Chase Motor Truck Company
Encyclopedia
Chase Motor Truck Company (1907-1919), founded by Aurin M. Chase, was a manufacturer of trucks in Syracuse, New York
. The vehicles were known for their air-cooled engines and simplicity of design.
The company also produced a utility wagon in the form of an automobile which could be converted for use in business and pleasure. With a few minor changes the car could also be utilized as a commercial wagon.
, Roy Grant of Grant's Hardware and other Syracuse business figures.
That same year, Aurin Chase negotiated sale of the Syracuse Chilled Plow Company to Deere & Company
.
Chase had what seemed like a solid idea in the early days of automobile manufacturing, a gasoline-fueled "high wheeler" that could be transformed into either a truck or passenger car.
The company motto in 1912 advertisements was "The emblem of efficiency." According to the company, "Chase trucks are not pleasure cars. They are service vehicles. That increasing numbers of leading business houses everywhere are sending in repeat orders is due to the fact that after an intimate study of motor truck efficiency they are satisfied that the Chase truck is the simplest and most efficient light delivery truck on the market to-day."
By 1909, the company was producing a two-cylinder, air-cooled engine with 129 cubic inches and 12-horsepower, which was built in-house. The truck had a Bosch magneto and retrofit Holley carburetor, linked to a two-speed planetary transmission. It also had a hand-crank starter.
Throughout the years, Chase built one-cylinder, three-cylinder and four-cylinder engines; all were two-strokes. Aurin Chase designed his trucks for a smooth conversion to a car and back to truck as needed; "being high wheelers, they looked perhaps a little strange when configured as cars, but when wearing truck bodies as “expresses” or “runabouts,” they looked much like early Brockways."
Chase was apparently involved with early Brockway production in 1910 and later supplied components to the Cortland, New York
, firm.
, by June, 1905, and E. F. Howell was named manager.
By 1912, they established "branches" in Johnstown, Pennsylvania
, Albany, New York
, Springfield, Ohio
, Fremont, Ohio
, and Memphis, Tennessee
. Company management had just returned from a "successful" trip to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, where arrangements were completed for a new Chase agency under the supervision of J. A. Rogers. This agency chose "a particularly fine corner location" at Broad and Wallace streets on the main thoroughfare of automobile travel in Philadelphia
and was "in the very heart of the motor truck district."
In addition to the agency, Rogers was also tasked with maintaining a service station in the immediate neighborhood. E. F. Howell, the Philadelphia
district manager moved the headquarters of his agency to the same location.
In 1912, the company branched out and began exporting trucks to Great Britain
.
By October 1912, the company had doubled their business in a little over a year. The various models "are all enjoying an active sale," in particular, the 1000 pounds (453.6 kg) and the one-ton trucks. The increase in business came somewhat as a surprise to management, "considering, this is a presidential year when business conditions are not always considered the brightest."
.
The design called for a combination of business and pleasure and the new Chase model was patterned along lines which permitted it to be used for both purposes. With a few small changes, the vehicle could be transformed into a commercial wagon. The construction of the utility wagon did not differ significantly from other Chase products.
The power was supplied by a three-cylinder vertical engine of the two-cycle type. The bore was 3.75 inches (95.3 mm) with a stroke of 4 inches (101.6 mm) and conservative rating of 15-horsepower. The engine was air-cooled and therefore had no pump, water to be renewed frequently, piping to leak, "nor any other sources of trouble."
Simplicity both in number of parts and their operation was "heightened by the use of a two-speed and reverse planetary transmission, running in a bath of oil." The oiling system reveals the effort that was made to reduce the number of parts to a minimum. For this reason, the makers introduced a self-oiling system in which the oil was introduced into the fuel tank when the fuel tank was filled. This method brought the lubricant into the cylinders with the fuel and thoroughly lubricated the interior of the engine. From the cylinder, the oil dropped to the bottom of the crankcase and from there was "splashed onto the sides of the case" where it flowed to the two bearings.
