 The Name That Stands for Perfection in High Class Automobile Building | |
| Founded | circa 1883 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Charles R. Piggins, Frederick H. Piggins |
| Defunct | 1912 |
| Fate | Merged |
| Successor | Piggins Motor Truck Company |
| Headquarters | Racine, Wisconsin, |
The Piggins was a brass era American luxury automobile manufactured in 1908 and 1909 in Racine, Wisconsin by the Piggins Brothers. [1]
Charles R. Piggins and his brother Frederick H. Piggins were machinists who built an experimental steam car in 1883, an electric car in 1897 and their first gasoline car in 1902. From 1902, the Piggins Brothers machine shop at 1113 Sixth Street was producing gasoline automobile engines, in addition to two-stroke marine engines. [1] [2]
The Piggins brothers claimed they had designed a gasoline motor that was smokeless and so noiseless that it could not be heard at a distance of six feet. [1] In 1908 they entered automobile production with the biggest and most expensive car yet produced in Racine. [1] [2]
The Piggins was a T-head six-cylinder offered in two models for 1909, a 50-hp and a 36-hp. The 50-hp model was on a 135-inch wheelbase and fitted with a 7-passenger touring car body priced at $4,700, equivalent to $153,081in 2022. The 36-hp touring car on a 117-inch wheelbase was priced at $3,500, equivalent to $113,996in 2022. A few more cars may have been built into 1910, but total automobile production is not recorded. [2]
Early in 1912 the Piggins Motor Truck Company was formed and a truck called "The Practical Piggins” was produced until 1916. Piggins was merged into Reliance Motor Truck Co., which was continued in manufacture in Racine and Appleton into the 1920's. [1] [2]
The Locomobile Company of America was a pioneering American automobile manufacturer founded in 1899, and known for its dedication to precision before the assembly-line era. It was one of the earliest car manufacturers in the advent of the automobile age. For the first two years after its founding, the company was located in Watertown, Massachusetts. Production was transferred to Bridgeport, Connecticut, in 1900, where it remained until the company's demise in 1929. The company manufactured affordable, small steam cars until 1903, when production switched entirely to internal combustion-powered luxury automobiles. Locomobile was taken over in 1922 by Durant Motors and eventually went out of business in 1929. All cars ever produced by the original company were always sold under the brand name Locomobile.
The Knox Automobile Company was a manufacturer of automobiles in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, between 1900 and 1914. Knox also built trucks and farm tractors until 1924. They are notable for building the very first modern fire engine in 1905, and the first American vehicle with hydraulic brakes, in 1915.
Northern Manufacturing Company was a manufacturer of Brass Era automobiles in Detroit, Michigan, automobiles designed by Charles Brady King. Early advertising included catchy phrases such as "Utility is the Basis for Beauty" and "Built for Business" and the famous "Silent Northern".
Smith & Mabley was an American veteran era importer of European automobiles and produced the American C. G. V. automobile in 1902, and the S & M Simplex automobile from 1904 to 1907, in New York City.
Stevens-Duryea was an American manufacturer of Veteran and Brass Era automobiles in Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts, between 1901 and 1915 and Vintage Cars from 1919 to 1927.
The Premier Motor Manufacturing Company built the brass era and vintage Premier luxury automobile in Indianapolis, Indiana, from 1903 to 1925.
Standard Motor Construction Company (1904-1905) was the successor to the U. S. Long Distance Automobile Company (1900-1903) of Jersey City, New Jersey. The American Veteran Era Long Distance automobile was developed into the Standard automobile in 1904.
Spaulding was used as an automobile marque by two separate companies. The Spaulding Automobile and Motor Company of Buffalo, New York built Veteran Era automobiles in 1902 and 1903. Spaulding Manufacturing Company of Grinnell, Iowa built Brass Era automobiles from 1910 to 1916.
Luverne was the marque of the Luverne Automobile Company, which produced automobiles from 1904 to 1917 in Luverne, Minnesota.
Marquette was an American automobile manufacturer established by General Motors in 1909 after the purchase of the Rainier Motor Car Company. The Marquette Company did not last long and in 1912 GM announced the company would be closed.
The Smith Automobile Company of Topeka, Kansas was an early United States automobile manufacturing company which produced the Veracity, Smith, and Great Smith lines of automobiles from 1902 to 1911. They were the first automobiles made west of the Mississippi River.
The Moline Automobile Company, was an American brass era automobile manufacturer in East Moline, Illinois known for the Moline, Dreadnought Moline,Moline-Knight and R & V Knight marques.
The Matheson was a luxury American automobile manufactured from 1903 to 1912, first in Grand Rapids, Michigan, then Holyoke, Massachusetts and from 1906 in a purpose-built factory in Forty Fort, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
The Pullman was an American automobile that was manufactured in York, Pennsylvania by the York Motor Car Company from 1905 to 1909 and the Pullman Motor Car Company from 1909 to 1917.
The Model Automobile Company was a brass era American automobile manufacturer located in Peru, Indiana from 1902 to 1909.
Midland Motor Company was an American brass era automobile manufacturer in Moline, Illinois from 1908 to 1913.
The Metz Company was a pioneer brass era automobile maker established by Charles Herman Metz in Waltham, Massachusetts, from 1909 to 1922.
The Cole Motor Car Company was an early automobile maker based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Cole automobiles were built from 1908 until 1925. They were quality-built luxury cars. The make is a pioneer of the V-8 engine.
The Glide automobile was an American automobile manufactured by the Bartholomew Company in Peoria Heights, Illinois beginning in 1902. Founded by John B. Bartholomew, the company continued to produce automobiles until 1920, when the company began manufacturing trucks for the Avery Company, of which Bartholomew was also president.
The Mason was a Brass Era automobile manufactured in Des Moines, Iowa from 1906 to 1909 and Waterloo, Iowa from 1911 to 1914. In 1909 and 1910 it was marketed as the Maytag-Mason.