1916 Simplex-Crane - Motor West Magazine, July 1916

Crane-Simplex was the common name of the Simplex Crane Model 5 luxury automobile, produced by the Simplex Automobile Company in

Long Island City, New York Long Island City (LIC) is a residential and commercial neighborhood on the extreme western tip of Queens, a borough in New York City. It is bordered by Astoria to the north; the East River to the west; New Calvary Cemetery in Sunnyside to the ...

, by

Henry M. Crane Henry Middlebrook Crane (June 16, 1874 – January 21, 1956) was an American engineer and pioneer in the automobile industry.Gardner, Lester D. (1922)''Who's Who in American Aeronautics''.New York: The Gardner, Moffit, Co. p. 37 – via Hat ...

to resume production of the

luxury car A luxury car is a car that provides increased levels of comfort, equipment, amenities, quality, performance, and associated status compared to moderately priced cars. The term is subjective and reflects both the qualities of the car and the ...

Crane-Simplex Company

Wright-Martin Wright-Martin Aircraft Corporation was a short-lived aircraft manufacturing business venture between the Wright Company (after Orville Wright sold the Wright Company and divested himself from it) and Glenn L. Martin. History Company official ...

sold the Simplex Automobile Company assets to Mercer Motors Company controlled by Emlen S. Hare in 1920. In July 1921 Hare's Motors announced it would be dissolved and the separate units would reorganize as individual companies. Simplex which was still not producing cars, reverted to Mercer ownership. By July 1922, a reorganization of Mercer Motors and reversal of its arrangements with Hare Motors was finally completed. Organized on September 20 1922, Henry M. Crane announced the Crane-Simplex Company with the Long Island City, Queens, New York plant and assets being purchased from Mercer Motors, Inc., "with plans to revive his masterpiece" Capitalized at $500,000, company offices were located at the United States Realty Building at 115 Broadway, with L. R. Ayers as President. John B. Bawden, Jr., formerly with Mercer was vice-president and general manager. Harvey B. Clark and Frederick H. Brand, formerly with Simplex were treasurer and assistant treasurer, respectively. Crane-Simplex had controlling interest of Jephson-Scott Body Company which was the successor of the J. M. Qumby & Company. Plans for 100 automobile chassis production per year were announced. Crane-Simplex stated bodies could be fitted from the Jephson-Scott factory in East Orange, NJ, although that was not required. In 1922

Jordan Motor Car Company The Jordan Motor Car Company was founded in 1916 in Cleveland, Ohio by Edward S. "Ned" Jordan, a former advertising executive from Thomas B. Jeffery Company of Kenosha, Wisconsin. The factory produced what were known as "assembled cars" until ...

listed the Jordan Touring Model MX with Crane Simplex running gear. Although Crane-Simplex was still listed as a company in 1926, no chassis manufacturing is recorded after 1923. In July 1922 Henry M. Crane became a consulting engineer and technical assistant to Alfred P. Sloan of

General Motors The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...

Simplex Crane Model 5

1916 Crane-Simplex Model 5 Phaeton (3829489090)

The Crane Motor Company of

Bayonne Bayonne (; eu, Baiona ; oc, label= Gascon, Baiona ; es, Bayona) is a city in Southwestern France near the Spanish border. It is a commune and one of two subprefectures in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine re ...

, New Jersey, built automobiles from 1912 to 1915. The Crane Model 3 was a

six-cylinder The straight-six engine (also referred to as an inline-six engine; abbreviated I6 or L6) is a piston engine with six cylinders arranged in a straight line along the crankshaft. A straight-six engine has perfect primary and secondary engine balan ...

car offered only as a

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 ...

. The chassis was priced at $8,000 (), the highest priced American chassis on the market. Crane favored Brewster & Company as a coachbuilder and most Crane automobiles were bodied by that firm. Only about 20 Crane Model 3s were made in 1912 and 1913. By 1914 a Model 4 was produced by Crane. It differed in having the six cylinders cast in two blocks of three instead of three pairs. In late 1914, the Simplex Automobile Company of

