Scripps-Booth

Last updated
Scripps-Booth Company
Company type Division
Industry automotive
Founded1913 in Detroit
Founder James Scripps Booth
Defunct1923;101 years ago (1923)
FateAcquired by General Motors, then defunct
Headquarters,
Key people
James Scripps-Booth, William B. Stout, Alanson P. Brush
Products automobiles
Parent General Motors
A new Scripps-Booth engine described in the journal Horseless Age, 1916. A new Scripps-Booth engine in Horseless Age v37 n8 p330.png
A new Scripps-Booth engine described in the journal Horseless Age, 1916.

Scripps-Booth was a United States automobile marque based in Detroit, Michigan. Established by James Scripps Booth in 1913, Scripps-Booth Company produced motor vehicles and was later acquired by General Motors, becoming a division of it, until the brand was discontinued in 1923.

Contents

History

The company was founded by artist and engineer James Scripps Booth (of the Scripps publishing family), who also built the Bi-Autogo. [1] Although the company's first models were cyclecars, Scripps-Booth later produced a "luxurious light car" intended for the luxury market. Designed by William B. Stout, the Model C went on sale in 1915. James Booth next developed a sporting version called Vitesse using the Alanson P. Brush designed Ferro V8, to compete with Mercer and Stutz. The roadster idea was vetoed by company directors and the engine was used in the four-seater Model D instead [2] About one-third of Model C production had been shipped to Europe and Scripps-Booth smaller luxury cars were popular in export markets. [2] [3]

Reliability issues with the Sterling engine in early cars caused the engine to be changed to a Chevrolet 490 in the Model G. James Booth believed the company should build their own engines and when company directors declined to do this, Booth resigned. [2]

In 1916, Scripps-Booth Company consolidated with the Sterling Motor Company to become the publicly traded Scripps-Booth Corporation. [4] By the end of 1917, Scripps-Booth had been purchased by Chevrolet whose founder William C. Durant was also the founding president of Sterling Motor Company. [5] Billy Durant regained control of General Motors and Scripps-Booth became a division of GM with A. H. Sarver as president.

The Scripps-Booth cars were now built with Oakland chassis and Northway engines. With the departure of Durant from GM in 1921, Alfred P. Sloan could not find a use for Scripps-Booth in the GM line-up and discontinued the brand name in 1922. The factory was converted to build Buicks. Approximately 60,000 Scripps-Booths had been produced. [2] [3]

Vehicles

The Vintage Chevrolet Club of America accepts the following Scripps-Booth models: [6]

For 1914, Scripps-Booth offered a three-passenger torpedo roadster, powered by a 103 in3 (1702 cc) (2+78×4-inch, 3+12×102 mm) [7] 18 hp (13 kW) water-cooled four-cylinder [8] of valve-in-head design [8] with Zenith carburetor and Atwater-Kent automatic spark advance. [8] It featured a 110 in (2794 mm) wheelbase and 30×3+12-inch (76×8.8-cm) [8] Houk detachable wire wheels, with three speeds and shaft drive. [8] With complete electrical equipment, from Bijur [8] starter to ignition (on a separate switch from starter) to headlights to Klaxet electric horn (with a button in the steering hub, rather than a bulb) [8] to pushbutton door locks, [8] it sold for US$775, equivalent to $22,642in 2022 [8]

The 1916-17 Model D was powered by an overhead valve V8 engine [9] designed by Alanson Brush. [10]

Before marrying the main character in John O'Hara's 1934 novel Appointment in Samarra, a youthful Caroline Walker drives a Scripps-Booth Model C Roadster. The car's unusual seating arrangement, in which "the driver sat a foot or so forward of the other seat, which made kissing an awkward act", is especially noted. [11]

Groucho Marx owned a Scripps-Booth.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louis Chevrolet</span> American racing driver (1878–1941)

Louis-Joseph Chevrolet was an American racing driver, mechanic and entrepreneur who co-founded the Chevrolet Motor Car Company in 1911.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford Model N</span> Motor vehicle

