The Winton Motor Carriage Company of Cleveland Ohio was one of the first American companies to sell a motor car with their product listed as a 'horseless carriage.' The company was created by a Scottish immigrant named Alexander Winton, owner of the Winton Bicycle Company, on March 15th of 1897. Each of these early vehicles was hand-built and painstakingly assembled piece-by-piece. The cars were rather elegant and stately for the era, being given padded seats, a leather roof, gas lamps, painted sides, and rubber tires made by the B.F. Goodrich Company of Akron, Ohio.

In the late 1890s, Winton created two operational prototype automobiles which he subjected to extensive testing and trials. He achieved a top speed of 33.64 mph on a test around a Cleveland horse track and later drove 800 miles from Cleveland to New York City to determine the vehicle's capabilities, durability, feasibility, and stamina.

His first customer was Robert Allison of Port Carbon, Pennsylvania who purchased a horseless carriage from Winton on March 24th of 1898. Twenty-one vehicles were sold throughout the year, including one to James Ward Packard. Packard was unhappy with his purchase and created the Packard Automobile Company to create a 'proper' auto car.

By 1899 the Winton Company was the largest manufacturer of gas-powered automobiles in the United States, selling over one hundred vehicles. A dealership was later opened in Reading, Pennsylvania which led to another 'first', the creation of a vehicle auto hauler.

During the early years of Winton production, popularity was generated by racing accomplishments, endurance runs, and publicity. As the years progressed, the engine size and power increased. By 1908 they had cemented their business in the six-cylinder range and would power each of their Wintons for the next 16 years with the six-cylinder engine. Changes throughout the years were few, mostly in reaction to the rest of the industry. They switched to left-hand drive in 1914 and offered an electric starter as optional equipment in 1915. The decision was a difficult one for Winton, as he was very fond of his compressed-air starter. It took a contingent of dealers to finally convince him to offer the electric starter as optional equipment.

During the early 1910s, Winton began experimenting in other industries, such as marine engines and diesel fuel. As World War I broke out, Winton levitated towards producing engines with diesel fuel, and soon it was accounting for the majority of their production.

As the War came to a close, sales were slow for automobiles but strong for the engines. Automobile production ceased in 1924 but they continued in the marine and stationary gasoline and diesel engine business. In 1930 the engine operations were purchased by General Motors.

Post-War Production

With the war at an end, Winton saw an opportunity for a lightweight car, the company introduced the Six-33, cataloged as the Model 22-A. The Model 22, Six-48, was given a larger wheelbase, now measuring 138 inches but retaining its 48 horsepower engine which displaced 525 cubic inches. The wheelbase of the Six-33 decreased by ten inches and was powered by a smaller 348 cubic-inch six which produced 33 horsepower. It had a sticker price of two-thirds that of the larger model.

By the very early 1920s, Winton had consolidated his model line down to one, which was an evolution of the Six-33. Sales were slow and only a few hundred examples were sold in 1922 and 1923, forcing the company to close in February 1924.

by Dan Vaughan