1910 National Model 40

The National Motor Vehicle of Indianapolis, Indiana was in operation from 1900 to 1924. Early production concentrated on electric vehicles but during the mid-1900s, switched to gasoline-engined cars, eventually adding a line of models powered by four, six, and twelve-cylinder engines. They merged with the Associated Motor Industries in 1923 but went out of business a year later.

The company's early electric vehicle was offered with a variety of body styles including a runabout, stanhope, road wagon, and delivery wagon. They used tiller steering and were powered by an electric motor that was capable of traveling 118 miles on a single charge. The Waverley Electric Company, also a builder of electric vehicles, disputed this claim, challenging the possibility of traveling this far on a single charge.

National introduced a new electric model in 1903 called the 'Long Distance' and it wore a brass hood with styling similar to those of gasoline-powered cars. This was unnecessary as the electric motor was situated at the rear.

National began producing combustion-engined cars in 1903 using four-cylinder engines built by Rutenber. It used a shaft drive and a three-speed selective transmission. By 1905, the line of electric vehicles had been dropped and the company focused solely on combustion-engined vehicles. That same year, the company adopted a circular radiator which would become a styling feature of the National brand until the shield-like design was introduced around 1908.

In 1906, the company introduced a line of six-cylinder models and the six-cylinder engine would remain a stable of the National catalog until its eventual demise. In 1916, the Highway Twelve was introduced using a twelve-cylinder engine of the company's own design.

Motorsports played a significant role in promoting and advertising a product during the 1900s, and National capitalized upon this by showcasing their engineering prowess. In 1905, a National won a 100-mile endurance contest at the Indian Fairgrounds. During a 24-hour endurance run, a National completed over 1,094 miles with an average speed of nearly 52 mph.

Much of the company's sporting heritage is attributed to Arthur C. Newby, who began with National as a director and later became the company's president. He was an avid cyclist and the founder of the six-day bicycle races. He is most remembered as one of the founders of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway which was opened in 1909. Initially, it was a dirt track until it was paved with bricks in 1911, the year of the inaugural Indy 500 race. National and their big 50HP cars placed well and by 1911 National would field three cars. The inaugural Indy 500 race in 1911 saw them finish seventh. 1912 would be their pinnacle success winning the second Indy in 1912 with Joe Dawson at the wheel. His average speed during the 500 miles was 78.22mph.

The company ended its motorsport program after 1912 to focus on production vehicles.

The 1910 National Model 40
For 1910, National offered the Model 40 five-passenger Tourer priced at $2,500, the Model 50 seven-passenger tourer at $4,200, and the Model 60 seven-passenger Tourer for $5,000. The Model 40 rested on a 124-inch wheelbase, the Model 50 on a 130-inch platform, and the Model 60 on a range-topping 137-inch platform - the largest National ever built. The Model 40 and Model 50 were powered by four-cylinder engines while the Model used a six-cylinder unit. The model names indicated the horsepower produced by the engine.

National produced approximately 1,415 vehicles in 1909, 1,610 in 1910, and 1,713 in 1911. The company's highest year of production was 1914 with 1,953 units built.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2022