American Motors Incorporated
American Motors Incorporated (AMI) designed, manufactured, and sold a minivan for commercial delivery use in the late 1940s.
History
[edit]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
[edit]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
[edit]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
[edit]- ^ Strohl, Daniel (2007-01-01). "The TriVan and the curse of small delivery vehicles". Hemmings Auto Blog. Retrieved 2012-01-01.
- ^ Strohl, Daniel (2006-12-23). "Troy, New York - center of automotive manufacturing". Hemmings Auto Blog. Retrieved 2012-01-01.
- ^ G.N. Georgano, G.N., ed. (1982). New Complete Encyclopedia of Motorcars, 1885-Present. Penguin Group. ISBN 978-0-525-93254-3.
Further reading
[edit]- Original Delcar retail sales brochure (four pages) printed by AMI - see images
- Mechanix Illustrated, August 1949 — brief article and picture depicting the Delcar
- Special Interest Auto magazine (Hemmings Motor News), October 1978 — brief article about the Delcar