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Two Brass era automobiles named Richmond were produced in
The Wayne Works, Inc. had been making farm implements since the 1870s, and supposedly in 1901 the company president, Walter W. Schultz, asked the chief engineer Jack St. John to design an automobile "because everyone else is." Richmond, Indiana would be home to several car makes including Davis, Pilot and Westcott. St. John designed a
Richmond Model J at All-Andorra
Old Cars Weekley article - 1907 Richmond
{{DEFAULTSORT:Richmond (Automobile) Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of the United States Motor vehicle manufacturers based in Indiana Defunct manufacturing companies based in Indiana Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1902 Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 1903 Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1904 Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 1917 Steam cars Veteran vehicles Brass Era vehicles 1900s cars 1910s cars Cars introduced in 1902 Cars introduced in 1904
Richmond, Indiana
Richmond is a city in eastern Wayne County, Indiana. Bordering the state of Ohio, it is the county seat of Wayne County and is part of the Dayton, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 36,812. Situ ...
. A Steam car
A steam car is a car (automobile) propelled by a steam engine. A steam engine is an external combustion engine (ECE) in which the fuel is combusted outside of the engine, unlike an internal combustion engine (ICE) in which fuel is combusted in ...
was made by the Richmond Automobile Company in 1902 and 1903. The Wayne Works produced the Richmond automobile from 1904 to 1917.
Richmond Automobile Company
The Richmond steam car engine was claimed to be simple and the most compact steam vehicle engine on the market. The two-cylinder engine had a 2.5"bore
Bore or Bores often refer to:
*Boredom
* Drill
Relating to holes
* Boring (manufacturing), a machining process that enlarges a hole
** Bore (engine), the diameter of a cylinder in a piston engine or a steam locomotive
** Bore (wind instruments), ...
and 3.5" stroke and weighed just 46 pounds. This engine produced its maximum 6 horsepower at 960 rpm. The engine was believed to have been designed by Isham Sedgwick and the steam car was developed by R. L. Sackett. Just the engine was manufactured in 1901, with production of the entire car commencing the following year. The Richmond was a chain-driven dos-a-dos four-seater. By 1903, Richmond Automobile Company ended automobile production, though it is believed that engine production continued past this date.
Wayne Works - Richmond Automobile
The Wayne Works, Inc. had been making farm implements since the 1870s, and supposedly in 1901 the company president, Walter W. Schultz, asked the chief engineer Jack St. John to design an automobile "because everyone else is." Richmond, Indiana would be home to several car makes including Davis, Pilot and Westcott. St. John designed a two-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 ...
air-cooled touring car
Touring car and tourer are both terms for open cars (i.e. cars without a fixed roof).
"Touring car" is a style of open car built in the United States which seats four or more people. The style was popular from the early 1900s to the 1930s.
Th ...
, which was sold to a local businessman. A subsequent car was sold the next year, but full-scale manufacture did not begin until 1904.
The Richmond entered production with four-cylinder engines with round radiator
Radiators are heat exchangers used to transfer thermal energy from one medium to another for the purpose of cooling and heating. The majority of radiators are constructed to function in cars, buildings, and electronics.
A radiator is always a ...
s for most of its production. The Richmond was a mid-priced car of the time, well regarded locally for its reliability and hill-climbing abilities. The biggest change to the Richmond occurred in 1910, when the engine became water-cooled instead of air-cooled. A six-cylinder model was offered from 1914 until 1916, with outputs rising from 45-hp to 50-hp. Horsepower for the earlier air-cooled fours ranged from 20 to 30-hp, while the water-cooled engines produced 22.5 to 40-hp.
In 1915 Herff-Brooks contracted with Wayne Works to provide Richmonds that would be badged as Herff-Brooks. This ended in 1916. In 1917, the automobile department was closed, and the Wayne Works continued production of commercial truck bodies and agricultural tools. An estimated 1,348 Richmonds were built.
Three Richmonds are known to be extant. Two at the Wayne County Historical Museum and one in Spain at the Malaga Motor Museum.
References
See also
Richmond Model J at All-Andorra
Old Cars Weekley article - 1907 Richmond
{{DEFAULTSORT:Richmond (Automobile) Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of the United States Motor vehicle manufacturers based in Indiana Defunct manufacturing companies based in Indiana Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1902 Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 1903 Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1904 Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 1917 Steam cars Veteran vehicles Brass Era vehicles 1900s cars 1910s cars Cars introduced in 1902 Cars introduced in 1904