Knox Automobile

It is associated with United States. The record gives 1900 as its date of establishment or first appearance. Activity is recorded as ending in 1924. Its recorded seat is Springfield. The recorded field of activity is automotive industry. Recorded products are car.

• Name — Knox Automobile Company • Fate — Bankruptcy • Successor — Knox Motor Company • Defunct —, • Hq Location — Springfield, Massachusetts, United States • Industry — Automotive industry • Key People — Harry A. Knox, Elihu H. Cutler • Products — Automobiles • Production — 10,835 • Illustration — According to the 1905 advertisement, there are supposed to be more Knox commercial cars than from all the other manufacturers combined • Illustration — Knox „Atlas“ 3t (1905) 24 hp • Illustration — Knox Model 15 (1909) • Illustration — Knox Model 18 (1909) • Illustration — Knox Model 20 (1909) • Illustration — Knox Trucks (1910) • Illustration — Knox-Martin ladder truck (1911) • Illustration — Knox Martin Tractor (1913) • Illustration — Knox fire truck (1919)

Harry Austin Knox built three experimental gasoline cars at Overman Wheel Company between 1895 and 1898. He left Overman when they decided to build a steam car. Knox joined with his former employer, Elihu H. Cutler of the Elektron Company to form the Knox Automobile Company in Springfield Massachusetts in 1900. The Waltham Watch Company factory was purchased and Knox built 15 cars in their first year. The Knox Model A was a three-wheel runabout with a 5-hp one-cylinder air-cooled engine. In 1902 a four-wheel runabout and a 8-hp two-cylinder engine joined the model line-up. Early cars were called Knoxmobile with the Waterless Knox being used from 1903. A slogan used was "The Car That Never Drinks". In some models, passengers rode up front over the front axle while the driver and another passenger sat in the back over the engine.

The flat-mounted single-cylinder engine was air-cooled. Rather than flanges to improve the efficiency of cooling, 1,750 threaded 3/16 in diameter rods were screwed into the cylinder casing as projecting studs, which led to the engine sometimes being referred to as "Old Porcupine". A 2-speed planetary transmission was fitted. This engine was situated at the center of the car and produced 8 hp. It was also called a "hedgehog". The one-cylinder engine was used until 1905. In 1902 a two-cylinder version was added that was used up to 1907.

Knox pricing for the one-cylinder and two-cylinder models went for a low price in 1900 of $750, to medium-priced by 1904. A 1904 Knox Tuxedo Touring model, equipped with a straight-twin engine producing 16 hp, was priced at $2,200,. In late 1904 Knox left the company over a disagreement on policy with Elihu Cutler. Knox set-up a new business across town to build the Atlas air-cooled car. In 1906 Knox Automobile Company introduced the Model G, a 40-hp air-cooled four-cylinder engine on a 112-inch wheelbase. With a limousine body priced at $5,000, Knox had entered the luxury car market. The two-cylinder models were phased out in 1907 and all Knox's became mid-priced to high-priced cars. Knox progressively improved their models, moving the engine from under the seat to up front under a hood and going from chain-driven to shaft-drive. In 1908 a water-cooled four-cylinder engine was introduced and customers could choose air-cooled or pay $100 more for water-cooled models. A six-cylinder engine became available in 1910 and all Knox's became water-cooled. Only luxury-priced Knox's were offered after 1910. • Illustration — #32 Knox (USA) driven by Fred Belcher in the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup race • Illustration — 1911 Knox Model R Raceabout

The Knox was raced by William Bourque in the 1909 AAA Championship Car race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In 1910 a Knox was driven by Fred Belcher in the Vanderbilt Cup race.

By 1912 Knox sales were slipping and a receiver was called in. The last Knox automobiles were built in 1914 and Knox was declared bankrupt in 1915. Knox reorganized as the Knox Motors Corporation and continued to build tractors and trucks until 1924. Afterwards Harry Knox moved on to design tanks for the US Army Ordnance Department; his T1 Light Tank wasn't adopted, but his Vertical volute spring suspension and his track design were used on almost all American tanks of the WWII, and he designed its replacement HVSS, which served until 1980s in some countries, as well. • Illustration — Knox tractor-trailer, Salt Lake City, 1915. Note chain drive, common in this era.

