Ajax Motor Vehicle Company was a now-defunct American

brass era The Brass Era is an American term for the early period of automotive manufacturing, named for the prominent brass fittings used during this time for such things as lights and radiators. It is generally considered to encompass 1896 through 1915 ...

electric car An electric car, battery electric car, or all-electric car is an automobile that is propelled by one or more electric motors, using only energy stored in batteries. Compared to internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, electric cars are quiet ...

manufacturer established in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, which operated from 1901 until 1903. It produced the Ajax Electric car. Its factory was located at 220 West 36th Street, just north of the famed Macy's Department Store in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

History

Ajax Motor Vehicle Company - Electric Runabout

Ajax Motor Vehicle Company was formed by New York City brothers Walter Simpson and Alfred L. Simpson, with an initial capitalization of US$10,000. They set up manufacturing in July 1901, in a factory located on Manhattan's West 36th Street, not far from Macy's. The company produced an open two-seat lightweight runabout that rode on narrow 28 inch

wire wheel Wire wheels, wire-spoked wheels, tension-spoked wheels, or "suspension" wheels are wheels whose rims connect to their hubs by wire spokes. Although these wires are generally stiffer than a typical wire rope, they function mechanically the same ...

s with pneumatic tires and optional mudguards.Kimes and Clark, p.20 photo. It was originally priced at US$1,100, but later reduced to $850. The frame of the car was similar to bicycle construction, with seamless-drawn steel tubing, joined by brazing into drop-forged lugs. The 24V electric motor was rated at bhp and had a chain drive to the rear axle and differential. Mechanical brakes were provided on both rear axle and motor. Steering was by a crosswise tiller to the left seat. Ajax had a display at the 1903

New York Auto Show The New York International Auto Show is an annual auto show that is held in Manhattan in late March or early April. It is held at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. It usually opens on or just before Easter weekend and closes on the first S ...

, but closed later that year. This may have been precipitated by the 1902 collapse in the US electric car market, following dubious selling of electric car stocks, and a high-profile accident to a racing

Baker A baker is a tradesperson who baking, bakes and sometimes Sales, sells breads and other products made of flour by using an oven or other concentrated heat source. The place where a baker works is called a bakery. History Ancient history Si ...

. No cars were sold outside New York City. The company's forearm and clenched fist logo predated the similar one used by Arm & Hammer. They later used the slogan, "An Honest Automobile At An Honest Price". Today, a car in original condition could be worth in excess of $14,000.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ajax Motor Vehicle Company) Brass Era vehicles Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of the United States Veteran vehicles Cars introduced in 1901 Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1901 1901 establishments in New York City 1903 disestablishments 1900s cars History of New York City Electric vehicles introduced in the 20th century Defunct manufacturing companies based in New York City