The American Automobile and Power Company was an American
Brass Era car manufacturer, incorporated in
Sanford, Maine
Sanford is a city in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 21,982 in the 2020 census, making it the seventh largest municipality in the state. Situated on the Mousam River, Sanford includes the village of Springvale. The city ...
, in 1903.
[Kimes, Beverly Rae. ''The Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1805–1942'' (Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications, 1989), p.30.] They produced the American Populaire
[ during 1904 and 1905.][Kimes, p.42.]
Starting with a capital of $500,000,[ the company incorporated on December 9, 1903. There were eight officers, three from ]Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, , the rest locals; Bostonian Henry D. Long was treasurer, Sanfordian Ernest M. Goodall president.
With a design from Edward O. Mosher, AEC produced a prototype in a shed in Lawrence, Massachusetts, debuting it at the Boston Automobile Show in March 1904.
The company offered three models, all with Mosher's 12 hp (8 kW) two-cylinder engine, on the same 84 in (2134 mm) wheelbase: a $850 roadster, a $950 tonneau
A tonneau ( or ) is an area of a car or truck open at the top. It can be for passengers or cargo.
A tonneau cover in current automotive terminology is a hard or soft cover that spans the back of a pickup truck to protect the load or to improve ...
(which had an unusual swing-out split front seat), and a $1000 Cape Cod Tourer
Touring car and tourer are both terms for open cars (i.e. cars without a fixed roof).
"Touring car" is a style of open car built in the United States which seats four or more people. The style was popular from the early 1900s to the 1930s.
Th ...
. By contrast, the Yale
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...
side-entrance tourer sold for $1000, the Model S
The Tesla Model S is a battery-powered liftback car serving as the flagship model of Tesla, Inc. The Model S features a dual-motor, all-wheel drive layout, although earlier versions of the Model S featured a rear-motor and rear-wheel drive l ...
$700, the high-volume Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile or formally the Oldsmobile Division of General Motors was a brand of American automobiles, produced for most of its existence by General Motors. Originally established as "Olds Motor Vehicle Company" by Ransom E. Olds in 1897, it produ ...
Runabout went for $650,[Clymer, Floyd. ''Treasury of Early American Automobiles, 1877–1925'' (New York: Bonanza Books, 1950), p.32.] Western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
's Gale Model A was $500, a Brush Runabout
Brush Motor Car Company (1907-1909), later the Brush Runabout Company (1909-1913), was based in Highland Park, Michigan.
History
The company was founded by Alanson Partridge Brush (February 10, 1878, Michigan – March 6, 1952, Michigan). He ...
was $485,[Clymer, p.104.] the Black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...
from $375, and the Success was $250.[ At the upper end of the AEC range, a Cole 30 or ]Colt Runabout
The Colt Runabout was an American brass era, Brass-era automobile, built in Yonkers, New York, in 1907.Clymer, Floyd. ''Treasury of Early American Automobiles, 1877-1925'' (New York: Bonanza Books, 1950), p.63. by William Mason Turner.
It was a ...
was priced at $1500,[Clymer, p.63 & p.104.] while an Enger 40 was $2000.
While Long bragged, "We could sell one thousand cars in three months if we could make them", by April 1905, production had ceased and the Maine Alpaca Company had taken over the factory.
See also
*List of automobile manufacturers
This is a list of notable automobile manufacturers with articles on Wikipedia by country. It includes companies that are in business as well as defunct manufacturers. Only companies that have articles here are included.
A
Algeria
* SNVI
...
*List of defunct automobile manufacturers
This is a list of defunct automobile manufacturers of the United States. They were discontinued for various reasons, such as bankruptcy of the parent company, mergers, or being phased out.
A
* A Automobile Company (1910–1913) 'Blue & Gold' ...
Notes
Sources
*Clymer, Floyd. ''Treasury of Early American Automobiles, 1877–1925''. New York: Bonanza Books, 1950.
*Kimes, Beverly Rae. ''The Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1805–1942''. Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications, 1989. .
{{DEFAULTSORT:American Automobile And Power Company
Brass Era vehicles
1900s cars
Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of the United States
Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1903
Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 1905
Companies based in Lawrence, Massachusetts
1904 establishments in Maine
1905 disestablishments in Maine
History of Maine
Defunct manufacturing companies based in Massachusetts