George W. Davis Motor Car Company
Encyclopedia
The George W. Davis Motor Car Company made Davis brand automobiles in Richmond, Indiana
from 1908 to 1929.
George W. Davis had made wagons for some time by the time he announced in 1908 that he would build a car, named after himself. The earliest cars were motorized buggies
. By 1911, proper touring cars were made, using 4-cylinder
Continental
engines, with 6-cylinder Continental units added three years later. A 12-cylinder engine was promised, but this never materialized. The local Richmond newspaper
reported that Davis was unhappy about the weight of the 12-cylinder engine. Thus, after the fours were dropped from the lineup in 1916, all Davis cars bore a six cylinder engine. It was not until 1927 that an 8-cylinder engine arrived.
Many Davises were exported, and a Davis placed first in a hill climb
in Madrid
, Spain
in 1917. Also in 1917, the growing Davis company expanded by taking over the former Westcott
factory in town. The Davis was an assembled car, meaning that it used components from various outside manufacturers, with little or none of the components made in-house. Davises were well known for their two-tone paint schemes and poetic model names, such as Fleetaway, Man o' War and Mountaineer.
The fortunes of the Davis company waned later in the 1920s. Later Davises were obsolete, and sales began to slip from the peak sales of the early 1920s. In February 1928, the company was acquired by the Automotive Corporation of America, led by Villor P. Williams. Williams was interested in gaining an automobile on which to install his Parkmobile device. The Parkmobile was a device which hydraulically raised the car up via a set of smaller wheels inboard of the standard ones. This allowed the vehicle to be rolled sideways into a parallel parking space. It operated "through the regular gearshift lever in conjunction with an extra lever operated from the transmission." The six-cylinder Davis was now renamed the New York Six, while the 8-cylinder model remained a Davis. Both of these were to get the Parkmobile device, only a few did, however. Any 1929 models were simply ones built using leftover 1928 parts.
Williams was evicted on May 30, 1929 for not paying rent, and returned to Baltimore, Maryland, where his Automotive Corporation was headquartered
. The Richmond factory was turned over to the manufacture of power lawn mower
s. Williams continued to advertise into early 1931 that more New York Six and Davis Eight automobiles with the Parkmobile device were to be forthcoming, but none ever materialized.
Richmond, Indiana
Richmond is a city largely within Wayne Township, Wayne County, in east central Indiana, United States, which borders Ohio. The city also includes the Richmond Municipal Airport, which is in Boston Township and separated from the rest of the city...
from 1908 to 1929.
George W. Davis had made wagons for some time by the time he announced in 1908 that he would build a car, named after himself. The earliest cars were motorized buggies
Horse and buggy
A horse and buggy or horse and carriage refers to a light, simple, two-person carriage of the late 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries, drawn usually by one or sometimes by two horses...
. By 1911, proper touring cars were made, using 4-cylinder
Cylinder (engine)
A cylinder is the central working part of a reciprocating engine or pump, the space in which a piston travels. Multiple cylinders are commonly arranged side by side in a bank, or engine block, which is typically cast from aluminum or cast iron before receiving precision machine work...
Continental
Continental Motors Company
Continental Motors Company was an American engine and automobile manufacturer. The company produced engines for various independent manufacturers of automobiles, tractors, and stationary equipment from the 1900s through the 1960s. Continental Motors also produced Continental-branded automobiles in...
engines, with 6-cylinder Continental units added three years later. A 12-cylinder engine was promised, but this never materialized. The local Richmond newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
reported that Davis was unhappy about the weight of the 12-cylinder engine. Thus, after the fours were dropped from the lineup in 1916, all Davis cars bore a six cylinder engine. It was not until 1927 that an 8-cylinder engine arrived.
Many Davises were exported, and a Davis placed first in a hill climb
Hillclimbing
Hillclimbing is a branch of motorsport in which drivers compete against the clock to complete an uphill course....
in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
in 1917. Also in 1917, the growing Davis company expanded by taking over the former Westcott
Westcott automobile
The Westcott was an automobile produced in Richmond, Indiana and Springfield, Ohio in the United States between 1912 and 1925. The car company was named for its founder, Burton J. Westcott....
factory in town. The Davis was an assembled car, meaning that it used components from various outside manufacturers, with little or none of the components made in-house. Davises were well known for their two-tone paint schemes and poetic model names, such as Fleetaway, Man o' War and Mountaineer.
The fortunes of the Davis company waned later in the 1920s. Later Davises were obsolete, and sales began to slip from the peak sales of the early 1920s. In February 1928, the company was acquired by the Automotive Corporation of America, led by Villor P. Williams. Williams was interested in gaining an automobile on which to install his Parkmobile device. The Parkmobile was a device which hydraulically raised the car up via a set of smaller wheels inboard of the standard ones. This allowed the vehicle to be rolled sideways into a parallel parking space. It operated "through the regular gearshift lever in conjunction with an extra lever operated from the transmission." The six-cylinder Davis was now renamed the New York Six, while the 8-cylinder model remained a Davis. Both of these were to get the Parkmobile device, only a few did, however. Any 1929 models were simply ones built using leftover 1928 parts.
Williams was evicted on May 30, 1929 for not paying rent, and returned to Baltimore, Maryland, where his Automotive Corporation was headquartered
Headquarters
Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...
. The Richmond factory was turned over to the manufacture of power lawn mower
Lawn mower
A lawn mower is a machine that uses a revolving blade or blades to cut a lawn at an even length.Lawn mowers employing a blade that rotates about a vertical axis are known as rotary mowers, while those employing a blade assembly that rotates about a horizontal axis are known as cylinder or reel...
s. Williams continued to advertise into early 1931 that more New York Six and Davis Eight automobiles with the Parkmobile device were to be forthcoming, but none ever materialized.