Elcar

Elcar

Company type	Private
Industry	Automotive
Predecessor	Pratt Motor Car Company
Founded	1915
Founder	William Pratt, George Pratt
Defunct	1931
Fate	Ceased operations
Headquarters	Elkhart, Indiana , United States
Products	Automobiles

The Elcar was an automobile manufactured in the United States between 1915 and 1931 by the Elkhart Carriage Company, which was owned by William and George Pratt from Elkhart, Indiana. Prior to entering the automotive industry, the company had accumulated more than three decades of expertise in carriage production.

Production

Initially focused on carriage manufacturing, the firm ventured into automobile production in 1909 under the Pratt-Elkhart name, continuing until 1915. Subsequently, it was renamed Pratt Motor Car Company, marketing vehicles simply as Pratt. Early offerings included models such as the 30/35 hp Elkhart (1905–1909), the 4.2-liter Sterling (1909–1911), and the Komet, which debuted in 1911.

The Pratt-Elkhart 40 was equipped with a four-cylinder engine displacing 4417 cc and delivering 40 horsepower. It featured a three-speed gearbox and rode on a 117-inch (2982 mm) wheelbase. Available body configurations included touring (T), open vestibule (F), roadster (R), and closed limousine (L). This model could achieve speeds up to 80 km/h and held a fuel capacity of 15 gallons (57 liters).

Introduced in 1915, the Elcar brand presented two models powered by Lycoming four-cylinder and Continental six-cylinder engines. By 1925, a Continental straight-eight engine option was added. In 1930, the company incorporated the innovative Lever engine developed by Alvah Leigh Powell; nevertheless, only four vehicles equipped with this engine were completed before production ended.

New York City contract

The company obtained a profitable agreement to supply "El-Fay" taxis to Larry Fay, a notable New York City entrepreneur and nightclub owner with documented ties to the organized crime.

Production model specifications

• Elcar Seven Passenger Sedan-8-80

Company demise

The financial turmoil of the Great Depression severely undermined Fay's economic standing. Arthur Martin Graffis, serving as bankruptcy trustee and interim president, spearheaded a two-year campaign to secure new investors. This effort included an attempt to rebrand the 1930 Elcar as a 1931 Mercer. Ultimately, the company ceased operations in 1931 after producing only two prototype units. Larry Fay was fatally shot in 1933 by an aggrieved employee.

References

• David Burgess Wise, The New Illustrated Encyclopedia of Automobiles