Carroll Six

Carroll Six, also referred to as the Carroll Car, was an early American automobile produced by the Carroll Motorcar Company in Lorain, Ohio. The marque was established by Charles F. Carroll, an advertising executive whose work included a successful account for Fisk Tires through an agency in nearby Cleveland. After an unsuccessful attempt to acquire the Moon Automobile Company following the death of its founder, Joseph W. Moon, Carroll used income from advertising to finance his own automobile venture. The company operated from a former brass-works building on Washington Avenue in Lorain. Rather than manufacturing every major component itself, it assembled vehicles from parts obtained from outside suppliers. The cars were fitted primarily with six-cylinder engines associated with the Buda Engine Company, although surviving records also indicate that Beaver and Rochester six-cylinder units may have been used. The engine was rated at 66 horsepower, and the claimed top speed was approximately 62 miles per hour. The Carroll range was small but distinctive. It included a two-door roadster and a four-door open touring model. The touring car featured a non-folding black leather-over-steel California top, including an opera-style window in the C-pillar. Another unusual engineering feature was the placement of the radiator behind the front axle. The cars were offered in two-tone Carroll Green and Burgundy Red finishes, and leather upholstery was included as standard equipment at a time when manufacturers were increasingly separating equipment into optional extras. The advertised price was US$3,985, listed on an FOB basis. Distribution initially involved Lucas and Christensen of Cleveland, which was reported as the marque's distributor in Motor Age in October 1920. The Carroll car was also displayed at the Cleveland Automobile Show in 1921, where advertising emphasized an aluminum frame. These efforts gave the company visibility in the regional automobile market, but they did not establish the production scale needed to compete with larger and better-capitalized manufacturers. The exact production total remains uncertain. Common estimates place output at roughly 600 cars, while other accounts cite approximately 400, 235, or 183 vehicles. Most production is believed to have consisted of touring sedans. A frequently repeated account describes cars being shipped by train toward California to satisfy dealer orders. The shipment reportedly lacked adequate radiator fluid and encountered a severe Chicago-area blizzard; by the time it reached California, the engines were said to have suffered irreparable block damage. Although the details and their role in the company's failure are not uniformly documented, production ended in 1922 amid this episode and a broader economic downturn. Carroll Six is now primarily of interest to automotive historians and collectors as a short-lived regional American marque. Only one confirmed surviving example is identified in the available reference material: a Carroll Green touring sedan displayed at the William E. Swigart, Jr. Antique Automobile Museum in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. The vehicle was acquired directly from Charles F. Carroll in 1967 and had reportedly remained his personal automobile for many years.

Charles F. Carroll entered automobile manufacturing after building a successful career in advertising, including work on a Fisk Tires account through an agency based in the Cleveland area. He reportedly tried to buy the Moon Automobile Company of St. Louis after Joseph W. Moon's death in 1918, but the transaction did not take place. Carroll instead directed earnings from his advertising business into a new automobile company. The Carroll Motorcar Company established its production operation in a former brass works on Washington Avenue in Lorain, Ohio. The resulting vehicle was generally called the Carroll Six or Carroll Car. It was a low-volume assembled automobile rather than a fully integrated manufacturing project. Major components came from outside suppliers, with Buda six-cylinder engines associated with the cars. Historical records also leave open the possibility that some vehicles used Beaver or Rochester six-cylinder engines. The model's advertised mechanical specification included a 66-horsepower six-cylinder engine and a top speed of about 62 miles per hour. Its design included several features intended to distinguish it from more conventional cars. The radiator was mounted behind the front axle, and the four-door touring model used a black leather-covered steel California top. This top was fixed rather than folding and incorporated an opera window in the rear roof pillar. Buyers could select two-tone finishes in Carroll Green or Burgundy Red, while leather interiors were presented as standard equipment. The range consisted of a two-door roadster and a four-door open touring sedan. The published price was US$3,985 FOB, placing the automobile in a relatively expensive part of the early-1920s market. Distribution was associated with Lucas and Christensen of Cleveland, which was identified in a Motor Age report dated October 23, 1920. The Carroll was subsequently shown at the 1921 Cleveland Automobile Show, where company advertising highlighted an aluminum frame. The company never achieved a stable high-volume production base. Estimates of total output differ substantially, with historical accounts variously suggesting about 600 cars, approximately 400 cars, or much smaller totals of 235 or 183. The available material indicates that touring sedans formed the majority of production, but the disagreement makes any single figure unreliable. One account connects the end of production with a shipment of cars intended for California dealers. The vehicles were reportedly sent by rail with insufficient or unsuitable radiator fluid and were delayed in a Chicago blizzard. On arrival, the cars were said to have damaged engine blocks and could not be operated. The episode allegedly imposed a loss that the company could not absorb. Regardless of how much weight is assigned to that particular account, assembly stopped in 1922, during a wider economic downturn. The marque left very few surviving vehicles. The reference material identifies one confirmed survivor, a Carroll Green touring sedan at the William E. Swigart, Jr. Antique Automobile Museum in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. Charles F. Carroll reportedly sold or transferred the car directly to the museum in 1967; it had remained his personal vehicle for much of its life. Carroll Six is therefore remembered less as a mass-market brand than as a brief, technically distinctive example of the many regional American automobile enterprises active during the early automobile industry.

