Day

Day was an American automobile brand manufactured in Detroit, Michigan, by the Day Automobile Company. Its principal known product was the Day Utility, an early twentieth-century vehicle designed to serve both passenger and commercial purposes. Production is documented from 1911 through 1914, placing the marque within the brief but innovative period when American manufacturers were experimenting with practical body configurations, utility vehicles, and more flexible ownership models. The Day Utility was configured as a five-seat touring car but could be converted into a light truck in approximately one minute. The conversion involved removing the rear seat and the rear doors, after which the vehicle provided a cargo area measuring about 36 inches by 96 inches. The rear seat was designed to be lifted out after two spring locks were released, making the transition between passenger and cargo use relatively straightforward. In truck form, the vehicle was advertised as capable of carrying up to 1,000 pounds. The vehicle used a four-cylinder engine rated at 30 horsepower, equivalent to approximately 22 kilowatts, and employed shaft drive. Its advertised price was US$950. These specifications positioned the Day Utility as a practical, multipurpose automobile rather than a specialized heavy truck. The design addressed the needs of buyers who might require passenger accommodation at one time and a modest goods-carrying vehicle at another, an approach that anticipated later utility and crossover concepts without implying a direct technological lineage. Available reference material identifies the Day Automobile Company as the manufacturer and Detroit as the production location, but does not establish the company's founder, ownership structure, headquarters beyond the manufacturing city, production volume, distribution network, or later corporate history. No current operations, surviving corporate successor, or active product line is documented in the supplied sources. The brand is therefore treated as defunct, with its historical significance centered on the Day Utility's rapid passenger-to-cargo conversion and early multipurpose vehicle concept.

The Day automobile was produced in Detroit, Michigan, by the Day Automobile Company during the period 1911–1914. The available historical record is limited, but the company is associated primarily with the Day Utility, a vehicle that combined the accommodation of a touring car with the carrying capability of a small truck. The Day Utility used a four-cylinder engine producing 30 horsepower and transmitted power through shaft drive. Its most distinctive feature was its body transformation system. In passenger configuration, the automobile could carry five people as a touring car. By removing the rear seat and the rear doors, the owner could convert it into a light truck in about one minute. The rear seat was secured by two spring locks and could be lifted away once those locks were released. The resulting cargo space measured approximately 36 inches wide by 96 inches long, and the vehicle was advertised as capable of carrying as much as 1,000 pounds. This arrangement reflected an early effort to broaden the usefulness of a private automobile. Rather than requiring separate passenger and commercial vehicles, the Day Utility was presented as a flexible machine for owners who needed both functions. Its advertised price was US$950. The reference material does not provide sales totals, manufacturing volume, detailed dealer information, or evidence of a broader model range. It also does not identify the company's founder or document what happened to the business after production ended. Production is recorded through 1914, after which the Day marque disappears from the supplied historical record. No active successor brand or continuing corporate operation is identified. The Day Utility is consequently best understood as a short-lived American automobile product from the early automotive era, notable for its removable rear seating and rapid conversion from touring car to light truck.

• 1914

  Documented production period ends

  [1]Day (automobile)en.wikipedia.org

  The documented production run of the Day Utility ends after 1914.

• 1911

  Day Utility production begins

  [1]Day (automobile)en.wikipedia.org

  The Day Automobile Company begins manufacturing the Day Utility in Detroit, Michigan.

• 1911

  Utility vehicle specification publicized

  [1]Day (automobile)en.wikipedia.org

  The Day Utility is described as a five-seat touring car that can be converted to a light truck by removing the rear seat and doors. Its advertised specifications include a 30-horsepower four-cylinder engine, shaft drive, a 1,000-pound carrying capacity, and a US$950 price.

A practical early automobile offering dual passenger and light-commercial utility in a single vehicle.

• Passenger automobile / light utility truck · 1911

  Day Utility

  The Day Utility was a Detroit-built American automobile produced from 1911 to 1914. It used a four-cylinder, 30-horsepower engine and shaft drive. In its standard form it was a five-seat touring car, while removal of the rear seat and doors converted it into a light truck in roughly one minute. The resulting cargo area was approximately 36 inches by 96 inches, with an advertised payload of up to 1,000 pounds. The vehicle's advertised price was US$950.

1. 1Day (automobile)en.wikipedia.org