Church-Field

Church-Field was an early American electric automobile manufactured by the Church-Field Motor Company in Sibley, Michigan. The marque belonged to the formative period of the American automobile industry, when electric vehicles competed with gasoline-powered and steam-powered cars for acceptance among affluent buyers. Its car was introduced at the Detroit Automobile Show in January 1912 and combined an underslung chassis with a two-speed transmission. A distinctive feature was its electrical control system, which provided ten selector positions and, according to period descriptions, twenty available speed ranges. The engineering approach emphasized flexible speed control rather than the mechanical complexity associated with some contemporary gasoline cars. Church-Field offered at least two body styles: a roadster and a coupe. The roadster was advertised at $2,300, while the coupe was priced at $2,800. These prices placed the car in the premium segment of the market and reflected the relatively high cost of early electric automobiles, whose batteries, electrical equipment, and limited production volumes made them expensive to build. The vehicle appears to have been positioned as a refined private automobile rather than as a mass-market transport product. Despite its Detroit-show launch and technically distinctive specification, production and sales remained minimal. The company’s factory was closing by September 1913, bringing the marque’s active manufacturing period to an end after roughly two years. The company’s assets were later sold in 1915 for $600, indicating the limited residual value of the enterprise after production had ceased. No evidence in the cited material indicates that Church-Field developed a sustained dealer network, achieved significant scale, introduced a successor model, or continued under another corporate owner. Church-Field is therefore best understood as a short-lived early electric-car brand rather than as a continuing automobile company. Its historical interest lies in the way it reflects the experimentation of the pre-World War I American electric-vehicle sector: compact production runs, premium pricing, specialized control systems, and competition in a market whose technological direction had not yet been settled. The brand is defunct, and surviving information is primarily associated with its 1912 automobile, its Detroit debut, its two body styles, and the closure and disposal of the company’s assets.

Church-Field emerged during the early twentieth-century contest among electric, gasoline, and steam automobiles in the United States. The company was based in Sibley, Michigan, an industrial location within the broader automotive environment of the Detroit region. Unlike later electric-vehicle manufacturers, Church-Field operated before standardized battery technology, extensive charging infrastructure, and high-volume automobile manufacturing had been established. Early electric cars commonly competed by emphasizing quiet operation, ease of control, and suitability for urban or private use, but they also faced high purchase prices, limited range, and production challenges. The Church-Field car was presented at the Detroit Automobile Show in January 1912. Its technical specification included an underslung chassis and a two-speed transmission. The vehicle also used ten electrical selector positions, which were described as providing twenty different speed ranges. This control arrangement was a notable part of the car’s identity and illustrates the variety of electrical drive systems used by pioneering manufacturers before the industry converged around more standardized designs. Two body styles were offered. The roadster carried an advertised price of $2,300, and the coupe was listed at $2,800. These were premium prices for the period and suggest that Church-Field targeted affluent customers rather than attempting to compete through volume. The available evidence does not document substantial production, a broad distribution system, or a large customer base. Instead, production and sales remained minimal after the public launch. By September 1913, the factory was closing. This ended the company’s short manufacturing run after approximately 1912 and 1913. The enterprise did not establish a documented successor line or a continuing corporate presence. In 1915, its assets were sold for $600. That disposal provides the final recorded business milestone in the available account and indicates that the company had little remaining operating value by that time. Church-Field’s significance is consequently historical rather than commercial. It represents one of many small American automobile ventures that tested electric propulsion during the industry’s experimental phase. Its underslung construction, multi-position electrical control system, premium body offerings, and brief production period show both the technical ambition and commercial vulnerability of early electric-car makers. The brand is now defunct, with the 1912–1913 automobile serving as its principal documented product.

• 1915

  Disposal of company assets

  [1]Church-Fielden.wikipedia.org

  The company’s assets were sold in 1915 for $600.

• 1913

  Factory closure

  [1]Church-Fielden.wikipedia.org

  The company’s factory was closing by September 1913 after limited production and sales.

• 1912

  Detroit Automobile Show debut

  [1]Church-Fielden.wikipedia.org

  The Church-Field electric car was launched at the Detroit Automobile Show in January 1912.

• 1912

  Early production of Church-Field automobiles

  [1]Church-Fielden.wikipedia.org

  The Church-Field Motor Company manufactured its electric automobile in Sibley, Michigan, offering roadster and coupe body styles.

A premium early electric automobile for private buyers, distinguished by an underslung chassis and a multi-range electrical speed-control system.

• Electric automobile · 1912

  Church-Field electric car

  The principal documented Church-Field product was an early American electric automobile manufactured in 1912 and 1913. It used an underslung chassis and a two-speed transmission. Its electrical control system offered ten selector positions and was described as providing twenty speed ranges. The model was available as a roadster priced at $2,300 and as a coupe priced at $2,800. Production and sales were minimal, and no later model or successor product is documented in the cited source.

• Electric roadster · 1912

  Church-Field roadster

  The roadster was one of the two documented body styles for the Church-Field electric automobile. It was advertised at $2,300 and formed part of the company’s premium positioning for private electric motoring in the early 1910s.

• Electric coupe · 1912

  Church-Field coupe

  The coupe was the enclosed Church-Field body style and was advertised at $2,800. It was more expensive than the roadster and represented the marque’s higher-priced private-car offering during its brief production period.

• 1913

  Cessation of manufacturing operationsStrategy

  Background

  Limited production and sales made continued operation of the Church-Field factory unsustainable.

  Action taken

  The company closed or began closing its Sibley factory by September 1913.

  Aftermath

  The marque ceased active production, and its remaining assets were later sold in 1915.

  Source

• 1912

  Launch of the Church-Field electric automobileProduct launch

  Background

  The company entered the early American electric-car market during a period when competing propulsion systems and vehicle designs were still developing.

  Action taken

  Church-Field introduced its electric automobile at the Detroit Automobile Show and offered it in roadster and coupe forms.

  Aftermath

  Production and sales remained minimal, and the factory was closing by September 1913.

  Advertised vehicle prices. Roadster: $2,300; coupe: $2,800 (1912)

  Source

• 1915

  Church-Field company assets sold[1]Church-Fielden.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The company’s remaining assets were sold in 1915, marking the effective end of the enterprise.

• 1913

  Church-Field factory closes as production remains limited[1]Church-Fielden.wikipedia.org

  Bankruptcy · Other

  Production and sales were minimal, and the Church-Field Motor Company’s factory was closing by September 1913.

• 1912

  Church-Field electric car introduced at the Detroit Automobile Show[1]Church-Fielden.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  The Church-Field automobile was launched publicly at the Detroit Automobile Show in January 1912.

1. 1Church-Fielden.wikipedia.org