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Continental Motors Company

From Alfawiki
Continental Motors Company
Company typePrivate
IndustryInternal combustion engines, automobile manufacturing
Founded1905
FateShifted focus to aircraft engines; ceased automobile manufacturing in 1934
Headquarters
United States
ProductsInternal combustion engines, automobiles (1932–1933)

Continental Motors Company was a U.S.-based manufacturer specializing in internal combustion engines, providing powerplants to independent producers of automobiles, tractors, trucks, and industrial machinery from the early 1900s until the 1960s. The company also briefly ventured into automobile manufacturing between 1932 and 1933 under the Continental Automobile Company brand. In 1929, the Continental Aircraft Engine Company was established to concentrate on aircraft engine development, which later became the primary focus of Continental Motors, Inc.

History

Established in 1905, Continental Motors debuted a four-cylinder, four-stroke L-head engine equipped with a single camshaft.

In August 1929, the company launched the Continental Aircraft Engine Company as a subsidiary dedicated exclusively to aircraft engine production.

Throughout the early 20th century, Continental supplied engines to numerous independent car manufacturers, including Durant Motors Corporation for its Star, Durant, Flint, and Rugby models. Following Durant’s bankruptcy in 1931, De Vaux-Hall Motors assembled vehicles using Durant’s body dies but went bankrupt by 1932. Subsequently, Continental took over assembly operations and marketed these cars as Continental-De Vaux for the remainder of that year.

In 1933, Continental introduced its own automobile lineup featuring three models: the six-cylinder Ace, the smaller six-cylinder Flyer, and the affordable four-cylinder Beacon. The Beacon roadster was notable for being the lowest-priced full-size vehicle in the United States during the 1930s at $335. Despite this competitive pricing, none of these models achieved commercial viability amid the economic challenges of the Great Depression. In Canada, Dominion Motors produced licensed versions of the Flyer and Beacon and imported Ace units before transitioning to Reo truck production. Due to financial losses, Continental discontinued both Ace and Flyer models after 1933 and ceased all vehicle assembly by 1934.

During World War II, Continental became a significant manufacturer of horizontally opposed flat-four aircraft engines and also supplied similar engines for Sherman tanks. Military contracts persisted through the Korean War but diminished as jet propulsion technology replaced piston engines. During this era, Kaiser Corporation—using Continental engines in its vehicles—acquired one of Continental’s engine manufacturing plants. As downsizing occurred, many engineers from Continental moved on to other automotive companies such as American Motors and Chevrolet.

In the mid-1960s, Kaiser introduced America’s first mass-produced overhead camshaft (OHC) inline six-cylinder engine in Jeep vehicles, derived from a Continental design. Although overhead camshaft engines had appeared earlier in Stutz automobiles during the late 1920s and early 1930s, their production was limited.

As of May 2025, select John Deere tractor models continue to utilize Continental engines following ownership transfer to Korea, as indicated on engine identification tags.

Types

Continental manufactured a variety of engines for U.S. military applications, including both licensed designs and proprietary developments.

Inline: The company produced several traditional gasoline inline six-cylinder engines for trucks, such as the COA331 (licensed from REO), 6602, 22R, and AO895 (also employed in armored vehicles). Later designs included multifuel variants like the M-A-N licensed LDS427 and LD465 models, along with the turbocharged LDT465 tailored for truck use.

Radial: In the late 1930s, air-cooled radial aircraft engines with seven and nine cylinders were adapted for use in armored vehicles. The W670 and R975 models earned a reputation for reliability during campaigns in North Africa but experienced limited further development afterward.

Opposed: After World War II, an air-cooled opposed six-cylinder engine was developed specifically for armored vehicles. All versions were supercharged; carbureted AOS895-3 models were succeeded by fuel-injected -5 variants that enhanced fuel economy without increasing power output.

V type: In the early 1950s, an air-cooled V12 engine was introduced for armored vehicle applications. The AVSI-1790 model eventually evolved into the diesel AVDS-1790 version, which was commonly retrofitted into earlier armored vehicle models.