New Brunswick, New Jersey New Brunswick is a city (New Jersey), city in and the county seat, seat of government of Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Gardner, Lester D. (1922)
''Who's Who in American Aeronautics''.
New York: The Gardner, Moffit, Co. p. 37 – via Hathi Trust. Simplex was the maker of "one of the finest and most exclusive luxury cars built in the USA before World War I." Crane became vice president and engineer for Simplex. The Crane Model 4, became the Simplex Crane Model 5. From the beginning of the announcement of the Simplex purchase of Crane, ''The Automobile'' magazine referred to the new car as Crane-Simplex, only mentioning later in the September 1915 article that it was the Crane model of Simplex The article describes the new six cylinder shaft driven car with 100-hp at 2000-rpm. In the August 1916 ''Automobile Topics'' magazine 2- page article, the new cars was described as the "Model 5 Simplex-Crane -- or plain Simplex". Although never official, the Simplex Crane Model 5 would often be referred to as the Crane-Simplex. Crane created a new car called the Crane Model 46 H.P. Six-Cylinder Simplex or the Simplex-Crane Model 5, which was similar to his Crane Model 4, but on a longer wheelbase. The Model 5 was "fitted with a six-cylinder motor of 563 cubic inches piston displacement, developing a maximum of 110 h.p. The cylinders are of the L-head type and are cast in blocks of three, with the value springs fully enclosed." This 5,300-pound car was fast—reaching up to 65 or 68 miles per hour. Owners also expected a smooth ride and effortless performance. This was achieved with a new design for springs that reduced lateral shock when a wheel went into a pothole or if the driver took a curve at a high speed. At the time, a newspaper reported, "The six-cylinder power plant on which the Crane-Simplex Company has established its reputation for mechanical excellence, is the result of H. M. Crane's engineering genius." Between 1915 and 1916, Crane designed and oversaw the fabrication of Crane-Simplex automobiles at the New Brunswick factory. Production was limited to 300 cars per year, the maximum output of the company's 800 employees who worked in three shifts, day and night. Each engine went through the equivalent of 1,000 miles of road travel on a belt test that took 36 hours, as well as a block test of 48 hours. The engines were tested for speed on the Vanderbilt track in

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...

. Other road tests included driving on bumpy surfaces, in sand, and in the mountains. In total, each engine was tested for the equivalent of 5,000 miles of travel before going to the customer. "The car had to be right or Mr. Crane would not send it out," according to Walter B. Reynolds who was chief of the final road testing department for Simplex-Crane. Each Crane-Simplex was custom-built and high-priced for its era; the chassis was introduced at $5,000 () in 1915, increased to $6,000 in 1917, and to $7,000 () in 1918. The Model 5 chassis included a complete dashboard with instrumentation, front fenders, trimmed running boards, Goodrich Silvertown cord tires, an electric horn, headlamps, a reel-mounted trouble lamp, taillamp, a jack, and tools. Based on the company's catalog, customers could choose between a limousine, landaulette-limousine, touring landaulette, and enclosed bodied coach to add to their chassis. However, the seven-passenger touring model by Brewster & Company coachworks was the only body that went into regular production. Other coachbuilders for Crane-Simplex customers include A. T. Demarest and Co., Healey & Co., and Holbrook Co. Adding a coach to the chassis cost $1,500 for the seven-passenger touring body or $2,000 for a custom coach. In 1916, one of the company's executives noted, "We make the highest price car in the world." However, it did have a market; as '' Horseless Age'' magazine wrote in its review of the Simplex-Crane Model 5, "There are always people who want only the very best and are willing to pay a good price for what to the ordinary purchaser may seem minor advantages."

John D. Rockefeller John Davison Rockefeller Sr. (July 8, 1839 – May 23, 1937) was an American business magnate and philanthropist. He has been widely considered the wealthiest American of all time and the richest person in modern history. Rockefeller was ...

purchased two Simplex-Crane Model 5 cars, decked with summer and winter bodies. Other owners of a Crane-Simplex automobile include

Alfred Atmore Pope Alfred Atmore Pope (July 4, 1842 – August 5, 1913) was an American industrialist and art collector. He was the father of Theodate Pope Riddle, a noted American architect. Family background Alfred Pope's ancestors came to the New World from Y ...

Theodate Pope Riddle Theodate Pope Riddle (February 2, 1867 – August 30, 1946) was an American architect and philanthropist. She was one of the first American women architects and a survivor of the sinking of the RMS ''Lusitania''. Life Born Effie Brooks Pope ...

John D. Rockefeller, Jr. John Davison Rockefeller Jr. (January 29, 1874 – May 11, 1960) was an American financier and philanthropist, and the only son of Standard Oil co-founder John D. Rockefeller. He was involved in the development of the vast office complex in ...

, Herbert L. Satterlee, and

Frederick William Vanderbilt Frederick William Vanderbilt (February 2, 1856 – June 29, 1938) was a member of the American Vanderbilt family. He was a director of the New York Central Railroad for 61 years, and also a director of the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad and o ...

. In 1936, Satterlee invited Crane to drive his Simplex-Crane Model 5 as its speedometer turned to 300,000 miles. In October 1915, the

Wright Company The Wright Company was the commercial aviation business venture of the Wright Brothers, established by them on November 22, 1909, in conjunction with several prominent industrialists from New York and Detroit with the intention of capitalizing o ...

Garwood, New Jersey Garwood is a borough in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 4,454, an increase of 228 (+5.4%) from the 2010 census count of 4,226, which in turn reflected an increase ...

entered into an agreement to purchase Crane-Simplex. Car production at New Brunswick ceased in October 1917 as Wright began making airplane engines for

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 ...

