Elmore Manufacturing Company

Elmore Manufacturing Company was an early American vehicle manufacturer based in Clyde, Ohio. Its origins were connected with a small parcel of land in Clyde known as Elmore, a name that was also associated with an earlier stave-mill operation. The Becker family established the company in 1893, initially developing bicycles before moving into powered vehicles. Bicycle production is associated with the company’s early years, while automobile production began around the turn of the twentieth century and continued until 1912. Elmore became notable for its use of two-stroke engines at a time when the American automobile industry was experimenting with several competing powertrain systems. The company built single-cylinder and straight-twin engines before expanding into straight-three and, from 1906, straight-four configurations. Its advertising emphasized the absence of conventional poppet valves, using the slogan “The Car That Has No Valves.” This engineering identity differentiated Elmore from many competitors that were adopting more familiar four-stroke layouts. The first Elmore automobile was introduced in 1900. It was offered as a two-passenger or four-passenger vehicle and used a six-horsepower single-cylinder engine. During the following decade, the company developed a range of models, including runabouts, tonneaus, convertibles, roadsters, landaulets, taxicabs, and cars identified by numbered model designations. The Model 9, introduced by 1904 as the Convertible Runabout, combined a four-passenger tonneau body with a centrally mounted, flat-positioned single-cylinder engine, a two-speed transmission, and a relatively low selling price for its class. Other Elmore models used larger twin-cylinder engines and three-speed transmissions. Elmore’s product range extended from comparatively simple and inexpensive small cars to larger touring and passenger models. The company’s manufacturing operation remained in Clyde, where it was headquartered at 504 Amanda Street. The marque attracted attention from William C. Durant, who was then building the General Motors organization. In 1908, Durant reportedly took an interest in Elmore’s three-cylinder two-stroke automobile, and General Motors acquired the company in 1909 for $500,000. Elmore subsequently operated as a General Motors division. The acquisition did not ensure long-term survival. After Durant left General Motors in 1910, the corporation moved to reduce the number of brands and eliminate marques that were not performing strongly enough to justify continued investment. Elmore was discontinued in this period, and automobile production ended in 1912. The former factory later passed through several industrial uses, including Clydesdale Motor Truck Company operations, Clyde Porcelain Steel Company production, and manufacturing associated with Bendix Home Appliances, Avco, and Philco. In the modern period, the site became associated with Whirlpool Corporation appliance manufacturing. Elmore’s historical importance rests on its place among the veteran and brass-era automobile manufacturers, its distinctive two-stroke engineering, and its connection with General Motors during the corporation’s formative period. Surviving examples are uncommon; a 1908 Elmore has been displayed at the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum in Cleveland, Ohio. The brand is no longer active and has no independent commercial operations.

Elmore Manufacturing Company developed in Clyde, Ohio, during the transition from bicycle production to motorized transportation. The company took its name from the Elmore parcel of land in Clyde, whose name was linked to the locality’s earlier industrial history. Harmon Von Vechten Becker and his sons James and Burton established the business in 1893. Its first known line was bicycles, produced during the 1893–1897 period, before the company turned its attention to automobiles. The automobile business began in 1900 with a small car available in two- and four-passenger forms. The vehicle used a single-cylinder engine rated at six horsepower and rode on a 62-inch wheelbase. Elmore’s engineering direction was unusual for the period: it favored two-stroke engines in single-cylinder, straight-twin, and later straight-three and straight-four forms. The company promoted this arrangement with the slogan “The Car That Has No Valves,” presenting the design as a mechanical advantage and a defining feature of the brand. By 1904, Elmore offered a broader range. The Model 9 Convertible Runabout used a centrally located, flat-mounted single-cylinder engine producing approximately 6.5 horsepower. With a two-speed transmission and a four-passenger tonneau body, it was marketed at a comparatively modest price. The two-passenger Elmore Runabout used a vertically mounted eight-horsepower straight-twin engine and a three-speed transmission. At the top of the range was the four-passenger Elmore Tonneau, fitted with a front-mounted, flat-positioned straight-twin engine producing twelve horsepower. These vehicles used angle-iron frames and reflected the construction practices of the veteran and brass eras. The company continued expanding its model range. Numbered cars included Models 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 18, 30, 33, 36, 40, 44, and 46, alongside body and application names such as Roadster, Landaulet, and Taxicab. From 1906 onward, Elmore also produced straight-four automobiles, broadening its technical offering beyond the smaller engines with which it had become identified. Elmore attracted the attention of William C. Durant in 1908, particularly because of its three-cylinder two-stroke design. Durant was assembling the General Motors group and acquired Elmore the following year for $500,000. The Clyde business became a General Motors division, but its independent identity was short-lived. When Durant was forced out of General Motors in 1910, the corporation pursued financial stabilization and reduced its portfolio of weaker or underperforming marques. Elmore was among the brands cut during this process, and production ultimately ceased in 1912. The Clyde factory continued to have an industrial life after the Elmore automobile business ended. The property was later acquired from General Motors and used by the Clydesdale Motor Truck Company from 1917 to 1939. It subsequently hosted Clyde Porcelain Steel Company operations until a fire destroyed the factory on November 11, 1945. After reconstruction, the site was used by Bendix Corporation for Bendix Home Appliances front-loading washing machines. Avco Manufacturing Corporation acquired that appliance business in 1951, and it was later combined with Crosley Appliances. Avco sold Bendix Home Appliances to Philco in 1956. The location is now associated with Whirlpool Corporation and the production of Maytag, Whirlpool, and Amana washing machines. Elmore survives mainly as a marque of American automotive history. Its vehicles illustrate the experimentation that characterized the early automobile industry, while its General Motors acquisition shows how small independent manufacturers were absorbed into emerging national automotive groups. A 1908 Elmore has been displayed at the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum in Cleveland, Ohio.

