EMPIRE
Product brand
UnclaimedEMPIRE was an American automobile marque produced from 1910 to 1919, best known for its compact, shaft-driven Empire 20 runabout.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
EMPIRE was an early American automobile marque associated with the Empire Motor Car Company of Indianapolis, Indiana. The business was established in 1909 as a project involving Arthur Newby, Carl Fisher, James Allison, and Robert Hassler, a group connected with the development of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the surrounding automotive industry. The company’s first automobile was designed by Harry C. Stutz, another important figure in the formative Indianapolis automobile sector. Production began in 1910 and continued through 1919. The marque initially concentrated on relatively small and mechanically straightforward cars, including the Empire 20. Marketed with the phrase “the little aristocrat,” the Empire 20 was a four-cylinder, shaft-driven runabout intended to combine compact dimensions with a more refined presentation. Its Model A configuration was a three-passenger runabout with a rumble seat. The car used a 2,523 cc four-cylinder engine producing approximately 20 horsepower, natural-circulation water cooling, a two-speed gearbox, and a 96-inch wheelbase. A Model B derivative used two bucket seats, a longer hood, and higher gearing intended to provide greater speed. The brand later broadened its range beyond the earliest compact runabouts. More conventional body styles were offered, and the company announced in April 1915 that it planned a 35-horsepower model for the 1916 model year. The marque’s later products included four-cylinder and six-cylinder automobiles, indicating an effort to participate in the wider American market for touring cars and roadsters rather than remain limited to a single lightweight format. From 1912 through 1919, Empire automobiles were also produced by Greenville Metal Products Company of Greenville, Pennsylvania. Greenville-built versions included five-passenger touring cars, four-passenger four-door roadsters with six-cylinder engines, four-cylinder five-passenger touring cars, and two-passenger roadsters. This production relationship extended the marque’s manufacturing footprint beyond Indianapolis, although the available reference material does not establish the precise corporate terms of the arrangement or the relative volumes produced by each facility. EMPIRE’s historical significance lies mainly in its place within the crowded early American automobile industry. It was a small, regionally rooted marque founded by people associated with Indianapolis’s automotive and motorsport infrastructure, and it experimented with several body styles and engine configurations during a period of rapid change in automobile design. The company ceased automobile production after 1919. Surviving examples, including a Greenville-made Empire preserved at the Waugh House and Greenville Area Historical Society Museum, provide material evidence of the brand’s short production history.
History
The Empire Motor Car Company was founded in Indianapolis in 1909 by Arthur Newby, Carl Fisher, James Allison, and Robert Hassler. The founders were connected to the development of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which helped make Indianapolis an important center of early American automobile engineering, manufacturing, and promotion. The company’s first automobile was designed by Harry C. Stutz. Empire entered production in 1910. Its early and best-known product was the Empire 20, a compact four-cylinder automobile marketed as “the little aristocrat.” The car was offered as a shaft-driven runabout and used a 2,523 cc engine rated at 20 horsepower. The Model A was a three-passenger runabout with a rumble seat. Its mechanical specification included natural-circulation water cooling, a two-speed gearbox, an 11-gallon fuel capacity, a 96-inch wheelbase, and a listed weight of approximately 1,350 pounds. A Model B version had two bucket seats, a longer hood, and higher gearing intended to improve performance. As the American automobile market matured, Empire introduced more conventional bodywork and a wider range of configurations. In April 1915, the marque announced plans for a 35-horsepower automobile for the 1916 model year. The later range included four-cylinder and six-cylinder cars, reflecting the industry’s movement toward larger touring and passenger vehicles alongside compact runabouts. Empire production was not confined to the Indianapolis operation. From 1912 to 1919, Greenville Metal Products Company in Greenville, Pennsylvania, also manufactured Empire automobiles. The Greenville-built range included five-passenger touring cars, four-passenger four-door roadsters powered by six-cylinder engines, four-cylinder five-passenger touring cars, and two-passenger roadsters. This arrangement gave the marque an additional manufacturing location during its later years, though the available sources do not provide production totals or a detailed account of the relationship between the two companies. The marque remained active until 1919 and then disappeared from automobile production. Its history reflects the instability of the early American automotive sector, when numerous small manufacturers entered the market, developed a succession of body and engine types, and struggled to compete with larger producers. EMPIRE did not become a surviving mass-market manufacturer, but it remains associated with Indianapolis’s early automobile industry and with the network of entrepreneurs who helped establish the city as a center of automotive activity. A Greenville-made Empire preserved at the Waugh House and Greenville Area Historical Society Museum is one documented surviving reminder of the marque.