From the jackshaft, the final drive was controlled by means of double side chains to the rear wheels which were of 40 inches (1,016 mm) diameter and equipped with tires of solid rubber, 1.625 inches (41.3 mm) in diameter with spokes of 1.25 inches (31.8 mm).
Combined with the oversized wheels, the vehicle had a long wheelbase of 100 inches (2,540 mm) which made for a very "easy riding car" while providing an unusual amount of road clearance and the ability to surmount large obstacles if necessary. The car also came with a full set of elliptic springs for a smoother ride. The brakes were the band type and were located on the rear wheels, "the lining being such to allow easy renewal." Total weight of the vehicle was 1500 pounds (680.4 kg).
The car came standard with the surrey type body with a removable rear seat and could hold a total of four passengers. Once the rear seat was taken out, the car converted to a runabout and total seating was reduced to two. A top of canopy style could be purchased for an additional cost over and above the $900 price of the vehicle.
According to the manufacturer, the automobile was "designed to take care of the needs of the traveling salesmen and to enable them to cover a large number of towns each day." For this reason, the ability to remove the rear seat provided extra room for the salesmen's luggage or sample cases and the car had a low operating cost coupled with the inherent simplicity of mechanism and control. The advertising also noted that use of the vehicle would reduce the need to pay railroad fare. "Telephone and electric light companies will find this model of great value to their trouble men, while farmers will appreciate it for an errand wagon, and with the added rear seat, for pleasure trips."
of city of Syracuse
for 9 years.
In late 1904, before he formed his auto enterprise, Chase was hired by H. H. Franklin Manufacturing Company
as assistant-superintendent of the factory. He had formerly been the second vice-president of the Syracuse Chilled Plow Company.
area and portions of the south, there had been a marked increase in sales of the heavier Chase models due to the heavier traffic demands of the city and the general poor road conditions of the southern roads. Some of the buyers that year were, Wm. J. Lemp Company who ordered a two-ton Model J, S & W Bauman department store and a third "repeat" order from the Dillman Baking Company as well as several "well-known" manufacturing concerns.
In New York City
, repeat orders were received from Brunswick Laundry in Jersey City, New Jersey
and in the south, the Coca-Cola Company of Georgia
and the Pepsi-Cola Company of North Carolina
had bought half a dozen one-ton and 1.5-ton Chase trucks. Six trucks were also sold to the United Gas & Improvement Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. These were one-ton models equipped with the selective type sliding gear transmission.
Foreign orders included one for Melbourne, Australia, one for Varna, Bulgaria, and three for St. John's, Newfoundland, comprising a 3000 pounds (1,360.8 kg) express, a standard one-ton truck and one covered one-ton express truck.
By June 1912, the company advertised that Chase was popular among the great New York department stores including; R. H. Macy & Company and James A. Hearn & Sons as well as Stern Brothers who were repeat customers. Abraham & Strauss was a new customer that month and bought a special Model K. The Chase dealers in Minneapolis, Minnesota
, placed an order for 62 trucks, of which six were delivered to the Dakota Central Telephone Company of Aberdeen, South Dakota
.
Among other orders were those of the H. L. Keats Auto Company, of Portland, Oregon
, for nine trucks, the Intermountain Auto Truck Company, of Butte, Montana
, for six trucks and the City of Seattle
who ordered five Model D and Model K expresses.
The company supplemented the use of self-built two-stroke engines by offering "a variety of Continental power for its rigs." The body size was increased in size to scale to 2.5, 3.5 and 5 tons.
The truck underwent a radical change in 1912 when a four-cylinder, water-cooled engine designed by J. E. Gramlich, a resident of Fayetteville, New York
, replaced the original air-cooled engine. That same year, the company also began the practice of buying all parts except the body. This helped the company advance the design to a "conventional layout with a worm-gear final drive and four-cylinder power from Continental."
The "moneymaking" Chase truck in 1912 was one-ton with chain drive, wooden carriage wheels and solid tires. To meet the growing demand for a motor truck of 500 pounds (226.8 kg) capacity, the company offered the Model M Express at a price of $500. The company advertised that they were "Confident that it will satisfy the immediate needs of a great host of business houses everywhere, we offer it to an expectant market. Model M embodies all the great Chase features of efficiency, simplicity and economy."