. In all, 467 Simplex Crane Model 5s were produced.Rodriguez, Roberto (2019-12-30).
Large, Impressive, and Very Rare: the 1917 Simplex-Crane
. ''Seal Cove Auto Museum''. Retrieved 2022-05-03. In January 1920, the Mercer Motor Company of Trenton, NJ under the control of Emlen S. Hare, would absorb the assets of the Simplex Automobile Company. Automobile equipment was relocated to the Vernon Avenue building in

Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...

which had been used as a service department. In February 1920 Hare's Motors, Incorporated was organized to take over the assets of Locomobile, Mercer and Simplex. In July 1921 Hare's motors announced it would be dissolved and the separate units would reorganize as individual companies. Simplex which was still not producing cars, reverted to Mercer ownership. By July 1922, a reorganization of Mercer Motors and reversal of its arrangements with Hare Motors was finally completed. File:1916 Simplex Crane Model - Landaulet Limousine detail - 1916 McClures Automobile Year Book.jpg, 1916 Simplex Crane Model 5 - Landaulet Limousine File:1917 Simplex Crane Model - Holbrook body in The Hub April 1917.jpg, 1917 Simplex Crane Model 5 - Holbrook Touring body File:1917 Simplex Crane Model - Touring body in The Hub April 1917.jpg, 1917 Simplex Crane Model 5 - Simplex Touring body File:1917 Simplex Crane Model -Enclosed Drive body in The Hub April 1917.jpg, 1917 Simplex Crane Model 5 - Simplex Enclosed Drive body File:1917 Simplex Touring Landaulet - Stone body detail - 1917 Automobile Year Book.jpg, 1917 Simplex Crane Model 5 - Stone Landaulet body File:1918 Simplex-Crane Limousine detail - 1918 Handbook of Automobiles.jpg, 1918 Simplex Crane Model 5 - Simplex Limousine body. This image was used again for the 1921 Handbook of Automobiles. File:Crane Model Six-Cylinder Simplex car ad, 1915.jpg, The Crane Model Six-Cylinder Simplex Pronouncement 1915 File:1915 Simplex Crane model advertisement - Life magazine.jpg, 1915 Simplex Crane Model advertisement in Life File:1915 Simplex Crane Model advertisement in Country Life Dec 1915.jpg, 1915 Simplex Crane Model advertisement in Country Life File:1916 Simplex Crane Model advertisement bw - Life Magazine.jpg, 1916 Simplex (Crane Model) advertisement in Life File:1916 Simplex Crane Model advertisement - Life Magazine.jpg, 1916 Simplex Crane Model advertisement in Life Christmas edition File:Louis Fancher - Simplex Automobile Company poster.jpg, 1917 Simplex Crane Model poster by Louis Fancher

Notable cars

*1915 Roadster - believed to be the only Simplex roadster ever made, with *1915 ''Sport Berline Brewster'' - personal car of Henry Crane and built for 1915 New York Auto Show, sold new for $13,800 *1916 ''Model 5 Holbrook Skiff'' - built for 1916 New York Auto Show with yacht-inspired design, (including doors in the middle rather than beside passengers and a propeller in back) soon purchased at the

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

Auto Show, now owned by

Jay Leno James Douglas Muir Leno (; born April 28, 1950) is an American television host, comedian, writer, and actor. After doing stand-up comedy for years, he became the host of NBC's ''The Tonight Show'' from 1992 to 2009. Beginning in September 2009 ...

*1918 Crane-Simplex - owned by

, had two Brewster bodies, for summer and winter seasons, now one of the last surviving

Rockefeller family The Rockefeller family () is an American industrial, political, and banking family that owns one of the world's largest fortunes. The fortune was made in the American petroleum industry during the late 19th and early 20th centuries by brothe ...

cars *1918 ''Model 5 Prince of Wales Limousine'', coachwork by Brooks-Ostruk - built for Frederick W. Vanderbilt, now owned by

Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site is a historic house museum in Hyde Park, New York. It became a National Historic Landmark in 1940. It is owned and operated by the National Park Service. The property, historically known as Hyde Park, wa ...

External links

Simplex Automobiles at ConceptCarz

1912 Crane Model 3 at ConceptCarz

The Atlantic, October 1950 article - The Simplex by Smith Hempstone Oliver

Simplex Automobile Company at DPL Digital Collections

Jay Leno and the 1916 Simplex Crane Model 5 Holbrook Skiff at ClassicCarsJournal

After 100 years, J.D. Rockefeller’s 1917 Crane-Simplex takes a ‘Drive Home’ at ClassicCarsJournal

Seal Cove Auto Museum - Large, Impressive and Very Rare - The 1917 Simplex-Crane

Simplex The Best -1916 Simplex Crane Model 5 article Hemmings.com

The 2013 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance – Simplex Automobile Images by Steve Natale - OldMotor.com

1916 Simplex Crane Model 5 at 2007 Gooding Auction

1916 Simplex Crane Model 5 Brewster at 2018 Bonhams Auction

References

{{Reflist, 30em Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of the United States Motor vehicle manufacturers based in New York (state) Defunct companies based in New York City Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1922 Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 1923 1923 disestablishments in New York (state) Luxury motor vehicle manufacturers Cars introduced in 1915 Vintage vehicles Luxury vehicles 1910s cars 1920s cars