The Locomobile Company of America was an early American automobile manufacturer that was founded in 1899 with a dedication to precision before the assembly-line era. The company started in Watertown, Massachusetts and later moved to Bridgeport, Connecticut in 1900 where it remained until its closure in 1929. At first, the company produced affordable, small steam cars, but in 1903, the focus shifted entirely to internal combustion-powered luxury automobiles. Locomobile was acquired by Durant Motors in 1922 but eventually went bankrupt in 1929. Throughout its history, all cars produced by the original company were sold under the Locomobile brand name.
History
The Locomobile Company of America was founded in 1899 by John B. Walker and Amzi L. Barber, who purchased plans for a steam-powered vehicle from Francis and Freelan Stanley. Locomobile initially produced steam cars, but they were unreliable and finicky to operate. In 1902, Locomobile began experimenting with gasoline internal combustion engines and dropped steam vehicles the following year, selling the Stanley brothers back their rights for $20,000. The company offered seven body styles at prices between $600 and $1,400, and by 1904 had improved boilers and a new water pump. Locomobile served as a generator and searchlight tractor during the Boer War, becoming the first automobile to be used in war. In 1903, Samuel Todd Davis, Jr. became President of the Locomobile Company after Barber relinquished his position to his son-in-law.
