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The Bethlehem Motors Corporation was a manufacturer of tractors, automobiles and trucks in Allentown, Pennsylvania, between 1917 and 1926.
Truck manufacture began in 1917, with -ton trucks powered by Golden, Belknap and Swartz engines, and a -ton vehicle using a North American engine. The smaller models cost $1,245; the larger models $1,775. Speeds were between 12 and 18 mph, depending on the engine governor used. Production in 1919 was approximately 3,500.{{cite book, last=Mroz, first=Albert, title=American Cars, Trucks and Motorcycles of World War I: Illustrated Histories of 225 Manufacturers, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aDmNAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA28, date=11 January 2010, publisher=McFarland, isbn=978-0-7864-5725-0, pages=28–. By 1920, all Bethlehem trucks came with electric starter and lights, with the company motto at this time being "Trucks bought today without electric lights will be out of date tomorrow". Despite these new features, business decreased, with the company going into receivership. The last Bethlehem trucks, and the last vehicles of any type manufactured by the Bethlehem Motors Corporation were assembled in 1926. The factory was bought by Hahn and Company in 1927. Bethlehem was also one of the manufacturers of Liberty Trucks for the
1919 Bethlehem Motor Truck Corporation advertisement
Vintageproductads.com Companies based in Allentown, Pennsylvania Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1917 Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of the United States 1917 establishments in Pennsylvania Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 1926 1926 disestablishments in Pennsylvania Motor vehicle manufacturers based in Pennsylvania
The Bethlehem Motors Corporation was a manufacturer of tractors, automobiles and trucks in Allentown, Pennsylvania, between 1917 and 1926.
Tractor manufacturing
In 1918 and 1919, the Corporation built the Model 18-36 tractor, which weighed three tons, and was powered by a Beaver 4-cylinder engine with two forward speeds. Standard equipment included a Stromberg carburettor, Bosch magneto and Fedders radiator. The tractor was not a success, probably due to the poor financial position of the company, the crowded tractor market in the United States, and the 1920 agricultural depression.Automobile manufacturing
In 1920, the Bethlehem Motors Corporation built the 'Ideal' automobile, which was to be sold only outside the United States. The Ideal was a four-seater sedan with a 40 hp engine built by Bethlehem, Timken axles, and was priced at $3,000. The company went into receivership later that year, and all plans to further produce and sell the car were discontinued. New management disposed of the unsold cars for approximately $1,000 each in 1921.Truck manufacturing
Truck manufacture began in 1917, with -ton trucks powered by Golden, Belknap and Swartz engines, and a -ton vehicle using a North American engine. The smaller models cost $1,245; the larger models $1,775. Speeds were between 12 and 18 mph, depending on the engine governor used. Production in 1919 was approximately 3,500.{{cite book, last=Mroz, first=Albert, title=American Cars, Trucks and Motorcycles of World War I: Illustrated Histories of 225 Manufacturers, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aDmNAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA28, date=11 January 2010, publisher=McFarland, isbn=978-0-7864-5725-0, pages=28–. By 1920, all Bethlehem trucks came with electric starter and lights, with the company motto at this time being "Trucks bought today without electric lights will be out of date tomorrow". Despite these new features, business decreased, with the company going into receivership. The last Bethlehem trucks, and the last vehicles of any type manufactured by the Bethlehem Motors Corporation were assembled in 1926. The factory was bought by Hahn and Company in 1927. Bethlehem was also one of the manufacturers of Liberty Trucks for the United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...
during World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.Mroz, Albert.''The Illustrated Encyclopedia of American Trucks and Commercial Vehicles'', Iola, WI: Kraus Publications, 1996. pg. 246-7.
References
External links
1919 Bethlehem Motor Truck Corporation advertisement
Vintageproductads.com Companies based in Allentown, Pennsylvania Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1917 Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of the United States 1917 establishments in Pennsylvania Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 1926 1926 disestablishments in Pennsylvania Motor vehicle manufacturers based in Pennsylvania