A while back there was a discussion on the history and relationship between
Autolite and Prestolite. I recently purchased a copy of the October 30,
1985, issue of Automotive News, their "Centennial Celebration Issue" of the
auto's 100th anniversary. In it was an article on the history of Autolite.
And it turns out the Autolite and Prestolite companies were (and are) closer
than believed.
1911 : Clement O. Miniger forms the Electric Auto-Lite Co., Toledo, Ohio,
which begins manufacture of generators and lights for the automotive market.
1912 : The first Electric Auto-Lite starter appears on the Abbott-Detroit.
1927 : Electric Auto-Lite purchases the Prest-O-Lite Battery Co., with
plants in Indianapolis and Toronto.
1934 : Electric Auto-Lite merges with Moto-Meter Gauge Equipment Co,
LaCrosse, Wisconsin. Miniger remains chairman of the Board of Electric
Auto-Lite while Moto-Meter's Royce Martin becomes president. Martin had
important contacts within Chrysler Corporation, including Walter P. himself.
1934 : Chrysler begins using Electric Auto-Lite as supplier of starters,
generators, and distributors, dropping Delo-Remy as supplier.
1935 : Robert Twellis, a ceramics engineer, approaches Walter P. Chrysler
with the idea of Chrysler making their own spark plugs. Chrysler replied he
was not interested in making his own plugs, but did want to replace AC as
supplier. AC was owned by General Motors. Chrysler's competitor and
ex-employer, two reasons why Chrysler wanted to replace AC.
Instead Chrysler sent Twellis along to Electric Auto-Lite, and wrote Martin
to tell him he had done so. Twellis is hired by Electric Auto-Lite to
develop a line of spark plugs.
1936 : Chrysler engineers approve Electric Auto-Lite's new spark plug.
Electric Auto-Lite opens a new plant in Fostoria, Ohio, to make spark plugs
and Chrysler drops AC as supplier.
1942 : With European sales eliminated due to World War II, Electric
Auto-Lite becomes a supplier to the U.S. government,
1949 : Electric Auto-Lite introduced the resistor spark plug. Electric
Auto-Lite customers during this time include Chrysler, Hudson,
Kaiser-Frazer, Nash, Packard, and Studebaker.
1954 : Royce Martin dies and the company's future becomes clouded. Hudson,
Kaiser-Frazer, Nash, and Packard are either gone or on the ropes, Chrysler
talks of finding a new spark plug supplier. Company name is now Electric
Autolite, with no hyphen.
1960 : Chrysler begins to supply its own electrical components, beginning
with the alternator.
1961 : Ford Motor Company purchases the Autolite name, aftermarket
organization, the spark plug plant in Fostoria, Ohio and the battery plant
in Owosso, Michigan. The remaining parts of Electric Autolite becomes the
Eltra Corp. and their products adopt the Prestolite name. Champion becomes
spark plug supplier to Chrysler as Ford drops Champion for their own
Autolite plugs.
1962 : Chrysler begins to build their own starters and distributors.
1967 : Bendix Corp., South Bend, Indiana, purchases Fram Corp. of
Providence, RI.
1973 : Ford sells Autolite to Bendix, after U.S. Supreme Court order Ford to
divest itself of Autolite. Autolite granted right to supply Ford's needs
for at least 5 years.
1979 : Allied Corp, purchase Eltra Corp., manufacturers of Prestolite
products.
1979 : Autolite begins production of oxygen sensors for the auto market.
1983 : Allied Corp, purchase Bendix Corp. and its subsidiaries, Fram and
Autolite.
1985 : Autolite adds ignition wires, battery cables and primary wire to its
product line.
Bill
Vancouver, BC
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