Cole Motor Car Company - Early Years

Early Years

Joseph J. Cole made his first attempt to build a car in 1903 at Rockford, Illinois. Together with his son, he owned a shop where they sold wheels, automobiles, motor bikes and even lawn mowers, as well as perform mechanical repairs. Together, they worked on a 4-cylinder touring car that was planned to be sold as the Rockford. The project went nowhere, and instead they opened a Rambler automobile dealership.

In 1904, Cole bought the Gates-Osborne Carriage Company and soon renamed it the Cole Carriage Company. There, he built his first automobile. It was a high-wheeled motor buggy with a two-cylinder engine. Legend goes that he forgot to fit brakes on this car. So, on his first trip, he had to drive until the tank was empty.

At that time, the Cole Carriage Company already built ca. 3,000 carriages and coaches per year. Production of this car started in the same year, assisted by engineer Charles S. Crawford, who later worked for Stutz. The new car was marketed as the "Cole Solid Tire Automobile". About 170 of these high wheelers were sold before Cole wisely decided that these kind of cars had no future.

In June 1909, Cole Carriage Company was reorganized as the Cole Motor Car Company and developed a conventional small car, the Cole Model 30. Initially, it had a two-cylinder engine that delivered 14 HP and rode on a 90-inch (2,300 mm) wheelbase. The only body style was a runabout that he offered with 2, 2/4 or 4 seats at $725, $750, or $775, respectively. The Solid Tire Automobile was still available. About 100 cars were built.