In 1912, Chase advertised that "trucks are bought in group lots." They had five models that year with bed capacities from 1000 pounds (453.6 kg) to the Model J Express at 4000 pounds (1,814.4 kg).
By 1913, the company advertised it had "six efficient models in every style of body." Truck bed capacities were 500 pounds (226.8 kg) to 4000 pounds (1,814.4 kg).
. It had been reported in the local press that "rumors have been circulated locally, that the Chase Motor Truck Company was to be "taken over" by some concern outside the city. In each case, A. M. Chase, president of the company, discounted the rumors.
ignitions with disc clutch and worm final drive.
Hal T. Boulden was general sales manager in February 1916. He noted that the "Never before has the truck outlook been bright as it is now. The only trouble is that there is a shortage of materials." According to Boulden, if not for the shortage in materials, the company would be "working night and day to fill orders." The Chase factory was running at full capacity that year and had a 200 percent increase in business in 1916. Boulden also touted that the company had "not accepted a single order from either of the warring nations and it is against our idea of Americanism to do so."
During World War I, Chase was one out of 150 truck manufacturers vying for a government contract to build the Liberty Class B military truck. The majority of the order was cancelled, which put a significant number of the truck builders out of business.
For several months after World War I ended, the plant continued to produce three-wheeled farm tractors, which Chase began production of in 1911. At the end of the wartime "Grow more food" campaign in 1919, the demand for tractors leveled off and the company sold its rights and goodwill to a Canadian parts supplier.
It has been estimated that as many as 5,000 Chase vehicles were produced. Fewer than 30-40 Chase trucks are still in existence today.
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
. The vehicles were known for their air-cooled engines and simplicity of design.
The company also produced a utility wagon in the form of an automobile which could be converted for use in business and pleasure. With a few minor changes the car could also be utilized as a commercial wagon.
History
Chase Motor Truck Company had its roots in the manufacture of farm implements. Company founder, Aurin M. Chase, former vice president of the Syracuse Chilled Plow Company, a company that had been in business since 1804, started production of a one-ton truck with an air-cooled, three-cylinder, two-cycle engine. Chase was backed by Paul Bellinger of the Solvay Process CompanySolvay Process Company
The Solvay Process Company was a pioneer chemical industry of the United States in the manufacture of soda ash and a major employer in Central New York...
, Roy Grant of Grant's Hardware and other Syracuse business figures.
That same year, Aurin Chase negotiated sale of the Syracuse Chilled Plow Company to Deere & Company
Deere & Company
Deere & Company, usually known by its brand name John Deere , is an American corporation based in Moline, Illinois, and the leading manufacturer of agricultural machinery in the world. In 2010, it was listed as 107th in the Fortune 500 ranking...
.
Chase had what seemed like a solid idea in the early days of automobile manufacturing, a gasoline-fueled "high wheeler" that could be transformed into either a truck or passenger car.
The company motto in 1912 advertisements was "The emblem of efficiency." According to the company, "Chase trucks are not pleasure cars. They are service vehicles. That increasing numbers of leading business houses everywhere are sending in repeat orders is due to the fact that after an intimate study of motor truck efficiency they are satisfied that the Chase truck is the simplest and most efficient light delivery truck on the market to-day."
Early production
In the beginning, the company manufactured all parts except the wheels. The local plant at 332 South West Street in Syracuse employed 200 men who were busy building and assembling frames, transmissions, bodies, engines and gears.By 1909, the company was producing a two-cylinder, air-cooled engine with 129 cubic inches and 12-horsepower, which was built in-house. The truck had a Bosch magneto and retrofit Holley carburetor, linked to a two-speed planetary transmission. It also had a hand-crank starter.
Throughout the years, Chase built one-cylinder, three-cylinder and four-cylinder engines; all were two-strokes. Aurin Chase designed his trucks for a smooth conversion to a car and back to truck as needed; "being high wheelers, they looked perhaps a little strange when configured as cars, but when wearing truck bodies as “expresses” or “runabouts,” they looked much like early Brockways."
