Selden Motor Vehicle Company
The Selden Motor Vehicle Company was a Brass Era American manufacturer of automobiles. The company, founded in 1906, was based in Rochester, New York, and built automobiles from 1907 to 1914 and trucks from 1913 to 1932.
Selden Motor Vehicle Company

Karl W. Barnes · Work is a scan of a page from the 1908 Handbook of Gasoline Automobiles by Karl W. Barnes. · Public domain
- Name
- Selden Motor Vehicle Company
- Founded
- 1905
- Headquarters
- Rochester
- Activity
- automotive industry
- Products
- car
- Dissolved
- 1932
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Documentary summary
The Selden Motor Vehicle Company was a Brass Era American manufacturer of automobiles. The company, founded in 1906, was based in Rochester, New York, and built automobiles from 1907 to 1914 and trucks from 1913 to 1932.
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wikidata · Q1389061 · wikipedia · Selden Motor Vehicle Company
In this article
Overview
Overview
It is associated with United States. The record gives 1905 as its date of establishment or first appearance. Activity is recorded as ending in 1932. Its recorded seat is Rochester. The recorded field of activity is automotive industry. Recorded products are car.

A 1911 Selden Advertisement - Model 46, Six-passenger, Tandem Torpedo, Price $2,600
Syracuse Post-Standard
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Selden Motor Vehicle Company • Industry — Automotive • Predecessor — Buffalo Gasoline Motor Company • Founder — George Baldwin Seldon • Hq Location — Rochester, New York • Hq Location Country — United States • Key People — George B. Selden, E. T. Birdsall, Frederick A. Law • Products — Automobiles • Production — 7,424 • Production Year — 1908-1914 • Illustration — Selden Patent No. 549,160 • Illustration — 1908 Selden Model 25 • Illustration — Selden Model 29 (1909-1910) • Illustration — Selden Model 35 T (1910) • Illustration — Selden Model 35 R (1910) • Illustration — Selden Model 35 P (1910) • Illustration — Selden Trucks Logo (1918) • Illustration — Selden Model J (1914) • Illustration — Selden Special (1919) • Illustration — Selden 37 C (1929) • Illustration — Selden 47 (1929) • Illustration — Selden plant (1912)
History
History
The Selden Motor Vehicle Company was founded by George B. Selden, whose 1877 patent was the first U.S. patent of a "horseless carriage" which because of numerous later amendments was not granted until 1895. To make the patent more credible, in 1907 Selden built a car on the lines of the 1877 design. This patent would be declared "unenforceable" in 1911. E. T. Birdsall designed the first Selden, a 30hp 4-cylinder car placed on the market in June 1907. A car in the $2,000 to $2,500 price range, the Selden grew from a 109-inch wheelbase car to a 125-inch wheelbase. In 1911 George Selden's patent was declared unenforceable, and his factory had a fire that summer. Insurance covered the damages and production continued. Late in 1911, the company was reorganized internally, with Frederick A. Law, formerly with Columbia became designer and plant superintendent. The last Selden passenger cars were built in 1914. In 1913, the company began production of Selden trucks and this successfully continued until the company's sale to the Hahn Motor Truck Company of Hamburg, Pennsylvania in 1930. Hahn and Selden went out of business in 1932. George B. Selden died in 1923.
Production models
Production models
• Selden Model 25 • Selden Model 29 • Selden Model 35 • Selden Model 46 Trucks 1914 • Model J • Wheelbase 125 inches = 3175 mm. • Model JL • Wheelbase 145 inches = 3683 mm. 1918 • Model G (0,75 to) • Model TXL (1 to) • Model TXR (1 to) • Model TWL (1 to) • Model JCB (2 to) • Model JWB (2 to) • Model NL (3,5 to) • Model DL (5 to) 1919 • Model Special (1,5 to) • Model JWBL (2 to) • Model 3,5 (3,5 to) • Model DL (5 to) 1920 • Model 1,5-A (1,5 to) • Model 2,5-A-11 (2,5 to) • Model 2,5-A-14 (2,5 to) • Model 3,5-A-14 (3,5 to) • Model 3,5-A-16 (3,5 to) • Model 5-A-12,5 (5 to) • Model 5-A-16 (5 to) 1929 • Model 37 C • Model 47
Advertisements
Advertisements
• Illustration — 1909 Selden Model 29 advertisement • Illustration — 1910 Selden Model 35 advertisement • Illustration — 1911 Selden Model 46 advertisement • Illustration — Selden advertisement (1912) • Illustration — 1920 Selden Motor Trucks advertisement
Places
Named by the record
Places
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- United States
Citations
References
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reference work
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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