Staver

Last updated
Staver Carriage Company
Industry Coachbuilder, Automotive
Founded1899;125 years ago (1899)
FounderHenry C. Staver
Defunct1914;110 years ago (1914)
FateClosed
Headquarters Chicago, Illinois,
Key people
Henry C. Staver, Harry B. Staver, Dan C. Teetor
Productsautomobiles
Production output
7,092 (1906-1914)

The Staver and Staver-Chicago was an American Brass Era automobile manufactured at 76th and Wallace Streets in Chicago, Illinois, by the Staver Carriage Company from 1906 until 1914. [1] [2]

Contents

History

Staver Carriage Company was organized after the 1896 bankruptcy of the Staver-Abbott Carriage Company, by Henry C. Staver in 1899. In 1905 Staver began an expansion of their carriage factory and also began developing a high-wheel automobile that would be introduced in late 1906. Henry C. Staver died in 1907 and his son Harry B. Staver became president of Staver Carriage Company. [3] [4] [5]

The company's initial Staver automobile was an 18/20-hp high wheeler, with a stanhope body. Larger, more powerful and more expensive at $1,000 (equivalent to $32,700in 2023) than most high-wheelers, it was fully equipped with top, side curtains, storm front, lights and toolbox. As Models C and D, it debuted at the 1907 Chicago Auto Show and approximately 200 were sold into 1908. [6] [7] [8]

Production was turned over to conventional automobiles with a two-cylinder 20-hp roadster in 1909 and four-cylinder models beginning in 1910. [1] Staver purchased 500 American & British Manufacturing Company four-cylinder engines designed by Charles F. Herreshoff. Poor manufacturing resulted in a lawsuit that lasted until 1914. [9] Teetor engines from the Light Inspection Car Company designed for Staver, were used from 1910. In 1912, Dan C. Teetor became chief designer for Staver until 1914. [4]

Harry L. Curran in a Staver automobile in the autodrome at Riverview Exposition, Chicago Harry L. Curran in a Staver automobile in the autodrome at Riverview Exposition, Chicago LCCN2007682337.jpg
Harry L. Curran in a Staver automobile in the autodrome at Riverview Exposition, Chicago

With the introduction of the 4-cylinder automobiles, Staver's were advertised as Staver-Chicago models. [10] Staver became very active in motorsports and reliability runs and participated in the Elgin National Road Races, Algonquin Hill Climb, Chicago's 1,400 mile Reliability Run, many board races and culminating in the Around Lake Michigan runs in 1911 and 1912. Gus Monckmeier, Chester Cheney, Emery Knudsen, Harry L. Curran and Ralph Ireland were all drivers for Staver. Ralph Ireland died in a practice run when his Staver-Chicago burst a tire at Elgin. [11] [12] [13] [14] Munckmeier had a perfect score for Staver in the 1911 Around Lake Michigan trial, but was later suspended along with Staver from AAA events for a year, when it was found the winning Staver-Chicago car was not stock. [15]

For 1912 Staver-Chicago was dropped and all cars were again advertised as Staver. [16] Staver's were mid-priced in the $1,650 to $2,250 (between $52,094 and $71,038 in 2023 [17] ) range with limousines priced up to $3,500 (equivalent to $110,503in 2023). [17] [1]

1914 Models were introduced early in March 1913 and included the new six-cylinder Staver of 70-hp, priced as a touring car at $2,750, equivalent to $84,778in 2023. [15] [1] Production for cars ended in June 1914, and carriages later in the year. [1] Staver Carriage Company continued as a property company for a few years, leasing the Staver factory to Partin Manufacturing Company and other automobile manufacturers. [1] The factory and automobile equipment transferred to Studebaker in 1917 in a property swap. [18]

Models

YearmodelstylecylinderPower (hp)Wheelbase (in)Body
1907-1908Model D218/2078Stanhope buggy 2 seater
1909Style 2022486Runabout 2-seater
191030 HPModel H430112Touring car 5-seater
191030 HPModel I430112Torpedo 5 seater
191030 HPModel J430112Surrey 4 seater
191030 HPModel K430112Baby tonneau 4-seater
191045 HPModel L445116runabout
191045 HPModel M445117touring car
191130 HPModel B430112Baby tonneau 4-seater
191130 HPModel F430112Fore-Door Touring Car 5 seater
191130 HPModel R430112Torpedo Roadster 5 seater
191130 HPModel RR430112Racing roadster 2 seater
191130 HPModel T430112Touring car 5-seater
191135 HPModel I435112roadster
191135 HPModel I4351175-seater touring car, 5-seater fore-door touring car
191140 HPModel R4401247-seater touring car, 7-seater fore-door touring car, coupé , sedan
191235 HPModel B435112Fore-Door Touring Car 5 seater
191235 HPModel B.T435112Baby tonneau 4-seater
191235 HPModel C435112Coupe
191235 HPModel D435112limousine
191235 HPModel F435120Fore-Door Touring Car, Special
191235 HPModel R435112Torpedo Roadster 5 seats
191235 HPModel RR435112Racing roadster 2 seater
191240 HPModel F440124Fore Door Touring Car
191240 HPModel L440124limousine
191240 HPModel RR440124Racing roadster 2 seater
191240 HPModel T440124Touring cars 5-seater and 7-seater
191330 HP430120Algonquin Speed Roadster
191335 HP435124Englewood Touring Car 5-seat, Englewood Limited Touring Car 5-seat, Edgewater Touring Car 5-seat, Newport Touring Car 5-seat, Greyhound Speed Roadster 4-seat, Beverly Touring Car 5-seat, Berkley Tonneau 4-seat, Lakeport Roadster, South Shore Colonial Coupe, North Shore Sedan
191340 HP440124Dictator touring car 5-seater
191445 HPModel 454451185-seater touring car, 2-seater roadster
191455 HPModel 55455120Touring car 5-seater, Speedster 2-seater
191465 HPModel 65670138Touring cars 5-seater and 7-seater

Production

Production figures total 7,092 vehicles. [1]

Yearproduction
1907213
1908374
1909426
1910816
19111,110
19121,316
19131,410
19141,427
total7,092

About five Staver vehicles still exist.

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References

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