American Motors Incorporated Explained

American Motors Incorporated should not be confused with American Motors Corporation.

American Motors Incorporated (AMI) designed, manufactured, and sold a minivan for commercial delivery use in the late 1940s.

History

American Motors Incorporated was established around 1946. It was very short-lived; it does not seem to have been in operation after 1949. It had executive offices on Park Avenue in New York City, and a factory and service facility located upstate in Troy, New York.

Lack of success

Small delivery vehicles such as the Delcar did not succeed. Purchasers were limited by their carrying capacity. A larger truck can haul more cargo, resulting in less cost per mile traveled. Few niche market customers demand such a specialized service vehicle.[1]

Products

The company manufactured a minivan designed for business delivery uses called the Delcar. The wheelbase was only 60inches with a 251NaN1 engine, and it was priced at US$890. The Delcar was the first American vehicle with independent suspension on all four wheels, though the suspension used airplane landing gear-like rubber tension cords.[2]

One or more station wagons were produced using the same chassis, as well as the Delcar van. The station wagon could seat six passengers.[3]

References

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The TriVan and the curse of small delivery vehicles . Strohl . Daniel . 2007-01-01 . Hemmings Auto Blog . 2012-01-01 .
  2. Web site: Troy, New York - center of automotive manufacturing . Strohl . Daniel . 2006-12-23 . Hemmings Auto Blog . 2012-01-01 .
  3. Book: . G.N. . New Complete Encyclopedia of Motorcars, 1885-Present . 1982 . Penguin Group . 978-0-525-93254-3 . registration .