Rainier Motor Car Company
Encyclopedia
Rainier Motor Car Company was an American automobile manufacturer founded in 1905 by John T. Rainier in Flushing
, New York
. The company specialized in manufacturing large and luxurious automobiles. In 1909, the company was bought by General Motors
who maintained the brand until 1911.
s and mountain races. The company was also one of the first ever who offered a limited one-year guarantee on "use without repair expenses".
They were first headquartered in John Rainier’s dealership for Vehicle Equipment (V.E.) Automobiles. James G. Heaslet became chief engineer for Rainier, a position which he held for the whole time of production.
In the beginning, Rainiers received their final assembly in Flushing. Chassis were delivered by the Garford Motor Truck Company of Elyria, Ohio
which specialized in automobile components and built chassis for several car manufacturers, most prominently Studebaker
.
During 1907 it became obvious that Garford and Studebaker would intensify their cooperation and that delivery of frames for Rainier was not secure. Rainier decided therefore to build it's cars completely in-house. A new plant was erected in Saginaw, Michigan
which already was considered an early center of automobile manufacturing. It opened in time for the production of 1908 models.
When Rainier in 1907 was hit by a short but hard economic recession this came at the worst moment. After the assembly of ca. 300 automobiles in Saginaw, Rainier was petitioned into involuntary bankruptcy because there was not enough cash to meet wages and material cost. Assets always were higher than liabilities but that did not count. The company was auctioned on January 25, 1909, and went for $20,000 to attorney George C. Comstock who tried to secure it for John Rainier. That failed due of lack of funds, and William C. Durant
bought it from Comstock for General Motors.
GM organized a new company in Saginaw for manufacturing the Rainier and parts for the other recently acquired luxury car, the Welch and it's a little less expensive companion make, the Welch-Detroit. It was named the Marquette
. Business was under control of Buick
management which itself was part of GM, too. Things changed in September, 1910, when Durant had to leave GM after financial trouble arose after his aggressive policy of expansion with acquisitions of many companies.
At first, few changes occurred at Rainier although the mother company's new management practiced a straight course of consolidation which led to the demise of several makes - including the Welch but not the Welch-Detroit. The turnaround was tried until 1911, then production of the Welch-Detroit, including machines and tools, was transferred from Pontiac, Michigan
to Saginaw.
For 1912 a last attempt was tried by developing new models that used parts of both the Welch-Detroit Model S, 45/50 HP, and the Rainier Model F, 50 HP. They were marketed as the Marquette 40 HP und 45 HP, respectively, and sold for prices that started at $3,000 and $4,000. They very last cars where then offered as Peninsulars, but production ceased at the end of 1912.
GM would use the brand name Marquette again for a junior Buick automobile in 1930.
Buick honored Rainier in 2007-2008 with the SUV Buick Rainier
.
Flushing, Queens
Flushing, founded in 1645, is a neighborhood in the north central part of the City of New York borough of Queens, east of Manhattan.Flushing was one of the first Dutch settlements on Long Island. Today, it is one of the largest and most diverse neighborhoods in New York City...
, New York
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...
. The company specialized in manufacturing large and luxurious automobiles. In 1909, the company was bought by General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
who maintained the brand until 1911.
History
Rainiers were big, conventional and solidly built automobiles with much power. They earned local success with hill climbHillclimbing
Hillclimbing is a branch of motorsport in which drivers compete against the clock to complete an uphill course....
s and mountain races. The company was also one of the first ever who offered a limited one-year guarantee on "use without repair expenses".
They were first headquartered in John Rainier’s dealership for Vehicle Equipment (V.E.) Automobiles. James G. Heaslet became chief engineer for Rainier, a position which he held for the whole time of production.
In the beginning, Rainiers received their final assembly in Flushing. Chassis were delivered by the Garford Motor Truck Company of Elyria, Ohio
Elyria, Ohio
-Community:Elyria has an extensive, although financially burdened, community food pantry and "Hot Meals" program administered through the Second Harvest Food Bank and several churches Elyria is served by Elyria Memorial Hospital.-Recreation and parks:...
which specialized in automobile components and built chassis for several car manufacturers, most prominently Studebaker
Studebaker
Studebaker Corporation was a United States wagon and automobile manufacturer based in South Bend, Indiana. Founded in 1852 and incorporated in 1868 under the name of the Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company, the company was originally a producer of wagons for farmers, miners, and the...
.
During 1907 it became obvious that Garford and Studebaker would intensify their cooperation and that delivery of frames for Rainier was not secure. Rainier decided therefore to build it's cars completely in-house. A new plant was erected in Saginaw, Michigan
Saginaw, Michigan
Saginaw is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw was once a thriving lumber town and manufacturing center. Saginaw and Saginaw County lie in the Flint/Tri-Cities region of Michigan...
which already was considered an early center of automobile manufacturing. It opened in time for the production of 1908 models.
When Rainier in 1907 was hit by a short but hard economic recession this came at the worst moment. After the assembly of ca. 300 automobiles in Saginaw, Rainier was petitioned into involuntary bankruptcy because there was not enough cash to meet wages and material cost. Assets always were higher than liabilities but that did not count. The company was auctioned on January 25, 1909, and went for $20,000 to attorney George C. Comstock who tried to secure it for John Rainier. That failed due of lack of funds, and William C. Durant
William C. Durant
William Crapo "Billy" Durant was a leading pioneer of the United States automobile industry, the founder of General Motors and Chevrolet who created the system of multi-brand holding companies with different lines of cars....
bought it from Comstock for General Motors.
