STILL GOING STRONG
In 1899, three years after the world’s first motor truck – Gottlieb Daimler’s converted horse-drawn wagon – Autocar produced America’s first internal combustion engined goods carrying vehicle.
The company was led by Louis Semple Clarke, a successful and highly inventive Pennsylvania mechanical engineer. In setting up the business, he was joined by two of his brothers, his father, and two friends.
The van-bodied, cycle-wheeled prototype was powered by a horizontally opposed two cylinder, installed under the seat.
Progressing from its first motorised tricycle in 1896, for the next dozen or so years, Autocar specialised in passenger vehicles. As well as being the first in the US with prop-shaft transmission, the cars also had a double-reduction drive axle, patented by Clarke in 1901. The business grew quickly. During 1902-03, just a year after abandoning chain drive, Autocar manufactured more than 1,300 cars.
Two other Louis Clarke inventions helped give early Autocars an edge. One was a pioneering system for recirculating lubricating oil, the other was the porcelain-insulated spark plug. The patent was later sold to Champion. To this day, Autocar’s original spark plug screw thread remains an industry-standard.
Autocars evolved to being exclusively lefthand drive. Also adopted as a US automotive industry standard, this explains why in the US and many other countries road vehicles proceed on the right.
Despite its success with cars, the company
