National Motor Vehicle Company

National's first vehicle was the tiller-steered electric runabout Style A in 1900. The single electric motor was situated at the rear of the car, producing 9 hp (6.7 kW). A 4-speed herring bone transmission was fitted. The reinforced wood-framed car could reach 15 mph (24 km/h). In 1903, the company began producing internal combustion-engined cars with four-cylinder engines made by Rutenber. Electric cars were dropped from production in 1905.

For 1905, a circular radiator became a styling signature of the National brand.[2] National introduced one of the first six-cylinder engines in the 1906 model range, which remained available until the breakup of the company.[2]

1913 National Series V-N3 Tonneau

Peak production for National was reached in 1915, with over 1,800 cars produced. For 1916, the company introduced the Highway Twelve, a 12-cylinder engine of the company's own design [3] (costing over $1,900[4]) and changed its name to National Motor and Vehicle Corporation. Curiously, the 6-cylinder engine option was priced higher than the 12-cylinder, perhaps because National outsourced the 6-cylinder to Continental under the "Continental Red Seal" moniker.[2]

1910 National 40 Indianapolis at the 2009 Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Forced to raise their asking prices to counteract the effects of wartime inflation, National ended up in a higher price range in which they could not compete.[3] For 1920, National dropped their Highway Sixes and Twelves and issued a new model – the Sextet.[3] The Sextet used a Continental side-valve six-cylinder, modified by National engineers with an overhead valve head.[3]

The company was merged to form Associated Motor Industries in 1922 along with Dixie Flyer and Jackson.[5] Associated was renamed the National Motors Corporation in 1923, and few cars were made until the company ceased production in 1924.[5]

National had the most enviable and successful career of all of the American pre-World War I race cars. For instance, in 1911, in a combination of road races, speedway races, hill climbs and dirt track races, they won a total of 84 times, came in second 48 times and third 30 times.[6]

The Elgin National Trophy race as well as the Illinois Trophy was won by a National 6-cylinder in 1911.[2] In 1912, Joe Dawson won the Indianapolis 500 in a National with an average speed of 78.7 mph.[2] This was the first and only time a stock car ever won the Indianapolis 500.[6]