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The History of Autocar
This automobile is believed to be the first shaft-driven car constructed in the United States. It was designed by Louis S. Clarke in 1901. Clarke was president and engineer of the Autocar company at the time. In November 1901, this car was driven from the factory in Ardmore, Pa., to the auto show in New York City's Madison Square Garden in just over six hours.
The Autocar Company began life as the Pittsburg Motor Car Company in 1897. Its president, Louis S. Clarke, was an early auto engineer who was one of the designers of a three-wheel, gasoline-powered tricycle in 1897 (also in the Smithsonian collection). In 1899, the company moved to Ardmore, Pa., and changed its name to the Autocar Company. The Autocar Company began to make trucks as well as cars in 1907 and switched over to making trucks exclusively after 1911. In 1953, the White Motor Car Company bought a controlling interest in Autocar and moved the company to Exton, Pa. In the 1980s, Volvo bought the name, and the company/name changed hands again in 2001.
