DURYEA & STEVENS-DURYEA Born: 1896
Nationality: American
Though not well known to the general public, motoring historians generally attribute the birth of the American car industry to Charles and Frank Duryea, sons of German immigrants. Charles had a bicycle business in Peoria, Illinois, and he commissioned his machinist brother to make a "motor wagon" which he had designed. In 1892 the 3-wheel tiller-steered vehicle drove 200 feet at 7.5mph.
Frank continued development at his home in Springfield, Massachusetts, and in 1895 built a second car that was much more to his satisfaction. He entered it in America's first car road race, a 54-mile course that took nearly eight hours to finish. Frank Duryea's 2-cylinder vehicle was first across the line, beating three Benzes from Germany and two electric cars.
In 1896 the fledgling Duryea Motor Wagon company, in what is accepted as the first series production of motor vehicles in America, produced and sold 13 identical cars. Continuing the promotion through road racing, Frank and Charles came first and second in the Memorial Day Cosmopolitan Race in New York. A third driver of a Duryea wasn't so fortunate - he was involved in America's first recorded car accident and was jailed. Frank also brought a car to England and won the first London to Brighton race handsomely.
Back in Peoria, Charles wasn't having much luck in getting investment and the brothers began to argue about the firm's future. In 1898 they sold their interests to the National Motor Carriage Company.
Charles set up the Duryea Manufacturing Company, but though he designed several new vehicles, including the Duryea Motor Trap with a 3-cylinder engine, he never managed to get it built in serious numbers. Before he died in 1938 he had built a number of individual cars over the years, but never got back into series production. Three copies of his last car, the sweet-looking Duryea Gem Cyclecar, are still in existence.
Frank in the meantime had joined with the Stevens Arms and Tool Company in a venture to build cars. The first cars were sold in 1902, a Model H with a 2-cylinder 5hp engine. The 7hp Model L was introduced the following year.
In 1904, the Stevens-Duryea Company was formed and a year later it was producing the Model R, which had a 4-cylinder engine and 20hp. It sold very well. A 1906 Model S had a 6-cylinder engine and 50hp available - with 900 units produced that year the company was well on its way to profitability. The 1907 Model U Light Six was a less powerful version of the S, and helped to push profits to the $1 million mark for the first time.
Through to 1909, when Duryea suffered a nervous breakdown and had to suspend his activities as chief engineer, the company produced a range of 4- and 6-cylinder cars which were built to a very high quality.
In 1914, the partnership between the Stevens Arms and Tool Company and Frank Duryea was terminated, and Frank gained total control of the company. But a year later, in poor health, he sold the plant and equipment to Westinghouse and liquidated his own business. A new car company, Stevens-Duryea Inc, formed in 1919, had no connection with any member of the Duryea family. It produced a number of models, designated E until 1925, and ceased production in 1927 with the last production of a Model G.
BEST CAR: Of the original Duryeas, the 1896 Duryea Motor Wagon because it was the first series production automobile. Otherwise the magnificent 1913 Stevens-Duryea CC 7 touring car, pictured
WORST CAR: Not documented
WEIRDEST CAR: The 1899 prototype from Charles of a 3-wheeler with a "trailer" to carry two extra passengers. Fumes and dust from the "tow car" made it impractical