Cadillac was founded by Henry Leland and named after the founder of Detroit who was actually his ancestor. Cadillac was responsible for making parts so precise that they were interchangeable. To prove this they disassembled 3 or 4 vehicles and mixed the parts up and rebuilt them. I believe at one time Caddy used a slogan “Standard Of The Industry”. This is the origin of that slogan.
Here in Lancaster County, PA they have what’s called the “Thresherman’s Reunion” at the Rough & Tumble Engineer’s Society grounds every August, in Kinzers, PA. It’s like an antique car show except it’s old farm tractors and stuff. Everything from honest to goodness steam rollers/shovels to early garden tractors to the old traction engines with the huge flywheels that drove a leather drive belt that could take your head off if you got in its way. Anyway, the first time I went to this event, in the mid nineties, I was surprised too see more than a couple Mercedes and Porsche farm tractors. I ran this, to me, amazing fact past an old-timer who was there. He goes, “Oh yeah; everybody knows that, but did you know John Deere made a car?” Something in his demeanor told me he wasn’t putting me on.
Anybody know anything about this? Could John Deere have started out by making automobiles instead of farm implements?!
Karl, JD invented his self scouring plow in the 1830’s, well before the auto. I did not know about P & M tractors.
Did you know Mack made a pickup in the 30’s? It was called the Mack Jr. Supposedly there are about a dozen surviving in the U.S.
A little off the subject, but who here knows what the band “REO Speedwagon” was named for, and why would everyone know the founder?
They apparently named themselves after Ransom E. Olds’ “REO Speedwagon”, even though that band seems to want their name pronounced as initials, rather than as the “word” Reo.
After Ransom Olds sold his fledgling car company to General Motors, he went back into the car business, using his initials as the brand name of his new (very superior) car. However, it was always referred to as “The REO”, not the R.E.O.
Yep, and the Speedwagon was a truck:
Right, Meaneyed, no way could John Deere Company have made a car before they made farm implements like the steel plow, but maybe before they made gasoline tractors.
I would love to have one of those Mack pickups.
The Wright brothers had a bicycle shop.
Pratt & Whitney made guns and gun making machinery during the Civil War.
Yamaha made pianos and other musical instruments before they made motorcycles, their trademark represents three crossed tuning forks. They still make musical instruments today.
Misubishi made aircraft. The famed Japanese “Zero” was built by Misubishi.
Triumph made bicycles before they made motorcycles.
BMW originally made airplane engines.
BSA made guns before they made motorcycles.
Studebaker made horse drawn carriages long before the horseless carriage was invented, the Budweiser wagon was built by Studebaker.
Bridgestone made a line of motorcycles during the '60s.
Dupont started as a gunpowder mill.
B.L.E. …Mitsubishi started as a shipping company (ocean going) and then they expanded into other things. They also made tanks for WWII. …BMW made airplane engines as you already stated and then made motorcycles before automobiles …BSA made guns, you are correct, it stood for Birmingham Small Arms.
For you hockey fans…ever wonder what CCM stood for? It is Canadian Cycle and Motor. The company produced bicycles and a car called the Russel. When the market for expensive cars went south during WWI it was sold to Willys Overland. They have been producing hockey equipment since the early 1900’s
So Dupont makes cars now? The list of companies that made one thing and then made another is endless, and dare I say, off-topic.
Actually, DuPont did make cars, just a different DuPont:
I thank you for proving my point. If I were to mention the Ford modeling agency, that would also be off topic, for the same reason. Henry Ford’s literary career, on the other hand, bears examination.
“The original Mr. Honda (don’t remember his first name) realized a need for more transportation in post war Japan and started putting motors on bicycles in his garage. With some success he expanded into small motorcycles and built the business from there. Before his bikes got the the USA there were small Honda motorbikes all over the far east.”
And before bicycles, Honda made piston rings for Toyota.
I didn’t know that about Toyota and textiles. I do know several years ago, we went downtown in Mexico City, and I bought my wife a new Toyota sewing machine.
She also has her grandma’s old treadle Singer machine, made in Elizabeth, NJ in 1910. It works like new, also. But, I bet that Toyota won’t be working perfectly when it’s 100 years old.
irlandes…But, I bet that Toyota won’t be working perfectly when it’s 100 years old…I agree 100%
In the early days (the brass era) St Louis manufactured more vehicles than Detroit.
But how did they fare against Kenosha?
Mauser made rifles, hair clippers, and adding machines before they made automobiles.
In the 60s they used to say that Pope made baby carriages before they made cars. Pope was defunct even then. No wonder Hartford Connecticut is known for insurance companies.
Who says my info isn’t current?