The Rollin Motors Company was an American

automobile manufacturer The automotive industry comprises a wide range of company, companies and organizations involved in the design, Business development, development, manufacturing, marketing, selling, Maintenance, repairing, and Custom car, modification of motor ve ...

from 1923 until 1925 and founded by Rollin Henry White. The company was based in Cleveland, Ohio.

History

The Rollin automobile had advanced technology, brakes on all four wheels (mechanical internal expanding type), pistons and connecting rods of special aluminum, lubrication oil through a pump and a four-bearing

crankshaft A crankshaft is a mechanical component used in a reciprocating engine, piston engine to convert the reciprocating motion into rotational motion. The crankshaft is a rotating Shaft (mechanical engineering), shaft containing one or more crankpins, ...

. There were four models: Touring ($995, ), Brougham, Sedan and a three-passenger Coupe($1,175). Cars were sold in the US,

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

and a very few in Europe. The cars were designed and built by Rollin H. White, formerly chief engineer of the

White Motor Company White Motor Company (later renamed White Motor Corporation and commonly known as White) was an American car, truck, bus and agricultural tractor manufacturer from 1900 until 1980. The company also produced bicycles, roller skates, automatic la ...

. The car was planned as an economical automobile to capture a share of the lower price market. Its engine was similar to that of the Cletrac tractor, a White subsidiary. The

chairman The chair, also chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the gro ...

was Rollin Henry White. His father, Thomas White, was chairman of the White Sewing Machine Company, and the

. The Rollin was too high-priced for the market for which it had been intended. In its most successful year, 1924, approximately 3,622 units were produced. By the end of 1925 the factory was closed due to

bankruptcy Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the deb ...

. In December 1924 the car carrier SS ''Lakeland'' transported on Lake Michigan several new automobiles. The ''Lakeland'' sank with at least twenty-two model-year vehicles aboard from

Nash Motors Nash Motors Company was an American automobile manufacturer based in Kenosha, Wisconsin from 1916 until 1937. From 1937 through 1954, Nash Motors was the automotive division of Nash-Kelvinator. As sales of smaller firms declined after 1950 in ...

Kissel Motor Car Company The Kissel Motor Car Company was an American automobile and truck manufacturer founded by Louis Kissel and his sons, in Hartford, Wisconsin. The company custom built high-quality automobiles, hearses, Fire engine, fire trucks, taxicabs, and truc ...

, and a Rollin. Recreational divers recovered the Rollin automobile in 1979 but it was too damaged to save. As of 2018, there are several Rollin automobiles in the US and in Australia, as well as a few in Europe, at least one in the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

and two in

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

. In 2023 the Rollin Preservation Society (NL) presented a documentary about a unique Rollin still registered for use on public roads.Keep Rollin - the documentary
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Gallery

Bibliography

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References

External links

Automotive Hall of Fame

Western Reserve Historical Society
— Cleveland History Center, 2 Rollin automobiles
2 Rollin Model G's at ConceptCarz
* https://youtube.com/watch?v=sOPsYtEJeKY/ documentary Keep Rollin {{Commons category, Rollin vehicles Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of the United States Motor vehicle manufacturers based in Ohio Defunct companies based in Cleveland 1923 establishments in Ohio Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1923 Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 1925 1925 disestablishments in the United States Vintage vehicles 1920s cars Cars introduced in 1923