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Coates-Goshen

Coates-Goshen was an early American automobile produced in Goshen, New York, from 1908 to 1910.

Last updated August 25, 2026

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Overview

Coates-Goshen was an American automobile marque and manufacturing venture associated with Joseph Saunders Coates of Goshen, New York. The company produced cars during the formative period of the American automobile industry, when numerous small manufacturers were developing vehicles for regional and national markets. Its automobiles used four-cylinder engines and were offered in multiple power levels, initially including 25-horsepower and 32-horsepower versions. In 1910, the range was expanded with larger 45-horsepower and 60-horsepower models. The marque appears to have remained a small-scale operation rather than becoming a mass-market producer. Production ended in 1910 after a fire broke out at the factory. Contemporary production was extremely limited: approximately 30 cars had been built by the time manufacturing stopped. This small output, combined with the short operating period, made Coates-Goshen one of the many early American automobile names that disappeared before the industry consolidated around larger manufacturers. The surviving factory is an important physical reminder of the venture. The building still stands in Goshen and retains its original exterior appearance. It was later occupied by Healey Brothers Chevrolet-Buick and subsequently used as corporate offices by Healey Brothers Inc. The building's continued existence provides a tangible connection to the brief Coates-Goshen manufacturing episode, even though the automobile marque itself is defunct and no longer has an operating business, product range, or independent market presence.

History

Coates-Goshen emerged in Goshen, New York, during the early years of American automobile manufacturing. The enterprise was associated with Joseph Saunders Coates, who produced automobiles under the Coates-Goshen name beginning in 1908. At the time, the United States contained a large number of small and regional automobile manufacturers. Many experimented with different engine sizes, body styles, and production methods before the market became dominated by a much smaller group of industrial-scale companies. The Coates-Goshen automobile used a four-cylinder engine. Early versions were rated at 25 horsepower and 32 horsepower, placing the marque within the developing market for relatively substantial motor vehicles rather than the very smallest cars. In 1910, the manufacturer added larger models rated at 45 horsepower and 60 horsepower. The expansion suggests an attempt to offer a broader range of performance and vehicle size, although the available historical record does not establish the exact body styles, prices, sales strategy, or geographic distribution of these models. The company remained a limited-production operation. Only about 30 automobiles had been completed when a fire broke out at the factory in 1910. The incident ended manufacturing and effectively brought the Coates-Goshen marque to a close. There is no evidence in the available reference material of a restart, acquisition, successor automobile line, or continuation under another corporate owner. The original factory survived after automobile production ceased. The building retained its original appearance and was later used first by Healey Brothers Chevrolet-Buick and then as the corporate offices of Healey Brothers Inc. Its survival is notable because many small automobile factories from the period were demolished, substantially altered, or absorbed into later industrial sites. The building therefore serves as the principal surviving physical trace of Coates-Goshen's short manufacturing history. Coates-Goshen's historical importance lies less in production volume than in its representation of the early American automotive landscape. The marque illustrates how local entrepreneurs entered automobile manufacturing with technically conventional but independently produced four-cylinder cars, only to disappear when a short production run, limited scale, or an operational setback prevented long-term continuation. Because the documented record is brief, details such as the precise factory workforce, body suppliers, distribution arrangements, and individual model years remain unclear.

  • 1910

    Higher-powered models are added

    [1]

    The range is expanded with 45-horsepower and 60-horsepower models.

  • 1910

    Factory fire ends production

    [1]

    A fire at the factory stops production after approximately 30 automobiles have been built.

  • 1908

    Automobile production begins in Goshen

    [1]

    Joseph Saunders Coates begins producing Coates-Goshen automobiles in Goshen, New York.

  • 1908

    Four-cylinder models enter production

    [1]

    The initial range includes automobiles powered by four-cylinder engines rated at 25 horsepower and 32 horsepower.

  • Original factory survives

    [1]

    The former factory remains standing in Goshen, retaining its original appearance; it was later used by Healey Brothers Chevrolet-Buick and Healey Brothers Inc.

Products and positioning

A small, early twentieth-century American automobile manufacturer producing four-cylinder cars in several power classes for the emerging motor-vehicle market.

  • Passenger automobile · 1908

    Coates-Goshen 25-horsepower model

    One of the marque's early four-cylinder automobiles, rated at 25 horsepower. It formed part of the initial Coates-Goshen range produced in Goshen, New York, during the company's short operating period. Detailed information about its body configuration, price, dimensions, production count, and distribution is not established in the available reference material.

  • Passenger automobile · 1908

    Coates-Goshen 32-horsepower model

    A four-cylinder Coates-Goshen automobile rated at 32 horsepower and offered during the marque's initial production period. It represented a higher-powered alternative within the early range. The surviving account identifies its engine output but does not provide reliable details on body styles, equipment, pricing, sales volume, or the number of units produced.

  • Passenger automobile · 1910

    Coates-Goshen 45-horsepower model

    A larger four-cylinder model added to the Coates-Goshen range in 1910. Its 45-horsepower rating placed it above the original 25-horsepower and 32-horsepower offerings. Production was short-lived because the factory fire that year ended the company's manufacturing activity. Specific body and chassis details are not documented in the supplied reference.

  • Passenger automobile · 1910

    Coates-Goshen 60-horsepower model

    The highest-powered model identified for the marque, rated at 60 horsepower and introduced in 1910. It was part of an attempted expansion toward larger and more powerful automobiles. The model's commercial performance cannot be separated from the company's very limited overall output, as production ended after the factory fire and approximately 30 cars had been made in total.

Recent events

  • 1910

    Factory fire ends Coates-Goshen automobile production[1]

    Other

    A fire at the Coates-Goshen factory brought production to an end after approximately 30 automobiles had been built.

Sources1 sources

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