Two

brass era The Brass Era is an American term for the early period of automotive manufacturing, named for the prominent brass fittings used during this time for such features as lights and radiator (engine cooling), radiators. It is generally considered to ...

companies used the Pilgrim

marque A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's goods or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create and ...

for their automobiles between 1913 and 1918.

Pilgrim - 1913–1914, New Albany, Indiana

Ferdinand Kahler was the owner of the New Albany Woodworking and Furniture Company which had produced bodies for the Jonz automobile, and when the Jonz

New Albany, Indiana New Albany is a city in New Albany Township, Floyd County, Indiana, United States, situated along the Ohio River, opposite Louisville, Kentucky. The population was 37,841 as of the 2020 census. The city is the county seat of Floyd County. It ...

factory closed, Kahler was stuck with a stockpile of bodies. To protect his investment, Kahler bought the Jonz equipment and moved into its factory. He organized the Ohio Falls Motor Car Company, and selected Pilgrim as the name for his car. He secured 44-50-hp four-cylinder engines from

Continental Continental may refer to: Places * Continental, Arizona, a small community in Pima County, Arizona, US * Continental, Ohio, a small town in Putnam County, US Arts and entertainment * ''Continental'' (album), an album by Saint Etienne * Continen ...

, which he mounted in a 120-inch wheelbase chassis, and used his Jonz contracted bodies. He advertised "A $2,250 car for $1.800”, and "Buy your automobile direct from our factory”. Very few did. After selling cars in 1913 and 1914, the Ohio Falls Motor Car Company went into receivership. Kahler sold out to the Crown Motor Car Company of Louisville, Kentucky which moved into the factory in 1914 and reorganized as Hercules.

Pilgrim - 1915–1918, Detroit, Michigan

William Radford an engineer who had worked for

Oldsmobile Oldsmobile (formally the Oldsmobile Division of General Motors) was a brand of American automobiles, produced for most of its existence by General Motors. Originally established as "Olds Motor Vehicle Company" by Ransom E. Olds in 1897, it produc ...

and

Hudson Hudson may refer to: People * Hudson (given name) * Hudson (surname) * Hudson (footballer, born 1986), Hudson Fernando Tobias de Carvalho, Brazilian football right-back * Hudson (footballer, born 1988), Hudson Rodrigues dos Santos, Brazilian f ...

, had previously tried the automobile business with the Oxford and Fostoria automobiles. The Pilgrim was an automobile built in

Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

, by the Pilgrim Motor Car Company in 1915. The Pilgrim was known as a

light car The term light car is used in Great Britain since the early part of the 20th century for an automobile less than 1.5 litres engine capacity. In modern car classification this term would be roughly equivalent to a subcompact car. There are numero ...

that weighed . They produced a five-seat touring car, powered by a 2.3-liter, four-cylinder engine that was water-cooled and priced at $685 to $835. C. H. Leete, the company president, was arrested for fraud and William Radford departed the company. Attempts to reorganize the company were only partly successful and very few cars were built before it ceased operations in 1918.

References

{{Reflist Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of the United States Motor vehicle manufacturers based in Michigan Defunct manufacturing companies based in Michigan Motor vehicle manufacturers based in Indiana Brass Era vehicles 1910s cars Cars introduced in 1913 Cars introduced in 1915 Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1913 Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 1915 Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1915 Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 1918 Cars discontinued in 1918