The Multiplex was an automobile built in

Berwick, Pennsylvania Berwick is a borough in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of Northeastern Pennsylvania and is located southwest of Wilkes-Barre. As of the 2020 census, Berwick had a population of 10,355. It is one of the two principal co ...

by the Multiplex Manufacturing Company (today: Crispin Multiplex Manufacturing Company; Crispin Valve) from 1912 to 1913.

History

The Multiplex was a sporty, upper-priced and large car equipped with a

four-cylinder The engine configuration describes the fundamental operating principles by which internal combustion engines are categorized. Piston engines are often categorized by their cylinder layout, valves and camshafts. Wankel engines are often categorize ...

engine, and offered as a Touring, a Roadster, and a Raceabout. A prototype "Sports" car with an

wheelbase In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels. For road vehicles with more than two axles (e.g. some trucks), the wheelbase is the distance between the steering (front ...

, weighing in at just and allegedly capable of a top speed of was also built. The ''Multiplex 50 HP'' was claimed as the "highest expression of touring luxury". The car was developed by Fritz Bingaman in 1911, and offered for sale in 1912 and 1913. The wheelbase of the stock automobiles was , front tires were 38 × 4½ in, rear 39 × 5 in. The engine was a Waukesha. It was a very large four cylinder unit with bore and stroke, giving it a volume of 471.2 c.i. (7722 cc.). It delivered 50 bhp, and with this bore, the car had an

ALAM Alam is a masculine name derived from several ancient languages including : # Arabic: (''ʿĀlam'') meaning "world" or "universe" # Hebrew: cognate word is transcribed as '' Olam'', also meaning "World" # Tagalog: ''Alam'' means "Knowledge" ...

rating of 40 hp. The ''Multiplex'' was expensive; $3,125 for the raceabout, $3,175 for the roadster, and $3,600 () for the touring car. Sales competition would have included

Lozier The Lozier Motor Company was a brass era producer of luxury automobiles in the United States. The company produced automobiles from 1900 to 1918, in Plattsburgh, New York and from 1910, at Detroit, Michigan. History Lozier Motor Company was fo ...

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, Packard,

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, and many others. The prototype sports model had an envisioned price tag of around $4,000. In 2 years only 14 cars were built. The most remarkable success in motor sports was a victory in the ''Sealed bonnet road test'', held by the Philadelphia Automobile Club in spring, 1913. After the failure of the car, Multiplex Manufacturing returned to making valves, which it did since 1905. There was a brief try with a sports car in 1954, but only prototypes of the Multiplex-Allied 186 with a

Willys Willys (pronounced , "Willis" ) was a brand name used by Willys–Overland Motors, an American automobile company, founded by John North Willys. It was best known for its design and production of World War II era and later military jeeps (MBs) ...

F-head six cylinder engine and coachwork copied straightaway from the

Cisitalia 202 Cisitalia was an Italian sports and racing car brand. The name "Cisitalia" derives from "Compagnia Industriale Sportiva Italia", a business conglomerate founded in Turin in 1946 and controlled by the wealthy industrialist and sportsman Piero Dusio ...

were actually built. File:1913 Multiplex Touring Car - Automobile Trade Journal.jpg, alt=, 1913 Multiplex Touring Car illustrated in the Automobile Trade Journal File:1913 Multiplex Raceabout - Automobile Trade Journal.jpg, alt=, 1913 Multiplex Raceabout illustrated in the Automobile Trade Journal

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Multiplex (Automobile) Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of the United States Motor vehicle manufacturers based in Pennsylvania Defunct companies based in Pennsylvania Luxury motor vehicle manufacturers Luxury vehicles Brass Era vehicles 1910s cars Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1912 Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 1913 Cars introduced in 1912

History

See Also

References