Samson Tractor was an American brand of tractors 1900 to 1923, of trucks from 1920 to 1923, and a
General Motors brand from 1917 to 1923.
History
The Samson Iron Works were founded in
Stockton, California and, after becoming known for building farm
tractors
A tractor is an engineering vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort (or torque) at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery such as that used in agriculture, mining or construction. Most common ...
, were renamed the Samson Tractor Company in 1916 and again the Samson Sieve-Grip Tractor Company in 1917. In the same year, GM, under the leadership of
William C. Durant
William Crapo Durant (December 8, 1861 – March 18, 1947) was a leading pioneer of the United States automobile industry and co-founder of General Motors and Chevrolet. He created a system in which a company held multiple marques – each s ...
, purchased the company to enter the market for farm tractors and to emulate the success of
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobi ...
's highly successful
Fordson Model F tractor and others. In 1918, GM bought the ''Janesville Machine Company'' of
Janesville, Wisconsin
Janesville is a city in Rock County, Wisconsin, United States. It is the county seat and largest city in the county. It is a principal municipality of the Janesville, Wisconsin, Metropolitan Statistical Area and is included in the Madison–Jan ...
, another farm implement producer, for $1,000,000 and decided to concentrate production of both companies in Janesville. In 1919, GM decided to shut down operations in Stockton and run both companies as one operation, the ''Samson Tractor Company Division of General Motors'' in Janesville.
So, expectations at GM were high and they lasted mainly on the modern new Samson Model M tractor. Production of the new four wheel tractor started in May, 1919 at a rate of 10 units per day. It was a good machine and, at first, reasonably priced at $650. But that proved soon unprofitable. So, a rise to $840 followed, thus ending all plans to outsell the Fordson. In 1923, GM closed the Samson division.
Selected Samson tractors
Mainstay of the company before the GM takeover was the ''Sieve Grip'' tractor, a large and heavy three-wheeled vehicle with a low slung chassis on which the engine was placed central between the single front and straked rear wheels. The tractor was available with several engine sizes.
* 1914 ''Samson Sieve Grip 6-12''; 6/12 hp single-cylinder engine
* 1915 ''Samson Sieve Grip 10-25''; 10/25 hp
GMC engine
* ''Samson Sieve Grip 12-25''; 12/25 hp
* ''Samson Sieve Grip Model 30X'' (GM)
* ''Samson Model S-25''
* 1918 ''Samson Model M''; 4 wheel unit frame design; GM
* ''Samson Model'' D a.k.a. ''Samson Motor Cultivator''; "Iron Horse" (attachable to implements, no seat, walk behind type)
Trucks and a car
In addition to building tractors, Samson made trucks and attempted to produce an automobile as well. The Samson truck was built from 1920 to 1923 as a ¾ ton and a 1¼ ton model. It was powered by a
Chevrolet 26 bhp engine that had been developed for the ''Chevrolet 490'' passenger car. Success was limited, though.
Development for the passenger car started at about the same time. The car was intended as being "the first and only farm-designed car", meaning that it would meet the farmer's requirements better than the competition, and was named the "Whole Family Car", as it seated up to nine passengers. The conventional steel ladder frame had a wheelbase of 118 in. The rear bench seat and jump seats of this touring car were quickly removable, thus providing ample payload. Power was delivered by the Chevrolet ''FB'' four-cylinder engine, rated at 37 bhp. General Motors announced this new automobile in 1919 and planned to build 2,250 units in its first season and 5,000 for 1920. However, only one prototype was built, making the Samson the only car ever that GM announced but never produced.
In 1923, General Motors closed the unprofitable Samson division, transferring the
Janesville assembly plant
Janesville Assembly Plant is a former automobile factory owned by General Motors located in Janesville, Wisconsin. Opened in 1919, it was the oldest operating GM plant when it was largely idled in December 2008, and ceased all remaining productio ...
to
Chevrolet division. Chevrolet and
GMC trucks and SUVs continued to be built at that plant until December 2008, when GM closed the 89-year-old plant as part of its restructuring.
External links
Samson Tractorsat GM Heritage
Samson Tractor imagesat Wisconsin Historical Society
The Samson TractorSamson Tractor Was GM's Response to Fordson
References
{{General Motors
Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of the United States
Janesville, Wisconsin
Companies based in Stockton, California
General Motors marques
Tractor manufacturers of the United States
Former General Motors subsidiaries
Vintage vehicles
1920s cars