The Hoffman Automobile and Manufacturing Company was founded in 1900 by

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

immigrant Louis Hoffman and based in

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–United States border, Canada–U.S. maritime border ...

. The first cars went on sale in 1902. The original versions ran on steam, but the business eventually accepted the

internal combustion engine An internal combustion engine (ICE or IC engine) is a heat engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer (usually air) in a combustion chamber that is an integral part of the working fluid flow circuit. In an internal comb ...

. Hoffman departed the company in 1903. It was later renamed the

Royal Motor Company Royal Motor Car Company was a Brass Era manufacturer of luxury automobiles in Cleveland, Ohio, in business from 1904 to 1911. It was the result of a reorganization of the Hoffman Automobile Company. History In November 1903, Edward Shurmer t ...

Surviving examples

An open-top 1903 Hoffman is on display at the

Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum The Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum is a transportation museum in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is part of the Western Reserve Historical Society's Cleveland History Center in University Circle, and its collection includes about 170 cars. It ...

. One of 100 Hoffmans made that year, it sported a single-cylinder gasoline engine and sold for $925 in 1903.

External links

Exhibit at Crawford Museum

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hoffman (Cleveland Automobile) Brass Era vehicles Manufacturing companies based in Cleveland Motor vehicle manufacturers based in Ohio Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of the United States Defunct manufacturing companies based in Ohio