Automobiles

A wide range of automobile manufacturers utilized Continental engines in their vehicles, thereby strengthening their product lines. Prominent users included:

  • Abbott-Detroit
  • Ace
  • Anderson
  • Apperson
  • Auburn
  • Bantam Reconnaissance Car (Y112 4-cylinder, recognized as the initial Jeep during WWII)
  • Barley
  • Bay State
  • Beggs
  • Benham
  • Bendix
  • Birmingham Motors
  • Stutz Blackhawk
  • Bour-Davis
  • Bush (1916)
  • Cardway
  • Case
  • Checker (prior to 1965)
  • Colby
  • Columbia Automobile Company
  • Comet
  • Continental
  • Corbitt
  • Crawford
  • Dagmar
  • Darling
  • Davis Motor Car Company
  • Briggs-Detroiter
  • De Vaux
  • Diana Motors Company
  • Dodge
  • Du Pont Motors
  • Durant Motors (including Durant, Eagle, Flint, Star)
  • Economy
  • Elcar
  • Empire (1910)
  • Enger Motor Car Company
  • Erskine
  • Ferris
  • Ghent
  • Graham-Paige (including Graham)
  • Hanson
  • Hansa
  • Hertz Corporation
  • Hollier
  • Howard Motor International Corporation
  • Howmet TX (turbine race car)
  • Huffman Bros.
  • Imperial Automobile Company
  • Jaeger
  • Jewett
  • Jones

This broad clientele demonstrates Continental's substantial presence and competitive strength in engine production across various automotive segments.

Motorcycles

  • Indian (models produced before 1953)

Trucks and buses

Continental engines were also widely employed in trucks and buses by numerous manufacturers:

Tractors

Several tractor models featured Continental engines either throughout their entire production or during specific periods:

Other Vehicles

(Engine configurations often changed during production or service life)

Trucks

    • The Bantam Reconnaissance Car (BRC) was a ½ ton (227 kg) 4x4 equipped with a 112 cu in gasoline inline-four engine producing 45 hp
    • The M35 series featured a 2½ ton (2268 kg) 6x6 design powered by various gasoline and multifuel inline-six engines rated up to 175 hp
    • M54 series trucks had a 5 ton (4536 kg) 6x6 configuration utilizing gasoline inline-six engines up to 602 cu in displacement
    • G116 trucks weighed 10 tons (9272 kg) with a six-wheel drive and a 501 cu in gasoline inline-six engine generating 145 hp
    • M249 and M250 tractors were four-wheel drive units for the "Atomic Cannon" equipped with an 895 cu in gasoline opposed-six engine producing up to 375 hp

Gun motor carriages and tractors

    • The M5 tractor weighed approximately 13 tons (11793 kg) and was powered by a 572 cu in gasoline engine delivering 207 hp
    • The M7 Priest self-propelled howitzer utilized a 973 cu in gasoline engine producing 400 hp alongside its 105 mm gun
    • The M8 tractor had a weight of about 16 tons (14515 kg) with an 895 cu in gasoline engine outputting 500 hp
    • Models such as the M12, M18, M40, M42 Duster, M43 howitzer motor carriage, M44, M52, M53, and M55 self-propelled howitzer were equipped with various artillery calibers and engines ranging up to fuel-injected gasoline V12s delivering between 500 and 810 hp

Landing vehicles and carriers

    • Variants of the Landing Vehicle Tracked (LVT) series used gasoline R7 engines producing as much as 262 hp
    • The LVPT-5 was fitted with a fuel-injected gasoline V12 engine capable of generating 1020 hp
    • Armored personnel carriers such as the M75 and M76 were powered by gasoline opposed-four engines rated at approximately 707 hp

Tanks

    • Light tanks included models like the M3 Stuart with a 37 mm gun and the M41 Walker Bulldog armed with a 76 mm gun
    • Medium tanks encompassed the M3 Lee with a 75 mm gun, Sherman medium tanks with either a 75 or 76 mm gun, as well as the Patton series—M47, M48, and M60—equipped with gasoline or diesel V12 engines producing up to 1020 hp and armaments ranging from 75 mm to 105 mm guns
    • The heavy tank model M103 featured either gasoline or diesel V12 powerplants delivering up to 1020 hp alongside a formidable 120 mm gun

Armored recovery vehicles (based on tank chassis with winch capacities)

    • The M31 utilized the M3 chassis with an approximate winch capacity of 60,000 pounds
    • The M32 was built on the M4 chassis also featuring around a 60,000-pound winch capacity
    • Heavier recovery vehicles such as the M51 and the M88, based on heavy tank platforms, offered winch capacities near 90,000 pounds and were powered by fuel-injected gasoline V12 engines capable of producing up to 1020 hp

Engines

Citations
Sources

External links

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