1906 Compound Model 7.5

The Compound Automobile was produced in Middletown, Connecticut, from 1904 to 1908, by Eisenhuth Horseless Vehicle Company. John W. Eisenhuth was an engine builder who designed an automobile in San Francisco, California, in 1896. It was later built at a machine shop in Newark, New Jersey. As automobile popularity began to rise in the early 1900s, Eisenhuth realized that if he were to participate, he would have to move east, where all the action was happening. He moved to the Greater New York area and continued his experimentations.

Eisenhuth made the acquaintance of D.F. Graham, the make of the Graham-Fox compound engine. It was an intriguing engine that operated one of its cylinders from the force produced by exhaust gases from the two explosive cylinders. The result was a reduction in noise and saving power.

In 1903, a prototype design, dubbed the Graham-Fox, was shown at Madison Square Garden. When production began a short time later, it had a new name - the Compound. Production of the Compound car was done in Middletown, Connecticut. In 1905, the Compound did rather well in the New York Motor Club's National Economy Test. To further showcase the car's technology and advantages, professors at both M.I.T. and Stevens Institute were tasked with performing independent studies of the Compound engine's fuel efficiency and horsepower. The results of their studies were published and made available to the public.

The cars may have been advanced, but they did have one shortcoming. They were priced at $6,000, making them one of the more expensive cars of the era. The company responded by producing a less expensive $1400 model.

The three-cylinder cars were built throughout 1907, with the final Compound being a two-cylinder model.

The corporate beginnings of the company were mired in controversy, with Eisenhuth arrested on at least two occasions on charges of blackmail and grand larceny. This, coupled with very expensive price tags, crippled the compound's chances of existence. The Compound was produced from 1904 through 1908.

by Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2009