The Imperial Automobile Company of
Jackson, Michigan
Jackson is the only city and county seat of Jackson County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 33,534, down from 36,316 at the 2000 census. Located along Interstate 94 and U.S. Route 127, it is approxi ...
, was formed by the brothers T. A. and George N. Campbell in 1908, who also ran the Jackson Carriage Company.
History
Imperial produced
mid-size car
Mid-size—also known as intermediate—is a vehicle size class which originated in the United States and is used for cars larger than compact cars and smaller than full-size cars. "Large family car" is a UK term and a part of the D-segment in t ...
s with
four-cylinder engines; the
bodywork and mechanicals were primarily off-the-shelf rather than
bespoke
The word ''bespoke'' () has evolved from a verb meaning 'to speak for something', to its contemporary usage as an adjective. Originally, the adjective ''bespoke'' described tailor-made suits and shoes. Later, it described anything commissioned t ...
.
Coachwork
A coachbuilder or body-maker is someone who manufactures bodies for passenger-carrying vehicles.Construction has always been a skilled trade requiring a relatively lightweight product with sufficient strength. The manufacture of necessarily ...
was done out-of-house by Beaudette Company, which also did work for
Buick
Buick () is a division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM). Started by automotive pioneer David Dunbar Buick in 1899, it was among the first American marques of automobiles, and was the company that established General ...
and
Ford
Ford commonly refers to:
* Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford
* Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river
Ford may also refer to:
Ford Motor Company
* Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company
* Ford F ...
. In 1912 the Imperial factory burned down and the company moved into the old
Buick
Buick () is a division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM). Started by automotive pioneer David Dunbar Buick in 1899, it was among the first American marques of automobiles, and was the company that established General ...
truck plant. In 1914 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 ...
engine was introduced. Car production lasted until 1916.
In 1915, Imperial merged with
Marion Marion may refer to:
People
*Marion (given name)
*Marion (surname)
*Marion Silva Fernandes, Brazilian footballer known simply as "Marion"
*Marion (singer), Filipino singer-songwriter and pianist Marion Aunor (born 1992)
Places Antarctica
* Mario ...
from
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
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
to form
Mutual Motors Company
The Marion was an automobile produced by the Marion Motor Car Company in Indianapolis (Marion County), Indiana from 1904 to 1915.
Marion was also used for prototype automobiles in 1901 by the Marion Automobile Company of Marion, Ohio, which late ...
. Under this new name, they stopped production of Imperials the following year. The new cars produced in Jackson were called
Marion-Handley instead.
File:1916Imperial.JPG, 1916 Imperial
File:Imperial Auto Company Model 43 circa 1910.JPG, Model 43, circa 1910
See also
*
Brass Era car
*
List of defunct United States automobile manufacturers
This is a list of defunct automobile manufacturers of the United States. They were discontinued for various reasons, such as bankruptcy of the parent company, mergers, or being phased out.
A
* A Automobile Company (1910–1913) 'Blue & Gold' ...
References
Conceptcarz: 1910 Imperial Model 35
{{JacksonCars
Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of the United States
Motor vehicle manufacturers based in Michigan
Brass Era vehicles
Jackson, Michigan
Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1908
Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 1916
1908 establishments in Michigan
1916 disestablishments in Michigan
1900s cars
1910s cars
Cars introduced in 1908