Lexington (automobile)
The Lexington Motor Company was an automobile manufacturer who was from 1909 to 1927 in Lexington (Kentucky) and Connersville (Indiana) resident. Like most cars manufactured in Indiana and the Lexington were made up of components from different manufacturers ( " Assembled Car" ). The Thoroughbred Six and Minute Man Six were known models of the company.
History
The Lexington Motor Company was founded in 1909 in Lexington ( Kentucky) by Kinsey Stone, a Kentucky-based agents for horse racing. From modest beginnings, the first production facility was a converted barn. After a few months, these premises were no longer large enough for the company.
1910 won a number of business people in Connersville (Indiana) under the impression that their community had become strongly attached to the carriage industry whose businesses from bad to worse ran through the growing automotive industry. These businessmen convinced Stone, its production in the McFarlan industrial park in Connersville to relocate 18th Street 800. The company's headquarters were on the property Columbia Ave. 1950 laid. John C. Moore, the chief engineer of the company, immediately began to improve the vehicles to keep them competitive. Its engine with separate exhaust for each cylinder from 1911 was 30 % more efficient with lower fuel consumption. The exhaust pipes are merged into a double exhaust.
1912, the company reported their vehicles for both the Glidden Tour and for the Indianapolis 500
Sale and expansion
Emerging financial problems were solved in 1913, when the Ansted Spring and Axle Company, a major manufacturer of axles and leaf springs for buggies, the Lexington Motor Company bought. Shortly thereafter, also based in the town of Central Car Company went up to him to their own, newly developed passenger car named Howard to be constructed at Lexington. The agreement was reached for the distribution founded the Central Management Howard Motor Car Company in Chicago (Illinois ).
The new company changed its name to Lexington- Howard. In 1915 the company was again Lexington Motor Company. The previously built in the Lexington four-cylinder engines have been replaced by a light and a heavier six-cylinder engine. With these new Ansted engines Lexington to modern, powerful cars were. Since 1916, Continental engines were used.
1915 Advanced Lexington for the first time after moving its corporate building. Just north of the administration building was a factory created. At the same time the 30 - m chimney, on which the name " Lexington " was to be read in lighter brick arose. Four years later, the company built a 9,852 m² assembly hall west of the administration building.
Died in 1917 of the founder of Ansted Springs and Axle Company, EW Ansted, at the age of 63 years.
That same year, Moore constructed a new frame with sturdy box crossmember, which eliminated the problem of warped doors that caused by the distortion of the frame. This car also got a hand brake that worked on the propeller shaft. 1918 had the Lexington fixed roofs, were supplied by the Rex Manufacturing Company, also located in MacFarlan complex.
In 1918 the new Ansted Engineering Company the Teetor - Harley Motor Corporation in Hagerstown (Indiana). In 1919, the 7,925 square meter Ansted engine plant north of Lexington factory to 21st Street. Thus, the Lexington and Ansted works together covered an area of 25,000 square meters wide, three blocks long and two blocks.
At the height of
For the hill climb at Pikes Peak 1920 Lexington built two racing car with a short wheelbase and powerful Ansted engines. In their first use of the car took first and second place and won the Penrose Trophy for the company. 1924 Otto Loesche won again with a Lexington the trophy with a ride of 18 minutes and 15 seconds, so he remained in Lexington. The trophy is on display at the Reynolds Museum on Vine Street.
The president of the company, Frank B. Ansted, announced at the New York International Auto Show on January 12, 1920 to the founding of the United States Automotive Corporation. It was created from a merger of Lexington Motor Company, Ansted Engineering Company, of Connersville Foundry Corporation and the Teetor - Harley Motor Corporation. The company assets were valued at $ 10 million. 1920, as many Lexington cars were built like never before or since, over 6,000 pieces.
On December 16, 1921 ordered William C. Durant, founder of General Motors, 30,000 Ansted engines for his new Durant Six, to be built in Muncie ( Indiana) of Durant Motors. The end of 1921 sued Alanson P. Brush, designer of the Brush Runabout and advisor to GM, Ansted for infringement of a number of its patents. The negative publicity hurt United States Automotive much.
