Corbitt (automobile company)

Last updated
Corbitt
Founded1899
Defunct1954
ProductsAutomobiles, trucks, and farm equipment
Corbitt 25 (1926) Corbitt Model 25 1,5t (1926).jpg
Corbitt 25 (1926)
Corbitt 40 (1927) Corbitt Model 40 2t (1927).jpg
Corbitt 40 (1927)
Corbitt 56 (1928-1929) Corbitt 56 (1928-1929).jpg
Corbitt 56 (1928-1929)
Corbitt 620 (1929) Corbitt 620 (1929).jpg
Corbitt 620 (1929)
Corbitt Plant (1912) Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Henderson, Vance County, North Carolina, 1912, Plate 0012.jpg
Corbitt Plant (1912)
Corbitt Assembling Plant (1917) Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Henderson, Vance County, North Carolina, 1917, Plate 0019.jpg
Corbitt Assembling Plant (1917)
Corbitt Model A Corbitt Model A 3,5t (1921).jpg
Corbitt Model A
Corbitt Model B Corbitt Model B 2,5t (1920).jpg
Corbitt Model B
Corbitt Model C Corbitt Model C 2t (1922).jpg
Corbitt Model C
Corbitt Model E Corbitt Model E 1t (1923).jpg
Corbitt Model E

Corbitt [9] was an American automobile, truck, and farm equipment manufacturer. Richard J Corbitt [10] founded a tobacco business in North Carolina in 1894. As a small tobacco dealer, he felt hopeless against the large tobacco industry and decided around 1899 to enter the manufacturing of horse-drawn carriage buggies. [11] He succeeded in taking over the three competing local buggy builders. In 1905, Corbitt built his first automobile, which he called 'Motorbuggy', and which went into mass production in 1907. Financially, the first motor buggies were a failure. Starting in 1910, with the production of a 1.5-ton truck with chain drive, profits were made and the business expanded over the years to include light and heavy trucks, intracity buses, personnel vehicles for the U.S. Army, and farm tractors. Based in Henderson, North Carolina, for its entire history, it sold in 1952 to the United Industrial Syndicate, a New York City-based company which gradually liquidated Corbitt and shut it down. The last production vehicles came off the line in 1954, though a few vehicles were cobbled together from leftover parts in the years after that. [12]

YearModelProductionLoad CapacitySerial NumbersDisplacement
1913D [14] 2 seater Roadster3707cc
E4 seater Tourer3707 cc
F5 seater Tourer3707 cc
1914D2 seater Roadster3707 cc
E4 seater Tourer3707 cc
F5 seater Tourer3707 cc
1918AA9 [15] 5 t1000-10086969 cc
A [16] 223,5 t2000-20215734 cc
B402,5 t3000-30394599 cc
C1042 t4000-41034599 cc
D351,5 t5000-50343620 cc
E821 t6000-60813620 cc
1919AA?5 t1009-6969 cc
A373,5 t2022-20585734 cc
B622,5 t3040-31014599 cc
C802 t4104-41834599 cc
D361,5 t5035-50703620 cc
E431 t6082-61243620 cc
1920AA25 t101001-1010036969 cc
A213,5 t701059-7010805734 cc
B1252,5 t501002-5011274599 cc
C762 t401184-4012604599 cc
D811,5 t301071-3011523620 cc
E481 t201125-2071733620 cc
1921AA25 t101003-1010046969 cc
A123,5 t701080-7010915734 cc
B472,5 t501127-5011734599 cc
C32 t401260-4012624599 cc
D291,5 t301152-3031803620 cc
E281 t207173-2112003620 cc
H40,75 t801001-8010043620 cc
1922H260,75 t801005-8010303620 cc
192620351 t206001-2070352639 cc
25891,5 t256141-2572304184 cc
40282 t406003-4070304184 cc
B152,5 t560265-5702794599 cc
R63 t660048-6700535734 cc
A114 t760118-7701285734 cc
7055 t161038-1710428044 cc

It is not known whether all the recorded serial numbers were used. [17] [18] Note: The First figure of the Serial Number denotes the capacity in thousand pounds. The second and third Number are a key to the Units that go into the Truck. The last three Figures are the serial number!

References

  1. "Model 25". Official handbook of automobiles 1926. 1926-02-01. Retrieved 2025-06-30 via hathitrust.
  2. "Model 40". Official handbook of automobiles 1927. 1927-02-01. Retrieved 2025-06-30 via hathitrust.
  3. "Model 56". Official handbook of automobiles 1928. 1928-02-01. Retrieved 2025-06-30 via hathitrust.
  4. "Model 620". Official handbook of automobiles / National Automobile Chamber of Commerce 1929. 1929-02-01. Retrieved 2025-06-29 via hathitrust.
  5. "Model A". Official handbook of automobiles 1921. 1921-02-01. Retrieved 2025-06-29 via hathitrust.
  6. "Model B". Official handbook of automobiles 1920. 1921-02-01. Retrieved 2025-06-30 via hathitrust.
  7. "Model C". Official handbook of automobiles 1922. 1922-02-01. Retrieved 2025-06-29 via hathitrust.
  8. "Model E". Official handbook of automobiles 1923. 1923-02-01. Retrieved 2025-06-30 via hathitrust.
  9. "Corbitt". Motor trucks of America ... c.1 v.8 1920). 1920-01-01. Retrieved 2025-06-07.
  10. "historic-truck-brands/corbitt". historicvehicles. 2025-02-01. Retrieved 2025-07-02 via historicvehicles.com.au.
  11. "buggies-1899-1917". Corbitt Preservation Association. 2025-02-01. Retrieved 2025-07-01 via Corbitttrucks.
  12. "Corbitt History". Corbitt Preservation Association. Archived from the original on September 14, 2011. Retrieved May 21, 2011.
  13. "Corbitt 8t 6x4". Standard military motor vehicles. 1943-01-01. Retrieved 2025-07-02 via hathitrust.
  14. "Corbitt Roadster and Tourer". Automotive industries v.26 1912 Jan-Jun. 1912-01-01. Retrieved 2025-07-02 via hathitrust.
  15. "Production Corbitt Vehicles Page 23-36" (PDF). Lusher. 2015-04-04. Retrieved 2025-06-30 via Corbitt-Registry.
  16. "Corbitt". Motor trucks of America ... c.1 v.6 1918 &suppl. 1919. 1919-01-01. Retrieved 2025-06-30.
  17. "Corbitt". Branham automobile reference book, showing in illustrated form the location of motor and serial numbers on all passenger cars and trucks 1923. 1923-02-01. Retrieved 2025-06-29 via hathitrust.
  18. "Corbitt". Branham automobile reference book, showing in illustrated form the location of motor and serial numbers on all passenger cars and trucks 1929. 1929-02-01. Retrieved 2025-07-02 via hathitrust.