Regal (automobile)
 Regal logo from 1913 brochure | |
 Regal factory postcard 1912 | |
| Industry | Automotive |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1908 |
| Founder | Lambert brothers, Fred W. Haines |
| Defunct | 1918 |
| Fate | Bankruptcy |
| Headquarters | Detroit, Michigan, |
Key people | Charles R. Lambert, J. E. Lambert, Bert Lambert, Fred Haines, Paul Arthur |
| Products | Automobiles |
Production output | 52,544 (1908-1918) |
The Regal was an American automobile produced by the Regal Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan, from 1907 to 1918.[1][2]
History[edit]
The Regal Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan was established in 1908 as a partnership between brothers Charles R., J. E. and Bert Lambert and Fred W. Haines. The Regal was a medium-sized and medium-priced automobile designed by Paul Arthur. The car was widely publicized and a factory stock 30-hp Regal nicknamed "Plugger" crossed the country 5 times in 1909 and 1910 covering 22,000 miles. Regal four-cylinder engines were their own design while automobile bodies came from the Fisher coachworks of Detroit.[3]
Regal introduced an Underslung chassis model late in 1910 which added to its sporting image. In 1915 a V-8 engine and a light four-cylinder engine designed by S. G. Jenks were introduced that were manufactured by the Port Huron Construction Company.[2] Regal pricing was competitive, in 1911 pricing started at $900 (equivalent to $29,430 in 2023) for a Runabout to $1,650 (equivalent to $53,955 in 2023) for a Fore-Door Touring car. Regal was among the leaders in U.S. automobile exporting.[3]
Material shortages due to the First World War slowed production and Regal Motor Car Company ran out of operating funds. In February 1918, creditors elected to liquidate the company. The factory was purchased and kept open for a short while making spare parts.[3]
Regal Britain[edit]
In addition to American sales, from 1911 the cars were exported to Britain. The Seabrook Brothers who had a large automotive accessories business, branded the Regal as RMC and Seabrook-RMC for the British market. The First World War interrupted the supply from Regal and Seabrook turned to importing Napoleon trucks for the war effort.[1]
Regal Canada[edit]
In 1910 an attempt was made to assemble the Regal across the river from Detroit in Walkersville, Ontario, Canada, but very few were made.[1]
Henry Nyberg who had made cars under his own name, and was involved with the Madison automobile, set up Canadian Regal Motors, Ltd in Berlin (later Kitchener, Ontario) in 1914.[1]
The factory was the first in Canada to have a proper test track and test hill. It also had a club building with reading rooms, pool and dining rooms for factory workers with a separate one for white collar staff.[1]
A 30-hp four-cylinder Regal and the V8 Regal were produced. Local bodywork was used on the Regal components shipped from Detroit. Between 200 and 400 cars were sold up to the end of 1916 when supply problems arose with the Detroit factory. Due to World War I, Regal Motor Company in Detroit closed down.
