SAE R-286-2001 The E-M-F Company The Story of Automotive Pioneers Barney Everitt William Metzger and Walter Flanders (To Purchase Call 1-800-854-7179 USA Canada or 303-397-7956 Wor.pdf

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1、The E-M-F Company The Story of Automotive Pioneers Barney Everitt, William Metzger, and Walter Flanders Anthony J. YanikThe E-M-F Company The Story of Automotive Pioneers Barney Everitt, William Metzger, and Walter Flanders Prepared under the auspices of the SAE Historical CommitteeOther books in th

2、e SAE Historic Motor Car Company Series: The Franklin Automobile Company: The History of the Innovative Firm, Its Founders, The Vehicles It Produced (1902-1934), and The People Who Built Them by Sinclair Powell (Order No. R-208) For more information or to order this book, contact SAE at 400 Commonwe

3、alth Drive, Warrendale, PA 15096-0001; phone (724) 776-4970; fax (724) 776-0790; e-mail: publicationssae.org.The E-M-F Company The Story of Automotive Pioneers Barney Everitt, William Metzger, and Walter Flanders Anthony J. Yanik Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc. Warrendale, Pa. Copyright 2001 S

4、ociety of Automotive Engineers, Inc. eISBN: 978-0-7680-4941-1Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Yanik, Anthony J. The E-M-F Company : the story of automotive pioneers Barney Everitt, William Metzger, and Walter Flanders / Anthony J. Yanik. p. cm. (Historic motor car company series) I

5、ncludes bibliographical references and index. ISBN0-7680-0716-X 1. Everitt, Barney. 2. Metzger, William. 3. Flanders, Walter E. (Walter Emmett), 18711923. 4. E-M-F CompanyHistory. 5. Automobile engi- neersUnited StatesBiography. I. Title. II. Series. TL140.E94Y352001 629.2092273dc21 B 2001020707 Cop

6、yright 2001 Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc. 400 Commonwealth Drive Warrendale, PA 15096-0001 U.S.A. Phone: (724) 776-4841 Fax: (724) 776-5760 E-mail: publicationssae.org http:/www.sae.org ISBN0-7680-0716-X All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. Permission to photocopy fo

7、r internal or personal use, or the internal or personal use of specific clients, is granted by SAE for libraries and other users registered with the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC), provided that the base fee of $.50 per page is paid directly to CCC, 222 Rosewood Dr., Danvers, MA01923. Special requ

8、ests should be addressed to the SAE Publications Group. 0-7680-0716-X/01-$.50. SAE Order No. R-286 ivContents Preface vii Introduction Setting the Scene ix Timeline xi Chapter One From Carriages to Car Bodies Byron F. “Barney“ Everitt: His Early Years 1 Chapter Two The Making of Cadillac and Other D

9、aring Deals William E. “Bill“ Metzger: His Early Years 11 Chapter Three The Merry Master of Mass Production Walter E. Flanders: His Early Years 35 Chapter Four EMF Bursts onto the Automotive Scene 45 Chapter Five EMF Loses Its “E“ And “M“ 75 Chapter Six Flanders Expands EMF, Declares War on Studebak

10、er 89 Chapter Seven Crisis or Comedy? Studebaker Sues EMF 107 Chapter Eight The Rebirth of Everitt and Metzger Flanders, Where Are You? 143 Chapter Nine Flanders Reunites with Everitt and Metzger 155 vThe E-M-F Company Chapter Ten “E“ and “M“ and “F“ After 1913 The Dance Continues 173 Epilogue 205 E

11、ndnotes 207 Index 225 About the Author 243 viPreface I became fascinated with the accomplishments of Messrs. Everitt, Metzger, and Flanders several years ago while researching the early days of the auto industry in Detroit. What intrigued me was the frequency with which their names kept recurring in

12、 the automotive press between 1900 and World War I, if not beyond. It soon became obvious that Barney Everitt, Bill Metzger, and Walter Flanders were as highly regarded by their peers as Henry Ford, Will Durant, Henry Leland, or R.E. Olds. However, today Everitt, Metzger, and Flanders are virtually

13、unknown. For reasons that escape me, contemporary historians more often than not simply ignore them. However, in 1908, when they founded the E-M-F Company (EMF), Everitt, Metzger, and Flanders were known on the streets of Detroit as the “Big Three“ of the auto industry. Within three years, EMF was t

14、he largest employer in Detroit and was producing more cars than any other company in the United States other than Ford. Were it not for the fact that the Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company purchased the entire E-M-F Company for an outra- geous price in 1910, EMF might still be an auto giant t

15、oday. On the shoulders of EMF, Studebaker (until then, the largest wagon builder in the country) built its strong automotive base. Before the purchase of EMF, Studebaker had been only a bit player within that industry. Barney Everitt, Bill Metzger, and Walter Flanders were automotive pioneers in man