• 1967

  Surviving touring sedan acquired by museum

  [1]Carroll Sixen.wikipedia.org

  The confirmed surviving Carroll Green touring sedan was acquired directly from Charles F. Carroll and later displayed at the William E. Swigart, Jr. Antique Automobile Museum.

• 1922

  Production ends

  [1]Carroll Sixen.wikipedia.org

  Carroll Six assembly ended after reported shipping problems and amid a national economic downturn.

• 1921

  Cleveland Automobile Show appearance

  [1]Carroll Sixen.wikipedia.org

  The Carroll Six was exhibited at the Cleveland Automobile Show, where promotional material highlighted an aluminum frame.

• 1920

  Carroll Motorcar Company begins automobile production

  [1]Carroll Sixen.wikipedia.org

  Carroll's company began assembling the Carroll Six in a former brass-works facility in Lorain, Ohio.

• 1920

  Initial Cleveland distribution

  [1]Carroll Sixen.wikipedia.org

  Lucas and Christensen of Cleveland were identified as distributors for the new automobile in an October 1920 Motor Age report.

• 1918

  Attempted acquisition of Moon Automobile Company

  [1]Carroll Sixen.wikipedia.org

  Charles F. Carroll reportedly attempted to purchase the Moon Automobile Company after Joseph W. Moon's death, but the acquisition did not succeed.

A small-volume American automobile marque positioned around distinctive styling, standard leather appointments, and a relatively high advertised price, using externally sourced components and regional distribution.

• Passenger automobile · 1920

  Carroll Six four-door touring sedan

  The four-door touring model was the principal body style associated with the Carroll Six. It used a distinctive fixed California top made from black leather over steel, with an opera-style window in the C-pillar. The radiator was mounted behind the front axle, and leather upholstery was included as standard equipment. Two-tone Carroll Green and Burgundy Red finishes were advertised.

• Passenger automobile · 1920

  Carroll Six two-door roadster

  The two-door roadster was the open sporting body style in the Carroll Six range. Like the touring model, it was assembled from components obtained from outside manufacturers and used a six-cylinder powertrain associated primarily with Buda. The model formed part of the company's limited early-1920s range before production ended in 1922.

• 1922

  Cessation of automobile assemblyStrategy

  Background

  The company faced limited scale, uncertain production volume, a reported failed California shipment, and a broader economic downturn.

  Action taken

  Carroll Motorcar Company stopped assembling the Carroll Six.

  Aftermath

  The brand became defunct, with historical estimates of total production ranging from roughly 183 to 600 vehicles.

  Source

• 1920

  Launch of the Carroll SixProduct launch

  Background

  Charles F. Carroll used capital from his advertising career to establish an automobile manufacturing venture in Lorain, Ohio.

  Action taken

  The Carroll Motorcar Company introduced a small range consisting of a roadster and a four-door touring sedan, assembled largely from externally sourced components.

  Aftermath

  The marque gained regional visibility through Cleveland distribution and a 1921 automobile-show appearance, but it did not reach a durable production scale.

  Advertised vehicle price. US$3,985 FOB (1920-1922)

  Source

1. 1Carroll Sixen.wikipedia.org