Private company | |
Industry | Automotive aftermarket |
Founded | Bradford, Pennsylvania in 1896 |
Founders | George Holley and Earl Holley |
Headquarters | Bowling Green, Kentucky, United States |
Parent | High Performance Industries |
Divisions | Hooker Headers, Weiand, Nitrous Oxide Systems, Flowtech Exhaust, Demon Carburetion, Earl's Performance Plumbing, Diablosport, MSD, Mr. Gasket, Accel, Superchips, Edge, Racepak, Mallory, Hays, Quicktime, Lakewood |
Website | Website |
Holley Performance Products is an automotive performance company based in Bowling Green, Kentucky. When the company was based in Michigan it was a major producer of carburetors for many Detroit-built automobiles.
Later they manufactured carburetors for both street and racing applications such as the Holley "Double Pumper" and "Dominator". Holley-style carburetors have powered every NASCAR Sprint Cup team and every NHRA Pro Stock champion until both series eventually switched to electronic fuel injection. NASCAR Sprint Cup engines still utilize a Holley throttle body and Holley EFI is the spec EFI system in NHRA Pro Stock. Holley's product range has expanded to include the aforementioned fuel injection systems, performance fuel pumps, intake manifolds, superchargers, nitrous oxide injection, performance plumbing parts, exhaust systems, engine dress–up products, ignition products, datalogging & display products, handheld programmers, bellhousings, and clutches for street performance, race, and marine applications. Among the company's owned divisions are brand names MSD Performance, Nitrous Oxide Systems (NOS), Weiand, Flowtech, Earl's Performance Plumbing, Hooker Headers, Demon Carburetion, Racepak, Superchips, Diablosport, Edge Products, Accel Ignition, Quick Time, Hays Clutches, Mr. Gasket, Lakewood, and Mallory Ignition.
Holley began in Bradford, Pennsylvania in 1896 when brothers George (1878-1963) and Earl Holley started a company to produce a small one-cylinder three-wheeled vehicle they dubbed the "Runabout", with a top speed of 30 mph. At the eve of the era of motorcars, the brothers decided to start the Holley Motor Company, and produced one four-wheeled model: "The Holley brothers built their first marketable automobile in 1902. They called it the Holley Motorette and it sold for $550. More than 600 were produced."
"Their first original carburetor, called the iron pot, appeared on the curved-dash Oldsmobile in 1904." In April 1905 Holley Brothers Company was established with an address at 661-75 Beaubien St., Detroit, Michigan. The brothers then concentrated on the manufacturing of carburetors and ignition systems. As a result of the Motorette Henry Ford commissioned the brothers to produce a carburetor for his Model T. "The carburetor they built for Ford was an immediate success and the brothers founded Holley Carburetor Co., which became one of Ford's biggest suppliers."