the last of them in 1905. The cars now had wheel steering with left hand drive.

The Type X was a runabout. During the 1905-1906 model year the company produced 1000 Type X cars. The manufacture of 500 Type XV runabouts was authorized for 1907 in place of 500 touring cars (Type XIV) in addition to the 1000 runabouts already planned. At special meeting on June 19, 1906 held at 711 Arcade Building, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the board authorized the hiring of a general manager by the name of Harry A. Gillis at a salary of $10,000 per year. Production of 300 Type XVI cars and 500 Type XVII were authorized during a Board Meeting on November 21, 1906.

Commercial vehicles were made from 1907 and soon outnumbered cars. The last cars were produced in 1912 but the company continued as a truck maker until 1953 when they were taken over by the White Motor Company. White was taken over in turn by Volvo in 1980 with Autocar continuing as a division. In 2001 Andrew Taitz purchased the company and structured it under Grand Vehicle Works Holdings, which used the brand name for their line of trucks. [cite web|url=http://www.gvwholdings.com/Operating_Companies.html#|title=Autocar|work=GVW Holdings]

ubsidiary of White/Volvo

In 1953 White purchased Autocar, which continued thru to the 1970s as part of the "Big Four" White brands. In 1980, with White insolvent, AB Volvo acquired the U.S. assets and brands, to become Volvo-White LLC. Volvo produced trucks under both the White and Autocar brands, with a majority of Autocar products becoming cab over engine models which were also re-badged Western Star for sale in the Canadian market through the early 1990s.

Volvo-White bought GMC's heavy truck business in 1987 creating the Volvo WhiteGMC brand. Volvo dropped any reference to White, and is now Volvo Trucks North America. Autocar remained a part of Volvo until 2000, when the trademark was withdrawn from the market. After Volvo acquired the North American operations of Renault Trucks in 2001, as the merged company would have an excess/uncompetitiveshare of refuse truck market sector, Volvo agreed to sell select vehicle designs for the Xpeditor low cab forward heavy duty product, intellectual properties and the Autocar Company brand rights to Andrew Taitz and his Highland Park, Illinois based "Grand Vehicle Works Holdings, LLC" (GVW).

Contemporary activities

The Autocar company now employs 200 at its manufacturing facility in Hagerstown, Indiana. The company produces LCF Class 8 trucks, primarily for refuse and waste disposal. The company’s Xpeditor product line offers state-of-the-art features ranging from improved ergonomic cabs, integrated controls, and a new hybrid drive refuse truck. The company has a nationwide service network in the US. Autocar’s customer base includes large fleets, private fleets and municipalities in the United States and Canada.

Products

*A-64
*A-75
*AU
*DC
*KK
*CK(Half-Cab Cement Mixers)
*RL
*RM
*U
*E³
*WX [http://www.autocartruck.com/ProductsIndex.aspx autocartruck.com] ]
*WXLL

References

ee also

* White Motor Company

External links

* [http://www.autocartruck.com Autocar Trucks] Official website
* [http://www.andrewtaitz.us Andrew Taitz] General info on Andrew Taitz
* [http://www.lowermerionhistory.org/texts/schmidtd/autocar.html lowermerionhistory.org] Autocar in Lower Merion Township
* [http://www.hankstruckpictures.com/autocar.htm hankstruckpictures.com] Hank's Truck Pictures (Autocar)
* [http://www.pennhighlands.edu/library/digital/people.htm pennhighlands.edu] Photos by Clarke taken at the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club.