Chase was apparently involved with early Brockway production in 1910 and later supplied components to the Cortland, New York
Cortland, New York
Cortland is a city in Cortland County, New York, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a population of 18,740. It is the county seat of Cortland County.The City of Cortland, near the west border of the county, is surrounded by the Town of Cortlandville....
, firm.
Expansion and exports
Chase established a factory branch in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, by June, 1905, and E. F. Howell was named manager.
By 1912, they established "branches" in Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Johnstown is a city in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States, west-southwest of Altoona, Pennsylvania and east of Pittsburgh. The population was 20,978 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Cambria County...
, Albany, New York
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
, Springfield, Ohio
Springfield, Ohio
Springfield is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Clark County. The municipality is located in southwestern Ohio and is situated on the Mad River, Buck Creek and Beaver Creek, approximately west of Columbus and northeast of Dayton. Springfield is home to Wittenberg...
, Fremont, Ohio
Fremont, Ohio
Fremont Public Schools enroll 4,450 students in public primary and secondary schools. The district administers 9 public schools including seven elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school, Fremont Ross. In addition, the city is home to one private catholic high school, Saint Joseph...
, and Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
. Company management had just returned from a "successful" trip to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, where arrangements were completed for a new Chase agency under the supervision of J. A. Rogers. This agency chose "a particularly fine corner location" at Broad and Wallace streets on the main thoroughfare of automobile travel in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
and was "in the very heart of the motor truck district."
In addition to the agency, Rogers was also tasked with maintaining a service station in the immediate neighborhood. E. F. Howell, the Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
district manager moved the headquarters of his agency to the same location.
In 1912, the company branched out and began exporting trucks to Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
.
By October 1912, the company had doubled their business in a little over a year. The various models "are all enjoying an active sale," in particular, the 1000 pounds (453.6 kg) and the one-ton trucks. The increase in business came somewhat as a surprise to management, "considering, this is a presidential year when business conditions are not always considered the brightest."
Automobile venture
In July 1909, the company was advertising a "Chase car designed for special business uses" which was also called a new "utility wagon for western roads." The vehicle was referred to as a surrey or business wagon and according to the company they were in "great demand" in the Western United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The design called for a combination of business and pleasure and the new Chase model was patterned along lines which permitted it to be used for both purposes. With a few small changes, the vehicle could be transformed into a commercial wagon. The construction of the utility wagon did not differ significantly from other Chase products.
The power was supplied by a three-cylinder vertical engine of the two-cycle type. The bore was 3.75 inches (95.3 mm) with a stroke of 4 inches (101.6 mm) and conservative rating of 15-horsepower. The engine was air-cooled and therefore had no pump, water to be renewed frequently, piping to leak, "nor any other sources of trouble."
Simplicity both in number of parts and their operation was "heightened by the use of a two-speed and reverse planetary transmission, running in a bath of oil." The oiling system reveals the effort that was made to reduce the number of parts to a minimum. For this reason, the makers introduced a self-oiling system in which the oil was introduced into the fuel tank when the fuel tank was filled. This method brought the lubricant into the cylinders with the fuel and thoroughly lubricated the interior of the engine. From the cylinder, the oil dropped to the bottom of the crankcase and from there was "splashed onto the sides of the case" where it flowed to the two bearings.
From the jackshaft, the final drive was controlled by means of double side chains to the rear wheels which were of 40 inches (1,016 mm) diameter and equipped with tires of solid rubber, 1.625 inches (41.3 mm) in diameter with spokes of 1.25 inches (31.8 mm).
Combined with the oversized wheels, the vehicle had a long wheelbase of 100 inches (2,540 mm) which made for a very "easy riding car" while providing an unusual amount of road clearance and the ability to surmount large obstacles if necessary. The car also came with a full set of elliptic springs for a smoother ride. The brakes were the band type and were located on the rear wheels, "the lining being such to allow easy renewal." Total weight of the vehicle was 1500 pounds (680.4 kg).