• Illustration — alt= 1903 Knox Model C Runabout • Illustration — 1904 Knox Two Cylinder Touring • Illustration — alt= 1905 Knox Model F Surrey • Illustration — 1905 Knox Lenox • Illustration — alt= 1906 Knox Model G Touring • Illustration — alt= 1909 Knox Model O Tonneauette • Illustration — alt= 1910 Knox Model S Touring • Illustration — alt= Knox Model M-3 (1911-1912)

• Model — Year — Cylinders — Horsepower — Wheelbase • A — 1900–1902 — 1 — 5 bhp • Two Cylinder — 1902 — 2 — 8 bhp • B — 1902 — 1 — 8 bhp — 69 in • C — 1903 — 1 — 8 bhp — 72 in • Two Cylinder — 1904 — 2 — 18 bhp — 84 in • One Cylinder — 1904 — 1 — 10 bhp — 72 in • E — 1905 — 1 — 10 bhp — 72 in • F-3 — 1905–1906 — 2 — 16 bhp — 87 in • F-1 — 1905–1906 — 2 — 16 bhp — 81 in • F — 1905–1906 — 2 — 16 bhp — 90 in • 41 — 1905–(1907) — 1 — 10 bhp — 78 in • 39 — 1905–? — 2 — 18 bhp — 96 in • F-4 — 1906–1907 — 2 — 16 bhp — 81 in • 102 — 1906–(1907) — 2 — 16 bhp — 111 in • G — 1906–1908 — 4 — 40 bhp — 112 in • H — 1907–1909 — 4 — 30 bhp — 102 in • 232 — 1908- — 4 — 30 bhp — 111 in • L — 1908 — 4 — 30 bhp — 102 in • O — 1909 — 4 — 38 bhp — 102 – • M — 1909–1910 — 4 — 48 bhp — 127 in • S — 1910–1912 — 6 — 60 bhp — 134 in • R — 1910–1912 — 4 — 40 bhp — 117 – • R-45 — 1912 — 4 — 40 bhp — 126 in • 66 — 1913 — 6 — 60 bhp — 134 in • 46 — 1913–1914 — 6 — 46 bhp — 130 – • 45 — 1913–1914 — 4 — 40 bhp — 126 in • 44 — 1913–1914 — 4 — 40 bhp — 117 –

• Year — Automobiles — Models — Truck Model • 1900 — 15 — A • 1901 — 100 — A • 1902 — 250 — A; Two Cylinder; B • 1903 — 500 — C • 1904 — 553 — Two Cylinder; One Cylinder • 1905 — 572 — E; F-3; F-1; F; 41; 39 — “Atlas“ 3 t,24 hp • 1906 — 753 — F-3; F-1; F; 41; F-4; 102; G • 1907 — 1,000 — 41; F-4; 102; G; H • 1908 — 1,215 — G; H; L • 1909 — 1,317 — H; O; M — 15 (3 tons); 18 (5 tons); 20 (3-4 tons) • 1910 — 1,412 — M; S; R • 1911 — 1,215 — S; R — M 3 • 1912 — 877 — S; R; R-45 — M-3 • 1913 — 673 — 66; 46; 45; 44 • 1914 — 383 — 46; 45; 44 • Total — 10,835 • 1915 • 1916 • 1917 • 1918 • 1919 — 35 (6,5 tons); 36 (6,5 tons) • 1920 — 36 (5 tons); 36 (5 tons all-wheel drive) • 1921 — 36 (5 tons); 36 (5 tons all-wheel drive) • 1922 — 35 (5 tons); 36 (10 tons) • 1923 — 35 (5 tons); 36 (10 tons) • 1924 — 35 (5 tons); 36 (10 tons)