Cole Motor Car Company
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| Automobile Company | |
| Industry | Manufacturing |
| Founded | 1909 |
| Founder | Joseph J. Cole |
| Defunct | 1925 |
| Headquarters | Indianapolis, Indiana, US |
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Key people
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Joseph J. Cole (Executive Chairman & President) Charles S. Crawford (Chief Engineer) |
| Products | Automobiles |
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Cole Motor Car Company
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| Location | 730 E. Washington St., Indianapolis, Indiana |
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| Coordinates | 39°46′2″N 86°8′39″W / 39.76722°N 86.14417°WCoordinates: 39°46′2″N 86°8′39″W / 39.76722°N 86.14417°W |
| Area | 1.5 acres (0.61 ha) |
| Built | 1911-1913 |
| Built by | Bedford Stone & Construction |
| Architect | Halstead, W. C. |
| Architectural style | Late 19th And Early 20th Century American Movements, Modern Movement |
| NRHP Reference # | 83000128 |
| Added to NRHP | March 3, 1983 |
The Cole Motor Car Company was an early automobile maker based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Cole automobiles were built from 1908 until 1925. They were quality-built luxury cars. The make is a pioneer of the V-8 engine.
Joseph J. Cole made his first attempt to build a car in 1903 at Rockford, Illinois. Together with his son, he owned a shop where they sold wheels, automobiles, motor bikes, and even lawn mowers, and also performed mechanical repairs. Together they worked on a 4-cylinder touring car that was planned to be sold as the Rockford. The project went nowhere, and instead they opened a Rambler automobile dealership.
In 1904, Cole bought the Gates-Osborne Carriage Company and soon renamed it the Cole Carriage Company. There, he built his first automobile. It was a high-wheeled motor buggy with a two-cylinder engine. Legend goes that he forgot to fit brakes on this car and on his first trip, had to drive until the tank was empty.
At that time, the Cole Carriage Company already built approximately 3,000 carriages and coaches per year. Production of this car started in the same year, assisted by engineer Charles S. Crawford, who later worked for Stutz. The new car was marketed as the "Cole Solid Tire Automobile". About 170 of these high wheelers were sold before Cole decided that this kind of cars had no future.
In June 1909, Cole Carriage Company was reorganized as the Cole Motor Car Company and developed a conventional small car, the Cole Model 30. Initially, it had a two-cylinder engine that delivered 14 HP and rode on a 90-inch (2,300 mm) wheelbase. The only body style was a runabout that he offered with 2, 2/4, or 4 seats at $725, $750, or $775, respectively. The Solid Tire Automobile was still available. About 100 cars were built.
At the end of 1909 a completely new car appeared as a 1910 model. Confusingly, it was dubbed the Series 30 but, as this referred to its new 30 HP, four-cylinder engine, it nevertheless was a logical designation. The wheelbase had now grown to 108 inches (2,700 mm). There were four open body styles. Least expensive was the Tourabout at $1,400; the others, two touring cars and a runabout called the "Flyer", were $1,500 each. Cole managed to sell 783 cars until year's end.
The "Flyer" was quite successful in automobile races, too. One of them won the 1909 Brighton Beach Marathon, a 24-hour-race with 16 participants. Also, two Series 30 Flyers, driven by William "Wild Bill" Endicott and Louis Edwards, entered the Massapequa Sweepstakes, one of the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Races. Endicott won the prestigious 10-lap event, covering 126.4 miles (203.4 km) in 138 min 4.32 sec.
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