Pope Hartford Model W Portola Style Roadster
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Ražotājs : |
Pope Hartford |
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Modelis: |
Model W Portola Style Roadster |
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Gads: |
1903-1914 |
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Tips: |
Roadster |
Pope Manufacturing Company was founded by Albert Augustus Pope around 1876 in Boston, Massachusetts, and incorporated in Connecticut in 1877. Manufacturing of bicycles began in 1878 in Hartford, Connecticut, at the Weed Sewing Machine Company factory. Pope manufactured bicycles, motorcycles, and automobiles. From 1905 to 1913, Pope gradually consolidates manufacturing to the Westfield Mass plant. The main offices remain in Hartford Ct. It ceased automobile production in 1915, and ceased motorcycle production in 1918, but bicycles are still available under the Columbia brand.
In 1897, Pope Manufacturing began production of an electric automobile. By 1899, the company had produced over 500 vehicles. Hiram Percy Maxim was head engineer of the Motor Vehicle Department. The Electric Vehicle division was spun off that year as the independent company Columbia Automobile Company but it was acquired by the Electric Vehicle Company by the end of year.
Pope tried to re-enter the automobile manufacturing market in 1901 by acquiring a number of small firms, but the process was expensive and competition in the industry was heating up
Between the years 1903 and 1915, the company operated a number of automobile companies including Pope-Hartford (1903-1914), Pope-Robinson, Pope-Toledo (1903-1909), Pope-Tribune (1904-1907) and Pope-Waverley.
Pope declared bankruptcy in 1907 and died in August 1909.
The Pope-Hartford would be the only Pope brand built in the city of the company's headquarters in Hartford, Ct. Begun in 1904 with a single cylinder car, the brand built its first four in 1906 and the fours would be the engine that ultimately built the brands reputation.
