Austin Automobile Company
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The Austin was a
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 ...
American
automobile A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods. The year 1886 is regarde ...
manufactured in
Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the second most-populated city in the state after Detroit. Grand Rapids is the ...
from 1901 to 1921. The company, founded by James E. Austin and his son Walter Austin, built large, expensive and powerful
touring car 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 ...
s with an unusual double
cantilever A cantilever is a rigid structural element that extends horizontally and is supported at only one end. Typically it extends from a flat vertical surface such as a wall, to which it must be firmly attached. Like other structural elements, a cant ...
rear spring arrangement placing the rear wheels behind (sometimes well behind) the passenger compartment, for a longer wheelbase to improve rider comfort in an era of rough roads as well as a unique two-speed rear axle.Clymer, p.155.


History

The first car, introduced in 1902, was a two-cylinder model with the 16 hp engine under the seat driving the rear wheels through an epicyclic gearbox and chains. It was considerably larger than most other makes of the day. For several years, colors were optional, but most were painted either white with tan trim or light brown. After about 10 were sold they moved to larger engines and shaft drive. Four cylinder models followed in 1904 rated at 35 or 50 hp. The 1907 60 hp (45 kW) LX model was an eight-seat tourer. The Model XC in 1908 was a 90 hp (67 kW) 13-litre six and described as the "sportiest kind of car it is possible to get", by Walter S. Austin. Depending on coachwork it could cost up to $7000. The car's wheelbase was extremely large at . By 1911, the vehicles were equipped with electric lights and left-hand steering and in 1913 two speed rear axles were introduced. The four cylinder models were dropped after 1908 and for 1915, a six with 572in3 (9383 cc) (4½×6 inches, 114×152 mm) engine was available in a three-passenger tourer or touring roadster. The name "Highway King" was adopted in 1916. In 1917 the company offered a V-12 model of the "Highway King", which was made up until production operations ceased in 1920, due to the postwar recession. Production was never high, running at about 30 cars a year and in total about 1,000 cars were made. After the company closed the Austins moved into the real estate business.


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Notes

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Sources

*Clymer, Floyd. ''Treasury of Early American Automobiles, 1877-1925''. New York: Bonanza Books, 1950. Motor vehicle manufacturers based in Michigan Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of the United States 1900s cars 1910s cars 1920s cars Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1901 Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 1921 1901 establishments in Michigan 1921 disestablishments in Michigan Veteran vehicles Defunct manufacturing companies based in Michigan Manufacturing companies based in Grand Rapids, Michigan