Chatham Motor Car Company

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Chatham Motor Car Company
Company typeAutomobile manufacturing
IndustryAutomotive
GenreTouring cars
Founded1906
Defunct1909
Headquarters
Chatham, Ontario
,
Canada
Area served
Canada
ProductsVehicles
Number of employees
40

The Chatham Motor Car Company was a Canadian brass era automobile manufacturer, based in Chatham, Ontario, from 1906 to 1909.[1]

History[edit]

The company was created in 1906.[2] Investors included Joseph T. O'Keefe and Thomas A. Drew (partners in the O'Keefe and Drew pork retailers),[3] T.K. Holmes (who became company president). W.J. Taylor (vice president), D. N. McMullen, Thomas Dillon (secretary-treasurer), J.F. Dillon (general manager).[4]

They established a factory in a two-story building on Adelaide Street, about halfway between McGregor Creek and King Street,[5] previously used by Hyslop and Ronald to build fire engines.[6] The plant had 40 employees.[7]

The company built only one model, the Chatham, right-hand drive[8] five-passenger tourer with a 20 horsepower (15 kW; 20 PS)[9] (later 25 horsepower (19 kW; 25 PS))[10] watercooled four cylinder engine.[11]

The Chatham was priced at C$2500,[12] when the Colt Runabout was priced at US$1500,[13] the FAL US$1750,[14] the Enger 40 and (in 1905) the Ford Model F were US$2000,[15] while the high-volume Oldsmobile Runabout was US$650[16] and (in 1907) the $700 for the Ford Model S was US$700.

Chatham did not build its own bodies, instead, they were subcontracted to William Gray & Sons, a local carriage builder.[17]

The car earned the loyalty of its buyers, but the company suffered financial difficulties, and in 1907, it was sued by a Detroit creditor and ultimately liquidated. Chatham dentist G. W. Cornell bought the company's assets and resumed production.[18]

In 1908, a new Chatham appeared, the Chatham 30, with a new 30 hp (22 kW; 30 PS) engine and "tulip-style" body.[19]

The new car was entered in endurance trials and scored some successes.[20] One example was driven 3,000 mi (4,800 km) from Arcola, Saskatchewan to Chatham by J.B. Stauffer.[21]

The company sold only 35 cars, mainly to Chatham's wealthiest residents, before shutting down in 1909.[22]

The factory was purchased by Detroit's Anhut Motor Car Company in 1910,[23] which continued to manufacture badge engineered Chathams under its own brand.[24]

The factory building still stood in the 1960s.[25]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Windsor Public Library online (retrieved 13 June 2017)
  2. ^ Windsor Public Library online (retrieved 13 June 2017); Rhodes, John. "Chatham was home to luxury car manufacturer that took on city's name", written 18 October 2016, at Chatham This Week online (retrieved 13 June 2017)
  3. ^ Rhodes, John. "Chatham was home to luxury car manufacturer that took on city's name", written 18 October 2016, at Chatham This Week online (retrieved 13 June 2017)
  4. ^ Rhodes, John. "Chatham was home to luxury car manufacturer that took on city's name", written 18 October 2016, at Chatham This Week online (retrieved 13 June 2017)
  5. ^ Rhodes, John. "Chatham was home to luxury car manufacturer that took on city's name", written 18 October 2016, at Chatham This Week online (retrieved 13 June 2017)
  6. ^ Rhodes, John. "Car company made 35 units", written 17 June 2008, at : Chatham This Week online Archived 2017-09-20 at the Wayback Machine (retrieved 13 June 2017)
  7. ^ Rhodes, John. "Car company made 35 units", written 17 June 2008, at : Chatham This Week online Archived 2017-09-20 at the Wayback Machine (retrieved 13 June 2017)
  8. ^ Rhodes, John. "Chatham was home to luxury car manufacturer that took on city's name", written 18 October 2016, at Chatham This Week online (retrieved 13 June 2017)
  9. ^ Rhodes, John. "Chatham was home to luxury car manufacturer that took on city's name", written 18 October 2016, at Chatham This Week online (retrieved 13 June 2017)
  10. ^ Rhodes, John. "Chatham was home to luxury car manufacturer that took on city's name", written 18 October 2016, at Chatham This Week online (retrieved 13 June 2017)
  11. ^ Windsor Public Library online (retrieved 13 June 2017)
  12. ^ Chatham This Week online (retrieved 13 June 2017)
  13. ^ Clymer, Floyd. Treasury of Early American Automobiles, 1877-1925 (New York: Bonanza Books, 1950), p.63.
  14. ^ Clymer, p.104.
  15. ^ Clymer, p.104.
  16. ^ Clymer, p.32.
  17. ^ Windsor Public Library online (retrieved 13 June 2017); Rhodes, John. "Car company made 35 units", written 17 June 2008, at : Chatham This Week online Archived 2017-09-20 at the Wayback Machine (retrieved 13 June 2017)
  18. ^ Windsor Public Library online (retrieved 13 June 2017)
  19. ^ Windsor Public Library online (retrieved 13 June 2017)
  20. ^ Windsor Public Library online (retrieved 13 June 2017)
  21. ^ Windsor Public Library online (retrieved 13 June 2017)
  22. ^ Rhodes, John. "Chatham was home to luxury car manufacturer that took on city's name", written 18 October 2016, at Chatham This Week online (retrieved 13 June 2017); Rhodes, John. "Chatham was home to luxury car manufacturer that took on city's name", written 18 October 2016, at Chatham This Week online (retrieved 13 June 2017)
  23. ^ Windsor Public Library online (retrieved 13 June 2017)
  24. ^ Rhodes, John. "Car company made 35 units", written 17 June 2008, at : Chatham This Week online Archived 2017-09-20 at the Wayback Machine (retrieved 13 June 2017)
  25. ^ Rhodes, John. "Car company made 35 units", written 17 June 2008, at : Chatham This Week online Archived 2017-09-20 at the Wayback Machine (retrieved 13 June 2017)

See also[edit]

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