• 1912

  Automobile production ended

  [1]Elmore Manufacturing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Elmore automobile production ceased, ending the brand’s manufacturing history.

• 1910

  Marque targeted in General Motors rationalization

  [1]Elmore Manufacturing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  After Durant’s departure from General Motors, Elmore was among the weaker marques that the corporation moved to discontinue.

• 1909

  Acquired by General Motors

  [1]Elmore Manufacturing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  General Motors purchased Elmore for $500,000, making it a General Motors division.

• 1908

  William C. Durant showed interest in Elmore

  [1]Elmore Manufacturing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Elmore’s three-cylinder two-stroke design attracted the attention of William C. Durant.

• 1906

  Straight-four engines added

  [1]Elmore Manufacturing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Elmore expanded its two-stroke program with straight-four engines.

• 1904

  Model 9 and expanded automobile range

  [1]Elmore Manufacturing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Elmore’s range included the Model 9 Convertible Runabout, a two-passenger Runabout, and the larger Tonneau.

• 1900

  First Elmore automobile introduced

  [1]Elmore Manufacturing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The company offered its first automobile in two- and four-passenger forms with a six-horsepower single-cylinder engine.

• 1893

  Company established in Clyde

  [1]Elmore Manufacturing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Harmon Von Vechten Becker and his sons James and Burton founded the company in Clyde, Ohio.

• 1893

  Bicycle production period began

  [1]Elmore Manufacturing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Elmore’s early manufacturing activity included bicycles, with bicycle production associated with the 1893–1897 period.

An early American automobile maker positioned around lightweight veteran-era vehicles, accessible pricing, and distinctive two-stroke engine technology marketed as valve-free.

• Automobile · 1904

  Elmore Model 9 Convertible Runabout

  Introduced by 1904, the Model 9 was a four-passenger convertible runabout with a tonneau body. It used a centrally mounted, flat-positioned single-cylinder engine producing about 6.5 horsepower, a two-speed transmission, and a 62-inch wheelbase. Its comparatively low price made it one of the more accessible automobiles in Elmore’s range.

• Automobile

  Elmore Runabout

  The Elmore Runabout was a two-passenger car powered by a vertically mounted straight-twin engine rated at eight horsepower. It used a three-speed transmission and an angle-iron frame. The centrally positioned engine and compact body reflected the company’s focus on relatively light veteran-era vehicles.

• Automobile

  Elmore Tonneau

  The Tonneau was Elmore’s larger passenger offering in the early range. It seated four and used a front-mounted, flat-positioned straight-twin engine producing twelve horsepower. A three-speed transmission and angle-iron frame were specified, giving it a more substantial configuration than the smaller Runabout.

• Automobile range

  Elmore numbered models

  Elmore produced a succession of numbered models, including Models 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 18, 30, 33, 36, 40, 44, and 46. The broader range was accompanied by named body and application types such as Roadster, Landaulet, and Taxicab. Engine configurations evolved from single-cylinder and twin-cylinder units to straight-three and straight-four two-stroke designs.

• Bicycle · 1893

  Elmore bicycles

  Before entering automobile production, Elmore manufactured bicycles in its early operating period. This activity formed part of the company’s transition from general mechanical manufacturing into powered transportation.

• 1910

  General Motors brand rationalizationStrategy

  Background

  After William C. Durant was forced out of General Motors, the corporation sought financial stability and reviewed underperforming marques.

  Action taken

  General Motors moved to eliminate the Elmore marque along with several other brands.

  Aftermath

  Elmore automobile production ended in 1912 and the brand became defunct.

  Source

• 1909

  General Motors acquisitionM&A

  Background

  Elmore’s three-cylinder two-stroke technology attracted William C. Durant while General Motors was assembling a portfolio of automobile manufacturers and brands.

  Action taken

  General Motors acquired Elmore Manufacturing Company for $500,000 and operated it as a division.

  Aftermath

  The Elmore marque was later discontinued during General Motors’ post-1910 effort to reduce its number of brands, and production ended by 1912.

  Acquisition price. $500,000 (1909)

  Source

1. 1Elmore Manufacturing Companyen.wikipedia.org