Company type | Automobile Manufacturing |
---|---|
Industry | Automotive |
Genre | Touring Cars, Roadsters, Buses |
Founded | 1909 |
Founder | Eugene F. Enslen |
Fate | Bankruptcy |
Headquarters | , |
Area served | United States |
Products |
Automobiles Automotive parts |
Number of employees | 200 (as of 1910) |
The Great Southern Automobile Company was the first automobile manufacturer in the central South. [1] It was incorporated in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1909 [1] [2] and manufactured automobiles, automobile parts, and buses from its plant in Ensley, where it also maintained a repair department. Its founding officers were Eugene F. Enslen, president; Ike Adler, vice-president; John Kyser, secretary and treasurer; and Eugene F. Enslen, Jr., general manager. [2]
In early 1910, it announced a Model "50" touring car with a wheel base of 124 inches, a 5.25x6 inches bore and stroke engine, capable of 60 bhp. [3]
In 1912, it opened salesrooms in the Empire Building, then the tallest building in Birmingham. The manager was W. O. Fields. [4]
In 1913, it was manufacturing two models: [5]
In 1914, it dropped the Great Southern 30, and concentrated on the manufacture of just the Great Southern 50 chassis, formerly titled the Great Southern 51. [6] The new 50 model was a seven passenger touring body.
By 1915, it was manufacturing a chassis and body for a "one-man, pay-enter" motor bus that was 22 feet long, 8 feet 9 inches high, 7 feet 6 inches wide, rated at 2.25 tons capacity, and could carry 25 passengers. [7]
The company went bankrupt in 1917. [8] Alabama's other pre-1950 car manufactures include Preston Motor's Premocar in Birmingham and Keller in Huntsville.