1909 Sterling Model K Touring

The Elkhart Motor Car Company produced two models of Sterling-branded automobiles during the inaugural 1909 season: the 30-horsepower Model 'K' and the 40-horsepower Model 'C'. This Sterling is a Model 'K' and generates its 30 horsepower from a four-cylinder engine of approximately 255 cubic inches. It rides on a 115-inch wheelbase and was priced around $1,675 when new.

About the Elkhart Motor Car Company:
'Sterling Cars are Sterling Value,' so says an advertisement for the Elkhart Motor Car Company's short-lived automobile in Elkhart, Indiana. Sterling production ceased in 1911 when the company's owners, facing legal and financial troubles, sold its assets to a group previously affiliated with the Haynes Automobile Company of Kokomo. The Elkhart Motor Car Company's facilities later became home to the short-lived Lohr and Elmer automobiles. This story was typical of the many hundreds of start-up automobile makers throughout the United States in the first decades of the 20th century.