The American was an 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 ...
, built in
Plainfield, New Jersey
Plainfield is a city in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, known by its nickname as "The Queen City." , manufactured from 1917 to 1924. The company also used names American Balanced Six or American Six, "Balanced" referred to its chassis, not the engine. It was an
assembled car, one of many built in its time, and it used components from several manufacturers like
Borg & Beck
'Borg & Beck'' is a British car parts company owned by First Line Ltd.
It was started as a tool company in Moline, Illinois, in the United States, bCharles Borgand Marshall Beck. In 1909 theinventedthe first practical sliding clutch. It merged ...
for clutch,
Warner transmission,
Stromberg carburetor and
Rutenber engines.
The company was never large; its peak production was 1400 vehicles built in 1920. In that same year a powerful 58 hp
Herschell-Spillman
The Allan Herschell Company specialized in the creation of amusement rides, particularly carousels and roller coasters. The company manufactured portable machines that could be used by traveling carnival operators. It was started in 1915 in the ...
six-cylinder engine replaced old 45 hp Rutenber six. American was commonly advertised as a 'Smile Car' because the company believed their cars offered trouble-free miles for their owners. In 1923 the company became associated with the
Bessemer Motor Truck Corporation Bessemer may refer to:
Places Canada
* Bessemer, Ontario
United States
* Bessemer, Alabama
** Bessemer Airport
** Bessemer Civic Center
* Bessemer, Colorado
*Bessemer, Michigan
* Bessemer City, North Carolina
* Bessemer, Ohio
* Bessemer, Pennsy ...
; that October, the company became
Amalgamated Motors, incorporating
Northway and
Winther as well. Before spring of 1924 American car was out of production. The total number of cars produced was about 6000 cars.
For a brief time, famed racing driver and future automobile designer
Louis Chevrolet
Louis-Joseph Chevrolet (; December 25, 1878 – June 6, 1941) was a Swiss-American race car driver, mechanic and entrepreneur who co-founded the Chevrolet Motor Car Company in 1911.
Early life
Louis-Joseph Chevrolet was born on December 25, 18 ...
worked as a vice-president and the head of American's engineering department.
References
American Automobiles
Defunct manufacturing companies based in New Jersey
Plainfield, New Jersey
Vintage vehicles
Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of the United States
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