Description
The Empire Automobile Company, formerly known as the Empire Motor Car Company, was an American car manufacturer. It was founded in 1909 by four prominent figures: Arthur Newby, president of the National Motor Vehicle Company; Carl Graham Fisher, founder of Prest-O-Lite; James Ashbury Allison from what later became the Allison Engine Company; and Robert Hassler, an engineer at National.
Originally based in Indianapolis, Indiana, the company began automobile production in late 1909 under the Empire brand. However, due to the founders' commitments to the construction and promotion of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, vehicle production was initially neglected. The first Empire even became the first vehicle to drive on the new circuit track in December 1909.
In 1911, after Harry C. Stutz briefly worked as an engineer for the company and redesigned the vehicles, it was sold to a new group of businessmen from Indianapolis. This led to a name change to become the Empire Automobile Company. The search for a new factory led the company to Greenville, Pennsylvania, where Greenville Metal Products Company began manufacturing vehicles from 1912.
The Empire brand was maintained for one model, and in 1914, the company acquired the Connersville Wheel Company of Connersville, Indiana, to continue production. In 1915, production was moved to the former Federal Motors plant in Indianapolis. However, production ceased in 1919 after only 4, 834 vehicles were built in total.
In 1910, the company offered the Model Twenty, which was equipped with a 20-horsepower four-cylinder engine driving the rear axle via a chain, with a wheelbase of 244 cm. Marketed as the "little aristocrat," the Empire 20 included different models, including Model A, a conventional runabout for three passengers, and Model "B," featuring two bucket seats and a longer hood for higher speeds. In 1911, the introduction of the Model C roadster featured a major innovation: the cardan drive developed by Stutz, thus offering improved performance.
With its carefully restored condition, this 1911 Empire Twenty, equipped with an electric starter, provides an authentic vintage driving experience.
