Alsace

Alsace was a short-lived American automobile associated with Piedmont and sold through Automotive Products Co. of New York. The car was manufactured between 1920 and 1921, placing it within the crowded American automobile market of the early post-First World War period. Rather than representing a long-lived independent automaker with a broad model range, Alsace appears to have been a specific export-oriented automobile program produced by Piedmont for a New York-based automotive company. The Alsace was distinguished visually from other Piedmont products by its radiator design. Its radiator was shaped in the style of a Rolls-Royce radiator, giving the car a more formal and prestigious appearance than the standard Piedmont models with which it was otherwise associated. This styling choice was a notable branding and product-differentiation device, particularly for a car intended for export purposes. Mechanically, the automobile used a 3.1-litre four-cylinder Herschell-Spillman engine. It had a 116-inch wheelbase, equivalent to approximately 2,946 millimetres, indicating a comparatively substantial chassis for its period. The car was built with right-hand drive, a configuration suited to export markets where vehicles were driven on the left side of the road. The available reference identifies export intent but does not specify the individual countries in which the Alsace was sold. The surviving historical record is limited. It does not establish the identity of the Alsace's designer, the precise production site, total output, retail price, dealer network, or the reason production ended after 1921. The available evidence supports describing Alsace as a historical automobile marque or model name produced by Piedmont for Automotive Products Co. of New York, rather than as a continuing independent automotive company. Its main historical significance lies in its brief production period, export-oriented right-hand-drive configuration, Rolls-Royce-influenced radiator treatment, and use of a Herschell-Spillman four-cylinder engine.

Alsace was an American automobile produced by Piedmont between 1920 and 1921 for Automotive Products Co. of New York. The available historical account presents it as a limited-duration product associated with an established automobile manufacturer rather than as a separately documented, long-standing corporation. Its intended market was at least partly export-oriented, and the car was built with right-hand drive to accommodate markets using left-side road traffic. The model's most recognizable external feature was its radiator. In contrast with other Piedmont products, the Alsace used a radiator shaped after the style associated with Rolls-Royce automobiles. This treatment likely gave the car a more imposing and upmarket visual identity, although the available references do not document its marketing language, sales performance, or customer reception. The Alsace used a 3.1-litre four-cylinder Herschell-Spillman engine and rode on a 116-inch wheelbase, or about 2,946 millimetres. These specifications identify it as a substantial early American automobile rather than a small cyclecar or economy runabout. The combination of American manufacture, right-hand drive, and export purpose indicates that the model was configured with overseas distribution in mind. However, the supplied sources do not establish the countries served, the number of cars exported, or the identity of the export dealers. Production is recorded only for 1920 and 1921. There is no reliable information in the supplied material about a successor model, a merger, a corporate reorganization, or a separate Alsace factory. Accordingly, the brand is best treated as defunct after its brief production run. Further details—including founder, engineering staff, manufacturing location, pricing, production volume, and the reason for discontinuation—remain unverified.

• 1921

  Documented production concludes

  [1]Alsace (automobile)en.wikipedia.org

  The Alsace's recorded production period ended after 1921, leaving it as a short-lived automobile associated with Piedmont.

• 1920

  Alsace enters production

  [1]Alsace (automobile)en.wikipedia.org

  Piedmont began producing the Alsace for Automotive Products Co. of New York. The car was designed with right-hand drive for export purposes and featured a distinctive Rolls-Royce-style radiator.

A formal-looking, export-oriented American automobile differentiated from other Piedmont products by its Rolls-Royce-style radiator.

• Passenger automobile · 1920

  Alsace

  The Alsace was an American passenger automobile manufactured by Piedmont from 1920 to 1921 for Automotive Products Co. of New York. It used a 3.1-litre four-cylinder Herschell-Spillman engine and a 116-inch wheelbase. Its principal styling distinction was a radiator modeled in the form associated with Rolls-Royce cars. Right-hand drive was specified for export-oriented use.

• 1920

  Launch of an export-configured Piedmont automobileProduct launch

  Background

  Automotive Products Co. of New York commissioned or marketed the Alsace while Piedmont handled manufacture. The available record identifies export use as a central configuration consideration.

  Action taken

  Piedmont produced the car with right-hand drive and gave it a distinctive Rolls-Royce-shaped radiator, while retaining a 3.1-litre Herschell-Spillman four-cylinder engine and a 116-inch wheelbase.

  Aftermath

  The model remained in production through 1921, after which no further Alsace production is documented.

  Source

• 1921

  Alsace production ends after a brief run[1]Alsace (automobile)en.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The documented production period for the Alsace ended after two model years. No reliable source in the supplied material explains the discontinuation or gives a production total.

• 1920

  Piedmont introduces the Alsace automobile for Automotive Products Co. of New York[1]Alsace (automobile)en.wikipedia.org

  Product launch · Other

  Piedmont began manufacturing the Alsace for Automotive Products Co. of New York. The automobile was configured with right-hand drive for export use and adopted a distinctive Rolls-Royce-shaped radiator.

1. 1Alsace (automobile)en.wikipedia.org