16、y other ways outside of EMF. Everitt was instrumental in forming the extensive body building industry that characterized Detroit prior to World War II. Metzger in turn established the first automobile dealership in Detroit, if not the country. As head of sales for Cadillac, he virtually guaranteed t

17、he viiThe E-M-F Company success of that company in its formative years. Flanders, a genius with machines, masterminded the tools of production for the first Model T. By documenting the careers of Everitt, Metzger, and Flanders, I have provided some insight into the typical wheeling and dealing that

18、went into the formation of automobile companies in Detroit prior to World War I. It truly was a freewheel- ing era during which men of great skill, courage, drive, and fortitude overcame a lack of formal education to create wealth for themselves and for those willing to back their efforts. For easie

19、r reading, I have taken the liberty of substituting the terms EMF or the EMF Company for the more correct E-M-F Company or the Everitt- Metzger-Flanders Company. I also generally refer to their automobiles, advertised as the E.M.F. “30“ and the Flanders “20,“ as the EMF 30 and the Flanders 20. The f

20、act that both the company and the car used E-M-F in their logo lent itself to much friendly satire. One of the most popular of these was “Every Mechanical Fault.“ For the information that went into the writing of this history, I owe a debt of gratitude to Mr. and Mrs. Robert Denham of the Studebaker

21、 National Museum, who allowed me to prowl through the EMF board minutes and provided me with copies of pages without which this account would have been impossible to write. My thanks also are extended to Mark Patrick, curator of the National Automotive History Collection (NAHC) of the Detroit Public

22、 Library, who pro- vided the photographs that appear in this book and made available to me the NAHC collection of early auto periodicals, as did the late Richard Scharchburg and Bill Holloran of the Collection of Industrial History at Kettering University. In addition, I am grateful to Barbara Fronc

23、zak and the Chrysler Archives, where the board minutes of the Metzger, the Everitt, and the Flanders Motor Car Companies reside, and to the State Archives of Michigan, the source of annual reports of old auto companies. viiiIntroduction Setting the Scene The year is 1908. Before 12 months have passe

24、d, 1908 will have become a momentous year of change for the auto industry. This change first is signaled in February when a Thomas Flyer wins the grueling New York to Paris race, thus putting to rest the vaunted superiority claimed by European automakers over U.S.-built cars. A few weeks later, offi

25、cials of the Royal Automobile Club disassemble three Cadillac cars, mix their parts together, and then rebuild the cars. The three vehicles are taken to a track and, to everyones amazement, are driven for 500 miles without a hitchproving that automobile manufacturing techniques within the United Sta

26、tes have reached a stage of standardization unequalled by any other industrial nation. In September, the automotive world is startled by the creation of the first successful conglomerate in the auto industry: General Motors Corporation, a product of the visionary outlook of Will Durant and Ben Brisc

27、oe. At the beginning of the next month, October 1, a homely and unpretentious new Ford model emerges from the factory on the corner of Piquette Avenue and Beaubien Street in Detroit. It is called the Model T, the ninth in the series of cars built thus far by Ford. Demand for the Model T will become

28、so great that production soon will cease for nine weeks to enable orders to be filled. More than 15 million Model Ts will be built during the next 19 years. ixThe E-M-F Company Several months before the first Model T is produced, the factory manager responsible for setting up its initial productiona

29、 man of genius with machinesleaves Ford to join with two others to form their own company. His name is Walter Flanders. Mark it well. Joining Flanders are Byron F. “Barney“ Everitt, pioneer body builder and trimmer, and William E. “Bill“ Metzger, the first auto dealer in Detroit and perhaps the nati

30、on. Each of the three men is well known within the auto industry of this timeas well known as Henry Ford, Ransom Olds, Henry Leland, Will Durant, Ben Briscoe, and the Dodge brothers. They are movers and shakers. When they speak, the automotive world listens and gives them deference, so strong have t

31、heir reputations become within the industry. On June 2, 1908, the three men call a press conference in New York City to announce that they have formed the Everitt-Metzger-Flanders Company (EMF) and will begin production of a medium-priced car in Detroit in September. Oddly enough, the EMF factory wi

32、ll be located on the next block west of the Ford plant. That three such powerful automotive names have come together to build a new automobile is sensational news. Proof of the magic of their names will come from sales figures as the months unfold. By the close of 1909, EMF will vault into the Numbe

33、r Two slot in automotive productiontruly a remark- able achievement in such a short period of time. Part of the success of the new company will be due to its alliance with the Studebaker Brothers Manu- facturing Company, then the largest wagon producer in the nation. The Studebaker sales outlets wil

