American Motors Incorporated

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Delcar brochure page 1 DelcarVanBrochure1.jpg
Delcar brochure page 1

American Motors Incorporated (AMI) designed, manufactured, and sold a minivan for commercial delivery use in the late 1940s.

Contents

History

American Motors Incorporated was established around 1946. It was very short-lived; it does not seem to have been in operation after 1949. It had executive offices on Park Avenue in New York City, and a factory and service facility located upstate in Troy, New York.

Lack of success

Small delivery vehicles such as the Delcar did not succeed. Purchasers were limited by their carrying capacity. A larger truck can haul more cargo, resulting in less cost per mile traveled. Few niche market customers demand such a specialized service vehicle. [1]

Products

The company manufactured a minivan designed for business delivery uses called the Delcar. The wheelbase was only 60 in (1,500 mm) with a 25 hp (18.6 kW) engine, and it was priced at US$890. The Delcar was the first American vehicle with independent suspension on all four wheels, though the suspension used airplane landing gear-like rubber tension cords. [2]

One or more station wagons were produced using the same chassis, as well as the Delcar van. The station wagon could seat six passengers. [3]

References

  1. Strohl, Daniel (2007-01-01). "The TriVan and the curse of small delivery vehicles". Hemmings Auto Blog. Archived from the original on November 11, 2007. Retrieved 2012-01-01.
  2. Strohl, Daniel (2006-12-23). "Troy, New York - center of automotive manufacturing". Hemmings Auto Blog. Archived from the original on January 10, 2008. Retrieved 2012-01-01.
  3. G.N. Georgano, G.N., ed. (1982). New Complete Encyclopedia of Motorcars, 1885-Present . Penguin Group. ISBN   978-0-525-93254-3.

Further reading