McIntyre Automobile

The W. H. Kiblinger Company and the W. H. McIntyre Company produced Brass Era automobiles in Auburn, Indiana from 1907 to 1915.[1]

W. H. McIntyre Company
PredecessorW. H. Kiblinger Company Auburn, Indiana
Founded1909 (1909)
FounderWilliam H. McIntyre
Defunct1915 (1915)
FateBankruptcy
SuccessorDeKalb Manufacturing Company, Fort Wayne, Indiana
HeadquartersAuburn, Indiana, United States
ProductsAutomobiles, Automotive parts
Production output
2,048 (1907-1915)
BrandsKiblinger, McIntyre, IMP

History

Kiblinger

The W. H. Kiblinger Company formed in 1887, manufactured buggies. After W. H. Kiblinger's death in 1894, William H. McIntyre co-purchased the company and began experimenting with automobiles as early as 1897.[2] In 1907 Kiblinger began selling high-wheelers with tiller steering and two-cylinder air-cooled engines as the Kiblinger. Prices started at $250 (equivalent to $7,852 in 2022), which the company claimed was the "lowest price successful automobile on the road'[3][1]

The company grew to occupy a total of five buildings around Auburn, Indiana and employed 400 men.[2] After producing a few hundred Kiblingers, the company building the Success high-wheeler sued Kiblinger for patent infringement. William H. McIntyre resolved the lawsuit by buying out the Kiblinger partners and forming the W. H. McIntyre Company in December, 1908.[1]

  • 1907 Kiblinger Model H Advertisement

McIntyre

W. H. McIntyre Company manufactured both buggies and high-wheelers. A line of two and four-cylinder high-wheelers on a non-patent infringing design, were offered. The McIntyre high-wheeler line of runabouts, tourers and trucks increased until ten different models were available.[1] By 1911, McIntyre introduced a line of standard vehicles by taking over the 4-cylinder 40-hp America produced by the Motor Car Company (New York City), which was marketed as the McIntyre Special. The six-cylinder 40-hp McIntyre Limited was added for 1913, but McIntyre was viewed as a high-wheeler manufacturer and these cars did not sell well.[3][1]

  • 1908 full-line McIntyre advertisement
  • 1910 McIntyre 20-hp advertisement
  • 1911 McIntyre Special advertisement

IMP Cyclecar

In 1913 McIntyre introduced the IMP Cyclecar with a 15 horsepower V-twin engine designed by William Stout . McIntyre IMP's sold for $375, (equivalent to $11,104 in 2022) and the sales literature stated that they cost "just a 'penny a mile' to run!"[1] Although IMP's sold well, over fifty companies had been formed during the "cyclecar craze" and by 1914 sales were ending.[3][1]

In 1914 McIntyre made a model 4-25 light car based on the IMP but production of all McIntyres soon ended.[1]

  • 1913 IMP Cyclecar Advertisement
  • 1914 IMP Cyclecar in London
  • 1915 McIntyre Model 25 advertisement

Tudhope-McIntyre

James B. Tudhope of the Tudhope Carriage Companyin Orillia, Ontario formed the Tudhope-McIntyre Company to build high-wheelers in 1908. Automobile parts were supplied from the W.H. McIntyre Company and the bodies were made by Tudehope's carriage company.Tudhope-McIntyres were priced at $550 CAD and production reached 514 vehicles before a fire in August 1909 destroyed the carriage factory. Rebuilding from the fire, Tudhope decided to discontinue high-wheeler production and instead acquired a license to build the Everitt 30.[3]

Model Overview, 1907–1915
[1]
YearModelEngine type / Cyl.Power bhp (kW)Wheelbase inCost
1907-1908Kiblinger High-wheeler 2-cyl.4 to 10 HP65$250 - $450
1908-1911McIntyre High-wheeler2-cyl., 4-cyl.12 to 18.2 hp69.5 to 75$450 - $775
1911-1915McIntyre Special4-cyl.30 bhp (22 kW)112$850-$1,125
1913-1914IMP Cyclecar2-cyl.15 hp100$375
1913-1915 McIntyre Limited 6-cyl. 40 hp 120 $1,485-$1,275
1915 McIntyre Model 4-25 4-cyl, 25 hp 106 $695

Fate

With slowing sales, by January 1915 the W. H. McIntyre Company was in receivership. The DeKalb Manufacturing Company purchased the assets and assembled some cars for another two years.[2]

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References
  1. Kimes, Beverly Rae; Clark Jr., Henry Austin (1996). Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942 (3rd ed.). Krause Publications. ISBN 978-0-87341-428-9.
  2. "Man for a New Century - Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-08-03. Retrieved 2011-06-14.
  3. Georgano, Nick (2001). The Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile (3 vol. ed.). Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers. ISBN 1-57958-293-1.
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