American Napier
An American automobile marque that sold and assembled Napier cars under licence from 1904 to 1912.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
American Napier was an early twentieth-century automobile marque associated with the Napier Motor Car Company of America. The marque represented the American-market production and sale of cars derived from the British Napier design. At first, the American operation imported assembled automobiles from England. Beginning in late 1904, it also assembled cars under licence in Jamaica Plain, a section of Boston, Massachusetts. The assembly operation occupied a building previously used by the B. F. Sturtevant Company. American Napier automobiles could be supplied with coachwork built in either the United States or Britain, giving the business a degree of flexibility in body styles and sourcing. The company’s development was interrupted by financial difficulty. In 1907, the business encountered financial problems and automobile production stopped. A reorganization or transfer of the undertaking brought production back in March 1909 under a new company. This second phase continued until 1911, when the Napier Motor Company assumed the interests of the American operation. That arrangement lasted only about a year, and the American Napier marque disappeared from production by 1912. American Napier is therefore best understood as a short-lived licensed American extension of the British Napier automobile business rather than as a wholly independent long-term manufacturer. Its historical importance lies in the early movement toward localized assembly, licensed production, and the use of mixed domestic and imported coachwork in the United States automobile market. Detailed information about model names, production quantities, senior executives, and distribution is not established by the supplied reference material.
History
American Napier was created to market Napier automobiles in the United States through the Napier Motor Car Company of America. The earliest cars were imported from Britain in assembled form. This arrangement was subsequently supplemented by licensed American assembly. From late 1904, cars were assembled in Jamaica Plain, Boston, Massachusetts, in a facility that had previously been used by the B. F. Sturtevant Company. The American operation used a combination of British and American resources. Although the vehicles were based on Napier designs, the cars were available with coachwork made in both countries. This reflected the practices of the period, when automobile manufacturers and importers frequently sourced chassis and bodies through separate channels and offered buyers a range of body configurations. The business encountered financial problems in 1907, leading to a halt in production. A new company later assumed control of the undertaking, and manufacturing resumed in March 1909. The revived operation continued through 1911. During that year, the Napier Motor Company took over the American interests, but this final phase was short-lived and lasted only about a year. The American Napier automobile was sold from 1904 until 1912, after which the marque ceased production. The available historical record identifies the principal changes in ownership and production but does not provide a reliable list of model designations, output totals, prices, named executives, or detailed sales territories. Those gaps should be preserved rather than filled with assumptions based on the broader British Napier company.
- 1912
Marque production ends
[1]The American Napier automobile was no longer produced after the short final phase under Napier Motor Company control.
- 1911
Napier Motor Company takes over the American interests
[1]The Napier Motor Company assumed control of the American operation, although the resulting venture was brief.
- 1909
Production resumes
[1]A new company took over the operation and restarted production in March.
- 1907
Production suspended
[1]Financial problems led to the suspension of American Napier production.
- 1904
American Napier sales and licensed assembly begin
[1]The American Napier marque began selling automobiles in the United States. Initially assembled cars were imported from England; from late 1904, licensed assembly also took place in Jamaica Plain, Boston.
Products and positioning
A premium-oriented early automobile marque based on British Napier cars and adapted for American sale and licensed assembly.
Passenger cars · 1904
American Napier automobiles
The American Napier range comprised early automobiles derived from British Napier designs. Cars were first imported as assembled vehicles and later assembled under licence in Boston. The marque offered vehicles with coachwork sourced from both American and British builders. The supplied historical material does not identify specific model names, body styles, engine specifications, prices, or production totals.
Brand decisions
1911
Napier Motor Company assumes American interestsM&ABackground
The American Napier operation had been producing under a new company since its 1909 restart.
Action taken
The Napier Motor Company took over the interests of the American operation.
Aftermath
The venture lasted less than a year before the American Napier automobile disappeared from production by 1912.
1909
Restart under a new companyStrategyBackground
Financial problems had stopped production in 1907.
Action taken
A new company took over the operation and restarted automobile production in March 1909.
Aftermath
Production continued until the Napier Motor Company assumed the American interests in 1911.
1904
Shift from importing to licensed American assemblyStrategyBackground
The American operation initially relied on imported assembled Napiers from England.
Action taken
From late 1904, it began assembling cars under licence in Jamaica Plain, Boston, while continuing to offer cars with British or American coachwork.
Aftermath
The arrangement established an American production presence, but the business later faced financial problems and halted production in 1907.
Sources1 sources
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