The Ford Model N is an automobile produced by Ford Motor Company; it was introduced in 1906 as a successor to the Models A and C as the company's inexpensive, entry-level line. It was built at the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dort Motor Car Company</span> U.S. automotive manufacturer 1915–24

The Dort Motor Car Company of Flint, Michigan, built automobiles from 1915 to 1924.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oakland Motor Car Company</span> Michigan carmaker and division of General Motors, active 1908-1931

The Oakland Motor Car Company of Pontiac, Michigan, was an American automobile manufacturer and division of General Motors. Purchased by General Motors in 1909, the company continued to produce modestly priced automobiles until 1931 when the brand was dropped in favor of the division's Pontiac make.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elmore Manufacturing Company</span> Defunct American motor vehicle manufacturer

Elmore Manufacturing Company was a manufacturer of veteran and brass era automobiles and bicycles (1893–97), headquartered at 504 Amanda Street, Clyde, Ohio, from 1893 until 1912. The company took its name from a small parcel of land in Clyde with the name Elmore associated with it where a stave mill was established originally, then evolved into bicycle production. The village of Elmore, Ohio is located 20 mi (32.2 km) to the east. Founded by Harmon Von Vechten Becker and his two sons, James and Burton, the Elmore used a two-stroke engine design, in straight twin or single-cylinder versions. They later produced a straight-3 followed by a straight-4 beginning in 1906 until production ended in 1912. The company advertising slogan was "The Car That Has No Valves", referring to the two-stroke engine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lexington (automobile)</span> Automobile manufactured in Connersville, Indiana

The Lexington was an automobile manufactured in Connersville, Indiana, from 1910 to 1927. From the beginning, Lexingtons, like most other Indiana-built automobiles, were assembled cars, built with components from many different suppliers. The Thoroughbred Six and Minute Man Six were popular Lexington models.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Motors companion make program</span> Automotive marques

In the late 1920s, American automotive company General Motors (GM) launched four companion makes to supplement its existing lineup of five-passenger car brands, or makes. The companion makes were LaSalle, introduced for the 1927 model year to supplement Cadillac; Marquette, introduced in 1929 for 1930 to supplement Buick; Pontiac, introduced for 1926 to supplement Oakland; and Viking, introduced for 1929 to supplement Oldsmobile. GM's fifth existing brand, Chevrolet, did not receive a companion make. With the exception of Viking, each of the companion makes were slotted below their "parent make" in GM's pricing hierarchy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marquette (automobile)</span> Automobile manufacturer

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.

Little Motor Car Company was an automobile manufacturing company founded primarily by William H. Little and William C. Durant that operated from 1911 to 1913. Built in Flint, Michigan, the company was eventually incorporated into the current Chevrolet Motor Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bi-Autogo</span> Motor vehicle

The Bi-Autogo was a prototype American cyclecar, built from 1908 to 1912.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Partin Manufacturing Company (automobile company)</span> Defunct American motor vehicle manufacturer

The Partin Manufacturing Company was a brass era American automobile manufacturer, headquartered at 29 South LaSalle Street, Chicago, Illinois from 1913 to 1917. The Partin-Palmer automobile and Pioneer cyclecar were produced.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniels Motor Company</span> Defunct American motor vehicle manufacturer

Daniels Motor Company was a pioneer brass era American automobile company, founded in 1915 by George E. Daniels with Neff E. Parish. George Daniels was a known lawyer, engineer, and mechanic. He was considered the best motorcar designer in the United States. Neff Parish had his own automobile parts and framing manufacturing company. Neff was the creator of the time's highest-grade heat-treated alloy steel frames, respected in the steel industry. Daniels Motor Company produced 1,500 high-quality automobiles between 1916 and 1924, branding themselves as “the distinguished car with just a little more power than you will ever need”, and “The aristocrat of American cars”.

James Scripps Booth was an artist and automotive engineer.

Flint Wagon Works of Flint, Michigan, manufactured wagons from the early 1880s. One of the world's most successful horse-drawn vehicle makers they formed with their Flint neighbours a core of the American automobile industry. In 1905 Flint was promoting itself as Flint the Vehicle City. The former site is now located in the neighborhood of Flint known as "Carriagetown".

