Elcar

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Elcar was an American automobile manufactured from 1915 until 1931. The car was produced by the Elkhart Carriage Company of Elkhart, Indiana, which had been in business for over 30 years before producing its first car. This was the 30/35 hp Elkhart, which began production in 1905 and remained on the market until 1909. In 1909 the 4·2 liter Sterling appeared (it ceased production in 1911), followed in 1911 by the Komet. The Elcar appeared in 1915, and was first offered in two models, a Lycoming-engined four and a Continental-engined six. A straight-eight, again with a Continental engine, was produced beginning in 1925. In 1930, the company began to use the complex Lever engine produced by the Reverend Alvah Powell, although only four Elcar-Levers were completed. It next entered a lucrative contract with an operator in New York City, under which it would supply El-Fay taxis; the project ended suddenly when he was shot dead. A project to market the 1930 Elcar as a 1931 Mercer came to nothing, and the company folded after only two prototypes had been constructed.