The car came standard with the surrey type body with a removable rear seat and could hold a total of four passengers. Once the rear seat was taken out, the car converted to a runabout and total seating was reduced to two. A top of canopy style could be purchased for an additional cost over and above the $900 price of the vehicle.
According to the manufacturer, the automobile was "designed to take care of the needs of the traveling salesmen and to enable them to cover a large number of towns each day." For this reason, the ability to remove the rear seat provided extra room for the salesmen's luggage or sample cases and the car had a low operating cost coupled with the inherent simplicity of mechanism and control. The advertising also noted that use of the vehicle would reduce the need to pay railroad fare. "Telephone and electric light companies will find this model of great value to their trouble men, while farmers will appreciate it for an errand wagon, and with the added rear seat, for pleasure trips."
Company founder
Aurin M. Chase was the son of Austin C. Chase (b.1835), who was vice-president of Syracuse Savings Bank and postmasterPostmaster
A postmaster is the head of an individual post office. Postmistress is not used anymore in the United States, as the "master" component of the word refers to a person of authority and has no gender quality...
of city of Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
for 9 years.
In late 1904, before he formed his auto enterprise, Chase was hired by H. H. Franklin Manufacturing Company
H. H. Franklin Manufacturing Company
H. H. Franklin Manufacturing Company was founded in 1893 by industrialist Herbert H. Franklin in Syracuse, New York. The company specialized in machine die-casting and made small parts such as gears and bearing caps...
as assistant-superintendent of the factory. He had formerly been the second vice-president of the Syracuse Chilled Plow Company.
Truck sales
By 1912 in the New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
area and portions of the south, there had been a marked increase in sales of the heavier Chase models due to the heavier traffic demands of the city and the general poor road conditions of the southern roads. Some of the buyers that year were, Wm. J. Lemp Company who ordered a two-ton Model J, S & W Bauman department store and a third "repeat" order from the Dillman Baking Company as well as several "well-known" manufacturing concerns.
In New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, repeat orders were received from Brunswick Laundry in Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
and in the south, the Coca-Cola Company of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
and the Pepsi-Cola Company of North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
had bought half a dozen one-ton and 1.5-ton Chase trucks. Six trucks were also sold to the United Gas & Improvement Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. These were one-ton models equipped with the selective type sliding gear transmission.
Foreign orders included one for Melbourne, Australia, one for Varna, Bulgaria, and three for St. John's, Newfoundland, comprising a 3000 pounds (1,360.8 kg) express, a standard one-ton truck and one covered one-ton express truck.
By June 1912, the company advertised that Chase was popular among the great New York department stores including; R. H. Macy & Company and James A. Hearn & Sons as well as Stern Brothers who were repeat customers. Abraham & Strauss was a new customer that month and bought a special Model K. The Chase dealers in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
, placed an order for 62 trucks, of which six were delivered to the Dakota Central Telephone Company of Aberdeen, South Dakota
Aberdeen, South Dakota
Aberdeen is a city in and the county seat of Brown County, South Dakota, United States, about 125 mi northeast of Pierre. Settled in 1880, it was incorporated in 1882. The city population was 26,091 at the 2010 census. The American News is the local newspaper...
.
Among other orders were those of the H. L. Keats Auto Company, of Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, for nine trucks, the Intermountain Auto Truck Company, of Butte, Montana
Butte, Montana
Butte is a city in Montana and the county seat of Silver Bow County, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. As of the 2010 census, Butte's population was 34,200...
, for six trucks and the City of Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
who ordered five Model D and Model K expresses.
Commercial vehicles
Chase was credited as the first manufacturer to build commercial grade motor trucks. Early Chase trucks had "big, buggy-type wheels" and could attain a speed of 25 mi/h on a "suitable grade." By 1912, the company ended its foray into passenger cars and focused on building motor trucks exclusively.The company supplemented the use of self-built two-stroke engines by offering "a variety of Continental power for its rigs." The body size was increased in size to scale to 2.5, 3.5 and 5 tons.