- 1919
Automobile production ends
[1]Empire’s automobile production period ended after nine years of production.
- 1915
35-horsepower model announced
[1]In April, the marque announced production of a 35-horsepower automobile for the 1916 model year.
- 1912
Greenville production begins
[1]Greenville Metal Products Company of Greenville, Pennsylvania, began producing Empire automobiles, continuing through 1919.
- 1910
Automobile production begins
[1]Empire began producing automobiles, including the four-cylinder Empire 20 runabout.
- 1909
Empire Motor Car Company founded
[1]Arthur Newby, Carl Fisher, James Allison, and Robert Hassler established the Empire Motor Car Company in Indianapolis as an automobile manufacturing project.
Products and positioning
An early American automobile marque positioned around compact, relatively refined runabouts and later expanded into conventional touring cars and roadsters. Its Empire 20 was promoted as “the little aristocrat.”
Runabout · 1910
Empire 20 Model A
The Model A was a compact three-passenger runabout with a rumble seat and a four-cylinder engine displacing 2,523 cc. It produced 20 horsepower and used shaft drive, natural-circulation water cooling, and a two-speed gearbox. Its 96-inch wheelbase and approximately 1,350-pound weight placed it among the smaller automobiles of the period. Empire promoted the model as “the little aristocrat.”
Runabout
Empire 20 Model B
The Model B was a related Empire 20 configuration with two bucket seats rather than the Model A’s three-passenger arrangement. It also featured a longer hood and higher gearing, changes intended to support faster travel. It belonged to Empire’s early compact-car range and shared the marque’s emphasis on a relatively light, mechanically simple automobile.
Passenger automobile · 1915
Empire 35-horsepower model
Empire announced a 35-horsepower automobile in April 1915 for the 1916 model year. The announcement represented a move beyond the marque’s original 20-horsepower compact runabout and toward the larger, more conventional automobiles increasingly demanded by the American market. Detailed production volume and complete model specifications are not established in the supplied reference.
Touring cars and roadsters
Later Empire four-cylinder and six-cylinder models
Empire’s later products included four-cylinder and six-cylinder automobiles with more conventional bodywork. Greenville-built examples included five-passenger touring cars, four-passenger four-door roadsters, and two-passenger roadsters. The range shows the marque’s attempt to broaden its offering beyond the initial runabout format during its later production years.
Recent events
Reported
EMPIRE appoints Hitmaka vice president of A&R[2]
EMPIRE appointed Hitmaka as its vice president of A&R.
Reported
Empire launches Feed the Dream campaign[3]
Empire launched the Feed the Dream movement to support and celebrate Team Canada ahead of the Tokyo Olympic Games. The campaign includes grocery cards for qualified athletes and customer and teammate engagement through Empire's banners.
- Unconfirmed
Reported
EMPIRE collaborates with ComplexLand to showcase Afrobeats[4]
EMPIRE launched a collaboration with ComplexLand, programming an Afrobeats digital radio channel and an exclusive merchandise booth within the digital experience.
Reported
Empire becomes title sponsor of District Ventures programs[5]
Empire partnered with District Ventures and became title sponsor of its Accelerator program and District Ventures Kitchen. The partnership offers participating Canadian food entrepreneurs support from Empire, including coaching and opportunities to bring products to its store shelves.
Reported
EMPIRE announces four promotions[6]
Independent label and distribution company EMPIRE announced promotions for Eamon Mulligan, Moody Jones, Kush Arora and Harrison Golding to product and e-commerce, digital and creative, operations, and marketing and creative roles, respectively.
Sources6 sources
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