American Motor Car Company
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The American Motor Car Company was a short-lived company in the
automotive industry The automotive industry comprises a wide range of company, companies and organizations involved in the design, Business development, development, manufacturing, marketing, and selling of motor vehicles. It is one of the world's largest industry ...
founded in 1906, lasting until 1913. It was based in
Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...
, Indiana, United States. The American Motor Car Company pioneered the "underslung" design.


History

Harry C. Stutz Harry Clayton Stutz (September 12, 1876 in Ohio – June 26, 1930) was an American automobile manufacturer, entrepreneur, self-taught engineer, and innovator in the automobile industry. He was born in 1876 about east of Indianapolis, near An ...
, who later formed a company bearing his name, designed the first car for the new enterprise. However, Stutz quickly left and Fred L. Tone took over as chief engineer in 1906. Tone re-designed the
chassis A chassis (, ; plural ''chassis'' from French châssis ) is the load-bearing framework of an artificial object, which structurally supports the object in its construction and function. An example of a chassis is a vehicle frame, the underpart ...
(frame) below the axles and the semi-elliptic
leaf spring A leaf spring is a simple form of spring commonly used for the suspension in wheeled vehicles. Originally called a ''laminated'' or ''carriage spring'', and sometimes referred to as a semi-elliptical spring, elliptical spring, or cart spring, it ...
suspension Suspension or suspended may refer to: Science and engineering * Suspension (topology), in mathematics * Suspension (dynamical systems), in mathematics * Suspension of a ring, in mathematics * Suspension (chemistry), small solid particles suspend ...
system mounted above. This upside-down or reverse arrangement became known as the ''underslung'' design. It gave the vehicles a lower stance and was an industry first. Because of the lower chassis position, wheels gave the vehicle space between the frame and the ground. The company claimed that the vehicles were safe from rollovers and could be tilted up to 55 degrees. It was powered by a engine rated at 40 horsepower (by the measurements at that time), but the car was underpowered. By 1908, the engine was enlarged to producing . The company entered a large engined roadster in the Savannah Challenge Cup Race held in
Savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the Canopy (forest), canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to rea ...
, Georgia, but it finished last. Facing financial problems during 1911, the name was changed to American Motor Company. In 1912 all of its models featured the distinctive underslung chassis and the cars were officially named
American Underslung The American Underslung was an American automobile, the brainchild of Harry Stutz and designer Fred Tone, manufactured in Indianapolis from 1905 to 1914 by American Motor Car Company. Design The American Underslung's chassis design and hug ...
. However, the new company was still over-extended and inefficient. The relatively small production of its numerous models was divided among three factories. The company went into
bankruptcy Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor ...
in November 1913. Over an eight-year period, the American Motor Company had produced over 45,000 vehicles. Like many other automakers during this era, ineffective assembly processes, questionable management practices, as well as a focus on high quality plagued it and expensive models when the market was moving to lower priced utilitarian cars.


References

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External links

* * * {{imcdb vehicle, make=American, model=Underslung, American Underslung Motor vehicle manufacturers based in Indiana Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of the United States Defunct companies based in Indianapolis Manufacturing companies based in Indianapolis Brass Era vehicles 1900s cars 1910s cars Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1906 Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 1913 1906 establishments in Indiana 1913 disestablishments in Indiana Defunct manufacturing companies based in Indiana