Flanders Automobile Company
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive |
| Founded | 1910 in Detroit, Michigan, United States |
| Founder | Walter E. Flanders |
| Defunct | 1913 |
| Fate | Acquired by Studebaker, merged into Studebaker brand |
| Headquarters | Detroit , United States |
Area served | United States, Canada |
Key people | Walter E. Flanders, Bernard F. Everitt, William Metzger |
| Products | Automobiles (Model "20", Model "50-Six") |
| Parent | Studebaker (from 1912) |
The Flanders Automobile Company was a short-lived American car manufacturer located in Detroit, Michigan, active between 1910 and 1913. Its vehicles were exclusively sold through Studebaker dealerships.
Walter E. Flanders (1871–1923), who previously served as General Factory Manager at Ford's Piquette Avenue facility and co-developed the production techniques used for the Model T Ford, applied his industry knowledge to establish the company. In 1908, he partnered with Bernard F. Everitt and William Metzger to create the E-M-F Automobile Company in Detroit. E-M-F initially offered two models: the "30" and the "20". Although the "30" model had its shortcomings, it achieved moderate success but never surpassed the sales of Ford’s dominant Model T.
Flanders convinced the Studebaker brothers—key shareholders in E-M-F and exclusive distributors in the U.S.—to purchase the idle DeLux Motor Company plant in Detroit to produce a new rival to Ford. As a result, E-M-F ceased production of the "20" model to concentrate on the "30", while Flanders launched a new "20" model inspired by the smaller E-M-F design.
Flanders Model "20"
The Model "20" was equipped with a 4-cylinder engine and featured a wheelbase. When introduced in 1909, its price was set at $750, undercutting Ford’s Model T at that time; however, as Ford progressively reduced its pricing, the Flanders model became relatively more expensive. By 1911, combined production from E-M-F and Flanders placed them second in U.S. automobile manufacturing volume.
Initially, two body configurations were available: a 2-passenger runabout priced at $750 and a 4-passenger touring car at $790. By 1911, additional styles were introduced alongside lower prices: the runabout fell to $700; the suburban replaced the touring car at $725; a 3-passenger roadster was also $725; and the first enclosed variant, a 3-passenger coupé, was offered for $925. In its final production year of 1912, the lineup expanded to include a touring car costing $800 with an extended wheelbase of , while prices ranged from $750 for the roadster up to $1,000 for the coupé.
Flanders automobiles were also produced in Canada by E-M-F Company of Canada LTD located in Walkerville, Ontario.
In 1912, Studebaker completed its acquisition of both E-M-F and Flanders, merging them under the Studebaker brand name. Over its three years of operation, Flanders manufactured a total of 31,514 vehicles.
Flanders Model "50-Six"
Bernard F. Everitt and William Metzger—former associates from E-M-F—developed an automobile similar to the "30" model Everitt had introduced along with a larger "Six-48" featuring an air pressure starter system. These were offered as a 3-passenger roadster priced at $2,200 and a 7-passenger touring car at $2,250.
Following Flanders’ return to the company, it underwent restructuring from Metzger Company to Everitt Motor Company and eventually rebranded as Flanders Motor Company by late 1912.
Under this new identity, only one six-cylinder vehicle—the model "50-Six"—was produced. This car was essentially an upgraded version of the Everitt Six-48 equipped with electric lighting and an electric starter.
Production numbers remained low; just a few units of this 130-inch wheelbase model were completed before Walter Flanders was hired by Benjamin Briscoe to revive the faltering United States Motor Company. Flanders streamlined this conglomerate by shutting down all brands except Maxwell, which later developed into Chrysler Corporation.