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Crane-Simplex
Crane-Simplex was the common name of the Simplex Crane Model 5 luxury automobile, produced by the Simplex Automobile Company in New Brunswick, New Jersey, from 1915 to 1918.
Crane-Simplex Company was formed in 1922 in Long Island City, New York, by Henry M. Crane to resume production of the luxury car.
Wright-Martin sold the Simplex Automobile Company assets to Mercer Motors Company controlled by Emlen S. Hare in 1920. In July 1921 Hare's Motors announced it would be dissolved and the separate units would reorganize as individual companies. Simplex which was still not producing cars, reverted to Mercer ownership. By July 1922, a reorganization of Mercer Motors and reversal of its arrangements with Hare Motors was finally completed.
Organized on September 20, 1922, Henry M. Crane announced the Crane-Simplex Company with the Long Island City, Queens, New York plant and assets being purchased from Mercer Motors, Inc., "with plans to revive his masterpiece" Capitalized at $500,000, company offices were located at the United States Realty Building at 115 Broadway, with L. R. Ayers as President. John B. Bawden, Jr., formerly with Mercer was vice-president and general manager. Harvey B. Clark and Frederick H. Brand, formerly with Simplex were treasurer and assistant treasurer, respectively.
Crane-Simplex had controlling interest of Jephson-Scott Body Company which was the successor of the J. M. Qumby & Company. Plans for 100 automobile chassis production per year were announced. Crane-Simplex stated bodies could be fitted from the Jephson-Scott factory in East Orange, NJ, although that was not required.
In 1922 Jordan Motor Car Company listed the Jordan Touring Model MX with Crane Simplex running gear. Although Crane-Simplex was still listed as a company in 1926, no chassis manufacturing is recorded after 1923.
In July 1922 Henry M. Crane became a consulting engineer and technical assistant to Alfred P. Sloan of General Motors.
The Crane Motor Company of Bayonne, New Jersey built automobiles from 1912 to 1915. The Crane Model 3 was a six-cylinder car offered only as a chassis. The chassis was priced at $8,000 (equivalent to $260,606 in 2025), the highest priced American chassis on the market. Crane favored Brewster & Company as a coachbuilder and most Crane automobiles were bodied by that firm. Only about 20 Crane Model 3s were made in 1912 and 1913. By 1914, a Model 4 was produced by Crane. It differed in having the six cylinders cast in two blocks of three instead of three pairs.
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Crane-Simplex
Crane-Simplex was the common name of the Simplex Crane Model 5 luxury automobile, produced by the Simplex Automobile Company in New Brunswick, New Jersey, from 1915 to 1918.
Crane-Simplex Company was formed in 1922 in Long Island City, New York, by Henry M. Crane to resume production of the luxury car.
Wright-Martin sold the Simplex Automobile Company assets to Mercer Motors Company controlled by Emlen S. Hare in 1920. In July 1921 Hare's Motors announced it would be dissolved and the separate units would reorganize as individual companies. Simplex which was still not producing cars, reverted to Mercer ownership. By July 1922, a reorganization of Mercer Motors and reversal of its arrangements with Hare Motors was finally completed.
Organized on September 20, 1922, Henry M. Crane announced the Crane-Simplex Company with the Long Island City, Queens, New York plant and assets being purchased from Mercer Motors, Inc., "with plans to revive his masterpiece" Capitalized at $500,000, company offices were located at the United States Realty Building at 115 Broadway, with L. R. Ayers as President. John B. Bawden, Jr., formerly with Mercer was vice-president and general manager. Harvey B. Clark and Frederick H. Brand, formerly with Simplex were treasurer and assistant treasurer, respectively.
Crane-Simplex had controlling interest of Jephson-Scott Body Company which was the successor of the J. M. Qumby & Company. Plans for 100 automobile chassis production per year were announced. Crane-Simplex stated bodies could be fitted from the Jephson-Scott factory in East Orange, NJ, although that was not required.
In 1922 Jordan Motor Car Company listed the Jordan Touring Model MX with Crane Simplex running gear. Although Crane-Simplex was still listed as a company in 1926, no chassis manufacturing is recorded after 1923.
In July 1922 Henry M. Crane became a consulting engineer and technical assistant to Alfred P. Sloan of General Motors.
The Crane Motor Company of Bayonne, New Jersey built automobiles from 1912 to 1915. The Crane Model 3 was a six-cylinder car offered only as a chassis. The chassis was priced at $8,000 (equivalent to $260,606 in 2025), the highest priced American chassis on the market. Crane favored Brewster & Company as a coachbuilder and most Crane automobiles were bodied by that firm. Only about 20 Crane Model 3s were made in 1912 and 1913. By 1914, a Model 4 was produced by Crane. It differed in having the six cylinders cast in two blocks of three instead of three pairs.