GM organized a new company in Saginaw for manufacturing the Rainier and parts for the other recently acquired luxury car, the Welch and it's a little less expensive companion make, the Welch-Detroit. It was named the Marquette
Marquette (automobile)
The name Marquette was first used for an automobile when the Berwick Auto Car Company of Grand Rapids, Michigan, frequently took it as a model designation for their electric car in 1904....
. Business was under control of Buick
Buick
Buick is a premium brand of General Motors . Buick models are sold in the United States, Canada, Mexico, China, Taiwan, and Israel, with China being its largest market. Buick holds the distinction as the oldest active American make...
management which itself was part of GM, too. Things changed in September, 1910, when Durant had to leave GM after financial trouble arose after his aggressive policy of expansion with acquisitions of many companies.
At first, few changes occurred at Rainier although the mother company's new management practiced a straight course of consolidation which led to the demise of several makes - including the Welch but not the Welch-Detroit. The turnaround was tried until 1911, then production of the Welch-Detroit, including machines and tools, was transferred from Pontiac, Michigan
Pontiac, Michigan
Pontiac is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan named after the Ottawa Chief Pontiac, located within the Detroit metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 59,515. It is the county seat of Oakland County...
to Saginaw.
For 1912 a last attempt was tried by developing new models that used parts of both the Welch-Detroit Model S, 45/50 HP, and the Rainier Model F, 50 HP. They were marketed as the Marquette 40 HP und 45 HP, respectively, and sold for prices that started at $3,000 and $4,000. They very last cars where then offered as Peninsulars, but production ceased at the end of 1912.
GM would use the brand name Marquette again for a junior Buick automobile in 1930.
Model overview
| Series | Designation | Wheelbase | Coachwork | base price in US$ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1905-06 | Model A; 22/28 HP | 98 | Touring car Touring car A touring car, or tourer, is an open car seating five or more. Touring cars may have two or four doors. Often, the belt line is lowered in the front doors to give the car a more sportive character. They were often fitted with a folding roof and side curtains. Engines on early models were either in... , 5-pass. |
3,500 |
| 1906 | Model B; 30/35 HP | 104 | Town Car Town car A town car is a historical automobile body style in which the front seats were open and the rear compartment closed, normally with a removable top to cover the front chauffeur's compartment... , 7-pass. |
4,000 |
| 1907 | Model C; 30/35 HP | 104 | Touring car, 5-pass. | 4,250 |
| 1907 | Model C; 30/35 HP | 104 | Landaulet Landaulet A landaulet or landaulette is a car body style, "an enclosed sedan or coupé with a folding top at the extreme rear quarter, over the rear seat."... , 7-pass. |
4,250 |
| 1908-09 | Model D; 40/50 HP | 104 | Touring car, 5-pass. | 4,500 |
| 1908-09 | Model D; 40/50 HP | 104 | Limousine Limousine A limousine is a luxury sedan or saloon car, especially one with a lengthened wheelbase or driven by a chauffeur. The chassis of a limousine may have been extended by the manufacturer or by an independent coachbuilder. These are called "stretch" limousines and are traditionally black or white.... , 7-pass. |
5,500 |
| 1910 | Model F; 50 HP | 119 | Enclosed Touring car, 7-pass. | 4,500 |
| 1910 | Model F; 50 HP | 119 | Touring car, 7-pass. | 4,500 |
| 1910 | Model F; 50 HP | 119 | Baby Tonneau Tonneau right|thumb|260px|1903 [[Ford Model A |Ford Model A]] rear-door TonneauTonneau cover , describes a hard or soft cover used to protect unoccupied passenger seats in a convertible, roadster, or for a pickup truck bed. Hard tonneau covers open by a hinging or folding mechanism while soft covers open... , 5-pass. |
4,500 |
| 1910 | Model F; 50 HP | 119 | Close-coupled Touring Car Touring car A touring car, or tourer, is an open car seating five or more. Touring cars may have two or four doors. Often, the belt line is lowered in the front doors to give the car a more sportive character. They were often fitted with a folding roof and side curtains. Engines on early models were either in... , 5-pass. |
4,500 |
| 1910 | Model F; 50 HP | 119 | Limousine, 7-pass. | 5,750 |
| 1910 | Model F; 50 HP | 119 | Landaulet, 7-pass. | 5,850 |
| 1911 | Model F; 50 HP | 120 | Roadster Roadster A roadster is a two-seat open car with emphasis on sporty handling and without a fixed roof or side weather protection. Strictly speaking a roadster with wind-up windows is a convertible but as true roadsters are no longer made the distinction is now irrelevant... , 2-pass. |
4,250 |
| 1911 | Model F; 50 HP | 120 | Close-Coupled Touring car, 4-pass | 4,250 |
| 1911 | Model F; 50 HP | 120 | Special Touring car, 7-pass. | 4,250 |
| 1911 | Model F; 50 HP | 120 | Regulation Touring car, 7-pass. | 4,500 |
| 1911 | Model F; 50 HP | 120 | Close-Coupled Touring car, 5-pass. | 4,500 |
| 1911 | Model F; 50 HP | 120 | Limousine, 7-pass. | 4,600 |
| 1911 | Model F; 50 HP | 120 | Landaulet, 7-pass. | 4,600 |
Buick honored Rainier in 2007-2008 with the SUV Buick Rainier
Buick Rainier
The Buick Rainier was a mid-size SUV sold by the Buick division of General Motors. Introduced for 2004 to replace the Oldsmobile Bravada, the Rainier was the first truck sold under the Buick marque since the 1920s, and was the first body-on-frame...
.
Source
- Standard Catalogue of American Cars, 2nd edition, Beverly Rae Kimes (editor) and Henry Austin Clark, jr., Krause Publications, Iola WI 54990 ISBN 0-87341-111-0