34、l be used to market EMF automobiles, but the association is acrimonious. Eventually, Studebaker will buy out EMF and use it as the foundation for a reorganized Studebaker Corporation that will become a leader among second-tier auto producers (behind Chrysler, General Motors, and Ford) for almost hal

35、f a century. This is the story of Barney Everitt, Bill Metzger, Walter Flanders, and the EMF Company, which augured so much success during the first decade of the twentieth century. Had the three men not sold out to Studebaker, it is conceivable that their names would be familiar to us as founders o

36、f a large automobile company that continues to exist to this day. xTimeline 1908 June 2 August 4 August 5 September 15 October 5 Formation of Everitt-Metzger-Flanders (EMF) Company announced. EMF incorporated in Michigan. Everitt voted president, Metzger secretary, and Flanders general manager. EMF

37、signs sales agreement with Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company. EMF purchases Wayne Automobile Company. EMF purchases Northern Motor Car Company. 1909 March 4 April 12 April 21 April 29 Everitts letter to EMF board condemns Studebaker sales agreement. Flanders letter to EMF board cites need fo

38、r Studebaker. EMF board proposes new sales agreement to Studebaker. Everitt and Metzger resign after Studebaker buys their EMF stock. William Kelly resigns. Flanders appointed president. EMF signs new sales contract with Studebaker per latters terms. xiThe E-M-F Company 1909 July 19 July 27 December

39、 9 December 11 December 13 December 14 December 16 December 17 December 24 December 27 December 29 December 30 December 31 EMF buys De Luxe Motor Car Company. EMF announces purchase of Western Malleable Steel & Forge Co. and Monroe Body Company. Flanders letter to Studebaker terminates EMF/ Studebak

40、er sales agreement. EMF advertises for sales agents to replace Studebaker. Studebaker files bill of complaint against EMF in Detroit (Judge Swan). Detroit court (Judge Swan) refuses to grant injunction preventing EMF from selling its own cars. Studebaker files second bill of complaint against EMF in

41、 Cincinnati (Judge Severens) and requests injunction to prevent EMF sales. Cincinnati court (Judge Severens) informs EMF of injunction halting EMF car sales. Cincinnati court (Judge Severens) lifts injunction against EMF and drops Studebaker suit. Studebaker asks Detroit court (Judge Swan) to withdr

42、aw its original suit. Detroit court (Judge Swan) agrees to drop Studebaker suit. Studebaker files new bill of complaint in Kalamazoo (Judge Severens) asking for injunction to stop EMF car sales. Studebaker also files another suit in Cincinnati (Judge Warrington) asking for similar injunction. At spe

43、cial EMF board meeting, majority of directors vote support of Flanders letter rescinding Studebaker sales contract. Same day, EMF asks Wayne County court to remove Studebaker members from EMF board. xiiTimeline 1910 January 3 January 10 February 10 March 5 March 8 Studebaker files new suit (Judge Sw

44、an) against EMF in Detroit asking for damages and injunc- tion to prevent further sales by EMF of its cars. Cincinnati court (Judge Warrington) refuses Studebaker complaint filed on December 31 and apologizes for wasting courts time. Detroit court (Judge Swan) dismisses Studebaker suit filed on Janu

45、ary 3. Studebaker drops any suits still pending against EMF. J.P. Morgan & Company purchases EMF for Studebaker. New officers are elected, with Flanders appointed president and general manager. 1911 February 14 April 24 Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company reorganizes as Studebaker Corporation

46、as a result of Fish being forced to borrow new money to pay the notes due for purchasing EMF. EMF now becomes “auto division“ of Studebaker Corporation. Flanders agrees to new contract as general manager of automotive operations, on condition that Studebaker purchases his stock in the Flanders Manuf

47、acturing Company. xiiiThe E-M-F Company 1912| August 7 Flanders resigns from Studebaker and rejoins Everitt and Metzger as general manager of Everitt Motor Car Company (originally named Metzger Motor Car Company) which Everitt and Metzger had formed after leaving EMF. Subsequently, Everitt Motor Car

48、 Company is renamed Flanders Motor Car Company in August 1912 and eventually is purchased by Maxwell Motor Company in April 1913. xivChapter One From Carriages to Car Bodies Byron F. “Barney“ Everitt: His Early Years It was the age of Horatio Alger, a mythical time when a person could rise from rags

49、 to riches by the sheer dint of hard work, and only in America. However, it was not always myth, as events so often proved during the early days of the automobile. For those who dared, the myth proved that some- times it could become a reality. One man who dared was Byron F. “Barney“ Everitt. Everitt at age 36 became head of the Wayne Automobile Company, the first building block that eventually would result in the creation of the EMF Com- pany in 1908. In time, EMF would present a strong challenge to the rest of the auto industry for sales supremacy and los