Elmore (automobile)

Elmore Manufacturing Company

Former type	Automobile Manufacturing
Industry	Automotive
Fate	Purchased by General Motors
Founded	1893
Founder(s)	Burton Becker and James Becker
Defunct	1912
Headquarters	Elmore, Ohio, United States
Area served	United States
Products	vehicles Automotive parts

Elmore Manufacturing Company was a manufacturer of veteran and brass era automobiles, headquartered at 504 Amanda Street, Clyde, Ohio, from 1893 until 1912. The company took its name from its original place of manufacture, the nearby village of Elmore. Founded by James and Burton Becker, Elmore used a 2-stroke engine design, in straight-2 or single-cylinder versions. They later produced a straight-3 as well.

History

1908 Elmore Model 40

The smallest 1904 model was the Elmore Convertible Runabout. Equipped with a tonneau, it could seat four passengers and sold for just US$ 650, making it one of the least-expensive vehicles on the market. The flat-mounted single-cylinder engine, situated at the center of the car, produced 6.5 hp (4.8 kW). A 2-speed transmission was fitted. The car weighed 1050 lb (476 kg).

The Elmore Runabout was next in line. It could seat two passengers and sold for US$ 800. The vertically mounted straight-2, also situated at the center of the car, produced 8 hp (6 kW). A 3-speed transmission was fitted. The angle iron-framed car weighed 1400 lb (635 kg).

The top model was the Elmore Tonneau. It could seat four passengers and sold for US$ 1400. The flat-mounted straight-2 was situated at the front of the car, produced 12 hp (8.9 kW). A 3-speed transmission was fitted. The angle iron-framed car weighed 1500 lb (680 kg).

General Motors

In 1908, Elmore's three-cylinder two-stroke caught the attention of William C. Durant, founder of General Motors. He purchased the company the following year, with Elmore becoming one of General Motors' divisions. After Durant was forced out of General Motors in 1910, the Elmore marque was soon cut, along with several other underperforming brands, to help General Motors achieve financial stability.

See also

• Brass Era car
• List of defunct United States automobile manufacturers

References

• Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly (January, 1904)
• Clymer, Floyd. Treasury of Early American Automobiles, 1877-1925. New York: Bonanza Books, 1950.