Carter Carburetor
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| Founded | 1909 in St. Louis, Missouri |
|---|---|
| Founder | William Carter |
| Defunct | 1985 |
| Parent | American Car and Foundry Company (from 1922) |
The Carter Carburetor Company was a leading American producer of carburetors serving the automotive sector, established in 1909 in St. Louis, Missouri by William Carter. Carter engineered a precision cast brass carburetor that improved fuel delivery compared to rival products. In 1922, ownership transferred to the American Car and Foundry Company. Following this, Carter maintained production of Ball & Ball designs utilized by Chrysler, having arranged a collaboration with the Ball family.
History
Carter developed specialized carburetors for Willys Jeep engines, enhancing their waterproofing to withstand demanding conditions. The firm launched the first American four-barrel carburetor for Buick’s 1952 straight-eight engine, and subsequently introduced the William Carter Four-Barrel (WCFB) on the 1955 Chrysler C300 model. Additional advancements included the Aluminum Four-Barrel (AFB) and Air Valve Secondaries (AVS), ultimately leading to the Thermo-Quad featuring a thermoplastic float bowl designed for Chrysler’s performance engines.
Under contract, Carter also produced Rochester Quadrajet carburetors which were identical except for branding, as well as licensed manufacturing of Weber three-barrel Type 40IDA units intended as replacements or fuel injection conversions for Porsche 911 S automobiles.
The rise of fuel injection technology led to the closure of Carter’s manufacturing facility in 1984. By 1985, American Car and Foundry discontinued all foundry operations and handed over the PCB-contaminated site to municipal authorities in St. Louis. Due to pollutants such as TCE and PCBs permeating from surface soil down to bedrock, the location was designated an EPA Superfund site. Cleanup expenses were projected at approximately US$30 million as of 2013.