The Series 22 Special was a four-seat passenger car produced by the Oldsmobile Division of GM in 1910 and 1911. It was the first car engineered by Oldsmobile after it became a division of GM and began sharing a platform with the Buick Model 10. It became the entry-level model for Oldsmobile, replacing the discontinued 1909 Model 20 and the 1909 Model D, while Oakland Motor Car Company became GM's entry level brand as Chevrolet didn't join GM until 1917.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oldsmobile Six</span> Car model

The Oldsmobile Six, also known as the Model 53, 54 and 55 (1913-1915) then a brief cancellation until it reappeared as the Model 37, 37A and 37B (1917-1921) was a top level sedan along with the Oldsmobile Series 40 junior vehicle produced by GM's Oldsmobile Division and was manufactured at Lansing Car Assembly in Lansing, Michigan. It replaced the Series 28 also known as the "Oldsmobile Autocrat" and was replaced by the Oldsmobile Model 30 in 1927, and shared wheelbases with the Buick Six. It continued to use the T-head engine for two years. The various bodystyles were supplied by Fisher Body of Detroit, MI. It competed with the Chevrolet Series C Classic Six as Chevrolet was an independent company before becoming a division in 1917. Oldsmobile also shared technology with GMC for commercial and industrial products.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oldsmobile Light Eight</span> Car model

The Oldsmobile Light Eight was an automobile produced by the Oldsmobile Division of General Motors in roadster, two-door coupe, four-door sedan from between 1916 and 1923. It was powered by a sidevalve V8 engine, the maker's first, and shared with the 1916 Oakland Model 50.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oakland Four</span> Car model

The Oakland Model A was the first four-cylinder engine offered by the Oakland Motor Company in 1907, which became a division of General Motors in 1909. The Model A was developed and manufactured from former Oakland Motor Company sources while the engine was provided by Northway Motor and Manufacturing Division of GM of Detroit. The Model A was available in several body styles and prices ranged from US$1,300 to US$2,150. Once Oakland became a division of GM, Oldsmobile and Buick shared bodywork and chassis of their four-cylinder models with Oakland. Manufacture of the Oakland was completed in Pontiac, Michigan. Oakland (Pontiac) wouldn't use another 4-cylinder engine until 1961 with the Pontiac Trophy 4 engine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oakland Six</span> Car model

The Oakland Six was the first six-cylinder engine offered by the Oakland Motor Company in 1913 which became a division of General Motors in 1909. The Oakland Six was offered in many different model names that changed every year, along with several body styles and engine displacements until 1929, when the V8 was reintroduced, then in 1931 Oakland was renamed Pontiac. When Oakland became a division of GM and introduced the Oakland Four, Oldsmobile and Buick shared bodywork and chassis of their six-cylinder models with Oakland. When Chevrolet became part of GM in 1917, Oakland chassis and bodywork were shared with Chevrolet. Manufacture of the Oakland was completed in Pontiac, Michigan.

References

  1. Clymer, Floyd. Treasury of Early American Automobiles, 1877-1925 (New York: Bonanza Books, 1950), p.115.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Kimes, Beverly Rae; Clark Jr., Henry Austin (1996). Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942 (3rd ed.). Krause Publications. ISBN   978-0-87341-428-9.
  3. 1 2 Georgano, Nick (2001). The Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile (3 vol. ed.). Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers. ISBN   1-57958-293-1.
  4. New York Times, August 9, 1916
  5. Chevrolet U.S. and Canadian Production Figures 1912-1931, Kaufmann/Hayward 2002
  6. 1914-22 Scripps-Booth
  7. Clymer, Floyd. Treasury of Early American Automobiles, 1877-1925 (New York: Bonanza Books, 1950), p.149.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Clymer, p.149.
  9. Cars by Lou Phillips
  10. Hemmings Muscle Machines April, 2004
  11. O'Hara, John (1994) [1934], Appointment in Samarra , New York, NY: Modern Library, p. 119, ISBN   0-679-60110-4