K-R-I-T Motor Car Company

The K-R-I-T Motor Car Company, also written as Krit or KRIT Motor Company, was a small American automobile manufacturer based in Detroit, Michigan. It operated during the formative period of the United States motor industry, producing cars from approximately 1909 until 1916, although the company failed in 1915 and a limited number of vehicles were assembled afterward from parts that remained in inventory. Its products were conventional automobiles for their period, initially centered on four-cylinder models and later expanded with a six-cylinder car introduced in 1913. The origin of the K-R-I-T name is generally associated with Kenneth Crittenden, who provided financial backing and participated in the design of the automobiles. The company used a swastika as its emblem. At the time, the symbol was widely used in several cultural and commercial contexts and did not yet carry the later association with Nazi Germany, Adolf Hitler, and antisemitism. The emblem therefore reflected contemporary branding practices rather than the political meaning that became dominant after the First World War. K-R-I-T occupied more than one Detroit manufacturing location. Its first premises had previously been used by the Blomstrom automobile company. In 1911, the business moved into works formerly associated with R. M. Owen & Company, which had relocated its activities in connection with the Owen Magnetic automobile. That same year, K-R-I-T was purchased by Walter S. Russel of the Russel Wheel and Foundry Company. The acquisition connected the automobile enterprise with an established industrial concern, but it did not ultimately secure long-term survival. The company sold vehicles in the United States and exported many cars to markets in Europe and Australia. In addition to marketing automobiles under its own name, K-R-I-T attempted to improve sales by engineering cars for other marques. This reflected the competitive conditions of the early automotive industry, when manufacturers often sought contract engineering, component, or production work alongside direct sales of branded vehicles. The introduction of a six-cylinder model in 1913 represented an effort to broaden the range and compete in a market increasingly divided among different engine sizes and price levels. The company remained relatively small, however, and its commercial position was vulnerable. The outbreak of the First World War disrupted international trade and damaged the business. K-R-I-T failed in 1915, and some additional vehicles were assembled from leftover components after the main operation had ended. The surviving cars, including the 1913 K-R-I-T KT five-passenger touring model, are now primarily of historical interest and are represented in automotive museum collections.

K-R-I-T emerged in Detroit during the rapid expansion of the American automobile industry. It began operations in 1909 as a small manufacturer producing conventional cars, initially using four-cylinder powertrains. The company's name is commonly linked to Kenneth Crittenden, who supplied financial backing and was involved in vehicle design. The business adopted a swastika emblem, a choice consistent with the symbol's broad pre-First World War use in commercial and cultural settings. Its later political associations had not yet developed when K-R-I-T used the mark. The manufacturer operated from premises with earlier automotive connections. Its first location had been occupied by the Blomstrom car company. In 1911, K-R-I-T moved to works previously used by R. M. Owen & Company. Owen had shifted toward the Owen Magnetic venture, leaving facilities that could be used by another automobile producer. Also in 1911, Walter S. Russel, associated with the Russel Wheel and Foundry Company, purchased K-R-I-T. The acquisition provided an industrial owner, but the company continued to face the challenges typical of a small independent automobile maker, including limited scale and strong competition. K-R-I-T's cars were sold in the United States and many were exported to Europe and Australia. The company also tried to extend its commercial reach by engineering automobiles for other marques, rather than relying solely on sales under its own name. In 1913, it introduced a six-cylinder car, expanding beyond its established four-cylinder range. A known example from this period is the K-R-I-T KT five-passenger touring car, a representative open touring automobile of the era. The company's international exposure became a liability when the First World War began. Disruption to trade and export markets seriously damaged the business. K-R-I-T failed in 1915 and is generally treated as a 1909–1916 automobile manufacturer because vehicles continued to be assembled for a time from remaining parts after the principal operation had ceased. Its short existence illustrates the instability of the early American automotive sector, in which numerous small manufacturers entered the market but few achieved the scale, financing, distribution, and manufacturing efficiency needed for long-term survival. Today, K-R-I-T is remembered mainly through surviving automobiles and museum documentation, including a 1913 KT touring car displayed by the National Automobile Museum.

• 1915

  Company fails

  [1]K-R-I-T Motor Car Companyen.wikipedia.org

  K-R-I-T fails after wartime disruption seriously damages its business; some cars are later assembled from remaining parts.

• 1913

  Six-cylinder model introduced

  [1]K-R-I-T Motor Car Companyen.wikipedia.org

  K-R-I-T adds a six-cylinder automobile while attempting to improve sales and broaden its product range.

• 1911

  Relocation to former R. M. Owen works

  [1]K-R-I-T Motor Car Companyen.wikipedia.org

  K-R-I-T moves to Detroit facilities previously used by R. M. Owen & Company.

• 1911

  Acquisition by Walter S. Russel

  [1]K-R-I-T Motor Car Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Walter S. Russel of the Russel Wheel and Foundry Company purchases K-R-I-T.

• 1909

  K-R-I-T begins automobile production

  [1]K-R-I-T Motor Car Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The small Detroit manufacturer begins producing conventional automobiles, initially focusing on four-cylinder models.

A small, conventional American automobile manufacturer serving domestic and export markets during the early mass-development era of the motor industry.

• Passenger automobiles · 1909

  K-R-I-T four-cylinder automobiles

  K-R-I-T's principal early products were conventional four-cylinder passenger cars. They represented the mainstream engineering approach of the period, when independent manufacturers commonly offered relatively straightforward touring and passenger models rather than highly specialized vehicles. The cars were sold domestically and exported, and their conventional design was intended to support practical use across several markets.

• Passenger automobiles · 1913

  K-R-I-T six-cylinder model

  Introduced in 1913, the six-cylinder model expanded K-R-I-T's range beyond its earlier four-cylinder offerings. The launch was part of the company's effort to increase sales and compete across a wider section of the early automobile market. Production ended with the company's failure and the subsequent exhaustion of remaining parts.

• Touring automobile · 1913

  K-R-I-T KT five-passenger touring car

  The 1913 K-R-I-T KT was a five-passenger touring automobile and is one of the company's documented surviving models. As an open touring car, it reflects the body style commonly offered by American manufacturers before enclosed passenger cars became dominant. A KT is held by the National Automobile Museum and serves as a representative artifact of the K-R-I-T marque.

• 1913

  Introduction of a six-cylinder carProduct launch

  Background

  K-R-I-T sought to increase sales and broaden its offering beyond conventional four-cylinder automobiles.

  Action taken

  The company engineered and introduced a six-cylinder model.

  Aftermath

  The expanded range did not produce a durable turnaround; wartime disruption subsequently damaged the company and it failed in 1915.

  Source

• 1911

  Sale to Walter S. RusselM&A

  Background

  K-R-I-T was a small independent manufacturer operating in a highly competitive early automotive market.

  Action taken

  Walter S. Russel of the Russel Wheel and Foundry Company purchased the business.

  Aftermath

  The company continued producing automobiles, but the acquisition did not prevent its eventual failure during the First World War.

  Source

1. 1K-R-I-T Motor Car Companyen.wikipedia.org