Nyberg closed and sold the factory in 1918 and built another factory next door to build the Saxon automobile. When this didn't happen, he made the Dominion unit, which converted cars into light trucks.[1]
Advertisements[edit]
-
Regal Motor Cars brochure cover -
1908 Regal advertisement Cycle & Automobile Trade Journal -
1910 Regal 25 advertisement in Motor World -
1913 Seabrook R.M.C. advertisement -
1914 Regal advertisement in The Horseless Age -
1917 Regal advertisement in Motor Age
Models[edit]
| Year | Model | Type | Cylinders | Horsepower | wheelbase (cm) | Body Style |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1908 | Twenty-Five | 4 | 25 | 254 | Touring Car, Runabout | |
| 1909 | Thirty | 4 | 30 | 267 | Touring Car, Runabout, Baby Tonneau | |
| 1910 | Thirty | 4 | 30 | 272 | Touring Car, Runabout, Coupé, Limousine | |
| 1910 | Forty | 4 | 40 | 312 | Touring Car | |
| 1911 | Twenty | Model N | 4 | 20 | 254 | Runabout |
| 1911 | Thirty | Model L | 4 | 30 | 279 | Touring Car |
| 1911 | Thirty | Model LF | 4 | 30 | 279 | Fore-Door Touring Car |
| 1911 | Forty | Model S | 4 | 40 | 312 | Touring Car |
| 1911 | Forty | Model SF | 4 | 40 | 312 | Fore-Door Touring Car |
| 1912 | Twenty-Five | Model N | 4 | 25 | 254 | Runabout |
| 1912 | Twenty-Five | Model NC | 4 | 25 | 254 | Colonial Coupé |
| 1912 | Thirty | Model L | 4 | 30 | 279 | Touring Car |
| 1912 | Thirty | Model LF | 4 | 30 | 279 | Fore-Door Touring Car |
| 1912 | Thirty | Model LO | 4 | 30 | 279 | Torpedo |
| 1912 | Thirty-Five | Model H | 4 | 35 | 300 | Touring Car |
| 1912 | Forty | Model S | 4 | 40 | 312 | Touring Car |
| 1912 | Forty | Model SF | 4 | 40 | 312 | Fore-Door Touring Car |
| 1913 | Twenty-Five | Model N | 4 | 25 | 274 | Roadster |
| 1913 | Twenty-Five | Model NC | 4 | 25 | 274 | Coupé |
| 1913 | Twenty-Five | Model T | 4 | 25 | 274 | Touring Car |
| 1913 | Thirty | Model C | 4 | 30 | 295 | Touring Car |
| 1913 | Thirty-Five | Model H | 4 | 35 | 300 | Touring Car |
| 1914 | Twenty-Five | Model N | 4 | 25 | 274 | Roadster |
| 1914 | Twenty-Five | Model NC | 4 | 25 | 274 | Coupé |
| 1914 | Twenty-Five | Model T | 4 | 25 | 274 | Touring Car |
| 1914 | Thirty-Five | Model C | 4 | 35 | 295 | Touring Car |
| 1915 | Light Four | 4 | 20 | 269 | Roadster, Touring Car | |
| 1915 | Four | Model D | 4 | 39 | 279 | Touring Car |
| 1915 | Four | Model R | 4 | 39 | 279 | Roadster |
| 1915 | Eight | 8 | 40 | 284 | Roadster, Touring Car | |
| 1916 | Model D | 4 | 39 | 292 | Roadster, Touring Car | |
| 1916 | Model E | 4 | 27 | 269 | Touring Car, Roadster | |
| 1916 | Model F | 8 | 44 | 318 | Touring Car, Roadster | |
| 1917 | Model F | 8 | 29 | 318 | Touring Car, Roadster, Limousine | |
| 1917 | Model J | 4 | 20 | 274 | Touring Car | |
| 1918 | Model J | High Power Four | 4 | 20 | 274 | Touring Car |
Production[edit]
Annual production totals[3]
| Year | Production |
|---|---|
| 1908 | 425 |
| 1909 | 2,134 |
| 1910 | 3,587 |
| 1911 | 4,526 |
| 1912 | 5,822 |
| 1913 | 7,627 |
| 1914 | 8,136 |
| 1915 | 8,227 |
| 1916 | 7,114 |
| 1917 | 4,123 |
| 1918 | 823 |
| Totals | 52,544 |
See also[edit]
- Regal automobiles at ConceptCarz
- Bonhams - 1911 Seabrook-RMC
- Detroit Public Library Collection - Regal Motor Car images
- Brass Era car
- List of defunct United States automobile manufacturers
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f Georgano, Nick (2001). The Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile (3 vol. ed.). Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers. ISBN 1-57958-293-1.
- ^ a b Wise, David Burgress (2000). The New Illustrated Encyclopedia of Automobiles. Chartwell Books. ISBN 0-7858-1106-0.
- ^ a b c d Kimes, Beverly Rae; Clark Jr., Henry Austin (1996). Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942 (3rd ed.). Krause Publications. ISBN 978-0-87341-428-9.