The truck underwent a radical change in 1912 when a four-cylinder, water-cooled engine designed by J. E. Gramlich, a resident of Fayetteville, New York
Fayetteville, New York
Fayetteville is a village located in Onondaga County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the village had a population of 4,190. The village is named after Lafayette, a national hero of both France and the United States...
, replaced the original air-cooled engine. That same year, the company also began the practice of buying all parts except the body. This helped the company advance the design to a "conventional layout with a worm-gear final drive and four-cylinder power from Continental."
The "moneymaking" Chase truck in 1912 was one-ton with chain drive, wooden carriage wheels and solid tires. To meet the growing demand for a motor truck of 500 pounds (226.8 kg) capacity, the company offered the Model M Express at a price of $500. The company advertised that they were "Confident that it will satisfy the immediate needs of a great host of business houses everywhere, we offer it to an expectant market. Model M embodies all the great Chase features of efficiency, simplicity and economy."
In 1912, Chase advertised that "trucks are bought in group lots." They had five models that year with bed capacities from 1000 pounds (453.6 kg) to the Model J Express at 4000 pounds (1,814.4 kg).
By 1913, the company advertised it had "six efficient models in every style of body." Truck bed capacities were 500 pounds (226.8 kg) to 4000 pounds (1,814.4 kg).
Company officers
Aurin M. Chase founded the company in 1909. In 1912, Edward A. Kingsbury was secretary and treasurer of the Chase Motor Truck Company. By March 1922, Chase interests in the Chase Motor Truck Company had purchased the interests of "former" secretary and treasurer, Kingsbury, after he became connected with the Sanford Motor Truck CompanySanford-Herbert Motor Truck Company
The Sanford-Herbert Motor Truck Company was a manufacturer of trucks in Syracuse, New York.-History:The Sanford-Herbert Motor Truck Company was founded in 1909 and manufactured trucks in Syracuse for over 30 years until 1939....
. It had been reported in the local press that "rumors have been circulated locally, that the Chase Motor Truck Company was to be "taken over" by some concern outside the city. In each case, A. M. Chase, president of the company, discounted the rumors.
World War I
All the models had four-cylinders, BoschRobert Bosch GmbH
Robert Bosch GmbH is a multinational engineering and electronics company headquartered in Gerlingen, near Stuttgart, Germany. It is the world's largest supplier of automotive components...
ignitions with disc clutch and worm final drive.
Hal T. Boulden was general sales manager in February 1916. He noted that the "Never before has the truck outlook been bright as it is now. The only trouble is that there is a shortage of materials." According to Boulden, if not for the shortage in materials, the company would be "working night and day to fill orders." The Chase factory was running at full capacity that year and had a 200 percent increase in business in 1916. Boulden also touted that the company had "not accepted a single order from either of the warring nations and it is against our idea of Americanism to do so."
Later years
By 1918, Chase had five models in production:- Model T - Cost $1,500 - Capacity 1500 pounds (680.4 kg)
- Model A - Cost $1,650 - Capacity 2000 pounds (907.2 kg)
- Model R - Cost $2,200 - Capacity 4000 pounds (1,814.4 kg)
- Model B - Cost $2,475 - Capacity 5000 pounds (2,268 kg)
- Model O - Cost $3,300 - Capacity 7000 pounds (3,175.1 kg)
Financial difficulties
Financial problems arose as a result of losses incurred in providing replacement parts to customers. This led to the abandonment of truck production during the war period starting in 1917. Ironically, many other truck manufacturers found the war "a boom source," however, it was reported that Chase had turned down a sizable government contract.During World War I, Chase was one out of 150 truck manufacturers vying for a government contract to build the Liberty Class B military truck. The majority of the order was cancelled, which put a significant number of the truck builders out of business.
For several months after World War I ended, the plant continued to produce three-wheeled farm tractors, which Chase began production of in 1911. At the end of the wartime "Grow more food" campaign in 1919, the demand for tractors leveled off and the company sold its rights and goodwill to a Canadian parts supplier.
It has been estimated that as many as 5,000 Chase vehicles were produced. Fewer than 30-40 Chase trucks are still in existence today.