Documents show that the United States Automotive Corporation, Lexington's parent company, more than ten different factory buildings had to manufacture their cars. Car historian Henry Blommel wrote: "It was a great alliance auto part factories, whose efforts eventually culminated in the production of the finished Lexington automobile. "
Decline
The onset after the First World War recession of the early 1920s destroyed many U.S. automakers. The Lexington Motor Company and its parent, the United States Automotive Corporation, were it affected. 1922 about one-third was only made as many cars as 1920. 1923 had to file for bankruptcy the Ansted Engineering Company. Durant was at that time already its main shareholder. 1923 also fell Lexington into bankruptcy, but for the time being worked on in receivership. Despite optimistic announcements did not manage to bring the work to more than 50 percent of its capacity. 1926 Ansted of Errett Lobban Cord Cord Corporation was acquired; In 1927 Lexington. On May 23, 1927, the production of the Lexington Automobile was set.
Cord invested U.S. $ 2 million in plant and means of production. The new car factory did not compare favorably with the most modern car plants in the world. It consisted of 20 buildings, which covered an area of 140,000 m². 400 bodies and 250 finished cars could be produced every day there. Sheets, wood, machinery and other materials were brought to the plant from the northeast and to the southwest corner of the finished automobiles were delivered to customers.
Annual model change
The early Lexington from 1910 to 1913 were automobiles with Rutenber - four-cylinder engines, wheelbases of 2,946 mm or 3,099 mm and various structures, such as 2 - seater runabout, touring car with 5 or 7 seats or limousines. 1914 were introduced with a wheelbase of 3,302 mm six-cylinder cars. The Light Six of 1915 had 3,251 mm wheelbase and made 29 bhp (21 kW), its sister model Supreme Six had 3,302 mm wheelbase and delivered 41 bhp (30 kW). Both were of a variety of bodies: 3- seater roadster, tourer with 5, 6 or 7 seats and 7- seater limousines. 1916 cost the Thoroughbred Six touring car U.S. $ 2,875, the Minute Man Six Tourer 1185 U.S. $ and the sedan convertible of the same type U.S. $ 1,350. Both had had electric horns. In comparison, the cost Enger 40 U.S. $ 2,000, the FAL U.S. $ 1,750 and U.S. $ 1,600 Oakland 40. The Cole 30 and Colt Runabout were to be had for $ 1,500 U.S., Oldsmobile Curved Dash for U.S. $ 650, the Western Gale Model A for $ 500, the Brush Runabout for 485 U.S. $ and the Ford Model T already for 440 U.S. $.
In 1919 the new, closed body styles, the " Coupelet ", " Sedanette " and "Salon Sedan " were mentioned. All of the cars had six-cylinder engines and a wheelbase of 3,099 mm.
1921/1922 there were at Lexington two series: the S Series with 47 bhp ( 34.5 kW) - six-cylinder engine on a chassis with a 3,099 mm wheelbase and 3,251 mm wheelbase with T Series and 60 bhp (44 kW). The vehicles were there as a touring car with 5 or 7 seats, sedan, coupe, Sedan Sedanette or salon with 7 seats. Also 1924/1925 Lexington again offered two series at: The Concord with 65 bhp (48 kW) and 3,023 mm wheelbase and the Minute Man 72 bhp (53 kW) and 3,124 mm wheelbase. The available structures were a touring bike with 5 or 7 seats, a sedan, a coupe, a Royal Coach with 5 seats and a Brougham, also with 5 seats. 1926/1927 there was the Model 6-50 with the same engine and wheelbase as the Concord as a 4- seater roadster, 4 - seater Landaulet, 5 - seater Phaeton or sedan.
Models
Production figures
The following list gives the number of produced every year Lexington automobiles, starting with 123 pieces 1909 pieces 6128 1920 up to 183 pieces in the last full production year 1926.
Swell
- Clymer, Floyd: Treasury of Early American Automobiles, 1877-1925, Bonanza Books, New York ( 1950) ( English).
- Kimes, Beverly Rae ( editor ) and Clark, Henry Austin, Jr.: The Standard Catalogue of American Cars 1805-1942, 2nd edition, Krause Publications, Iola WI 54990, USA (1985 ), ISBN 0-87341-111-0 (English).
- Georgano, GN ( ed.): Complete Encyclopedia of Motorcars, 1885 to the Present; Dutton Press, New York, 2nd Edition (Hardcover), 1973 ISBN 0-525-08351-0 (English).