1912 Simplex Model 50

The Smith and Mabley Company of New York City was founded in 1900 by A. D. Proctor Smith and his brother-in-law, Carlton R. Mabley. It was an import company for European automobiles including those from Panhard, Renault, Mors, and Isotta Fraschini. Additionally, they were the exclusive importers of the Mercedes automobile.

Early Automobile Production

An attempt was made at automobile production in 1902 under a license from C. G. V. with the brand name American C.G.V., avoiding expensive custom duties. Seven examples were built before production was halted in 1903. That year, Smith and Mabley, along with Winton were sued regarding infringement of the Selden Patent. After joining the A.L.A.M. later in the year, the lawsuit against Winton and Smith & Mabley was dropped. Automobile production by Smith & Mabley resumed in 1903 in a newly acquired five-story plant designed by G. Edward Franquist, who was also Chief Engineer and Superintendent of the factory. He was a founding member of the S.A.E. (Society of Automotive Engineers) and served as the Simplex designer until 1915.

The Selden Patent

George Selden had created an internal combustion engine by 1878, approximately eight years before the public introduction of the Benz Patent Motorwagen in Europe. The one-cylinder engine had an enclosed crankshaft and weighed approximately 400 pounds. On May 8th of 1879, he filed for a patent which included the engine and its use in a four-wheeled car. Following several amendments to his application, the patent was granted on November 5, 1895. Working with William C. Whitney, Selden worked to collect royalties from budding automobile manufacturers in the fledgling American auto industry. His efforts were rewarded with a 0.75% royalty on all cars sold by the Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers. With a steady stream of financial capital, he began his own car company in Rochester under the name Selden Motor Vehicle Company. They would produce upper mid-priced vehicles from 1907 to 1914, and trucks until 1932.

Following a lengthy and highly publicized legal battle contesting the patent, which included Henry Ford and several other car makers, Selden lost in 1911 destroying his income stream. While the patent was enforced, it is estimated Selden received several hundred thousand dollars in royalties.

S & M Simplex and the Smith & Mabley Manufacturing Company

A four-cylinder designed by Franquist and Henry M. Crane in 1903 was used for motor boats and motor car production beginning in May 1904. The new marque name was S & M Simplex and the Smith & Mabley Manufacturing Company. Racing motorboats that used this engine included the Vingt-et-Un, Challenger, and Dixie I - the latter won the Harmsworth (British International) Trophy four times between 1907 and 1911. The designer of the Dixie and SImplex series of motor boats was Clinton H. Crane.

The S & M Simplex automobile was powered by a four-cylinder, T-head engine positioned vertically behind a radiator and paired with a four-speed selective transmission with double chain drive to the rear wheels. With a 105-inch wheelbase frame, coachwork by Quinby in 'King of Belgium tonneau' body styles, the cost of $6,750 made it one of the most expensive automobiles of its era. Approximately 73 examples were built in 1904, and with the introduction of a smaller (91-inch wheelbase) and lower-priced 18-horsepower model the following year, output increased slightly to 78 units. 75 vehicles were built in 1906, its final year of production. It was the victim of the economy which was experiencing a stock market slide and recession which led to the Panic of 1907.

As many as 233 S & M Simplex automobiles were built during its brief lifespan, with perhaps the most memorable example being the 75-hp racing car driven by Frank Croker in the 1904 Vanderbilt Cup. To comply with weight restrictions and to improve the vehicle's performance, Croker drilled holes in the frame. This degraded the rigidity of the frame and during the race, it collapsed. After the race, the frame was repaired and brought to Ormond Beach, Florida in January 1905 where Croker and his mechanic were killed during a speed run while swerving to avoid a motorcycle.

The Simplex Automobile Company

Following the collapse of the S & M Simplex Company, its assets, and the 61 East 83rd Street factory were acquired by textile importer Herman Broesel, Sr. Production would resume under the Simplex Automobile Company. They would produce automobiles from 1907 through 1913 in New York, NY, and from 1913 to 1919 in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

The Simplex Automobile Company is fondly remembered for its enormous displacement sporting cars powered by an enlarged Mercedes-type T-head engine of 597 cubic inches. With a 5.75-inch bore and stroke, the engine offered brute power at a surprisingly wide RPM range. Ignition was via Bosch twin-spark dual-magneto, carburetion by a Mercedes-type unit by Newcomb, and the cross-flow, T-head design allowed for the fitment of large valves to aid the voluminous engine flow. The cylinders were attached to a large aluminum crankcase and lubrication was a total loss system. The transaxle was mounted midship in the high-performance chassis and sent power to the rear wheels via dual chains.

The positioning of the transaxle and brake weight more forward within the chassis offered several advantages, permitting separate braking system inboard at the transaxle as well as in the rear wheel drums. It helped reduce the vehicle's unsprung weight, provided easy final-drive gear ratio changes, and improved the handling and balance.

Motorsport Competition

Simplex used motorsports as a way of improving and demonstrating its products. It was among the company's most expensive and ambitious advertising programs, costing the company approximately $50,000 annually. Near the close of 1911, the company would curtail its racing program and divert its resources into other advertising programs including print.

Simplex automobiles were frequent winners of the races and hill climbs they contested, including the 1908 24 Hour Race at Brighton Beach won by Simplex drivers George Robertson and Frank Lescault. Drivers George Robertson and Al Poole repeated this victory in July 1909 at the Brighton Beach 24 Hour race. A Simplex car finished first for the third consecutive time at the Brighton Beach 24 Hour race in May 1910 with drivers Al Poole and Charles Basle. Simplex driver Leonard Ormsby was disqualified after causing a fatal crash during a practice run for the 1911 event. Ralph DePalma replaced Ormsby and Simplex placed third in the race.

Mr. Robertson won the 1909 Fairmount Park race in Philadelphia with his Simplex. Ralph DePalma with his mechanic Charles Bury placed sixth in the inaugural Indianapolis 500 race in 1911.

Management and Factory Changes

When Mr. Broesel passed away in the fall of 1912, the company was sold to the New York firm of Goodrick, Lockhart, and Smith, and its operation was relocated to New Jersey. The Broesel brothers (Herman's sons Herman Jr. and Carl) and Franquist remained as part of the management team. Henry Lockhart, Jr. became president; John D. Dale a Sales Manager, and G. E. Franquist the Factory Superintendent. Carl Broesel joined Franquist in New Brunswick and his brother, Herman Broesel Jr. became the manager of the Long Island City Service Department.

The Simplex Automobile Company was purchased by the Wright Company of Garwood, New Jersey in October 1915, and the following month Henry Lockhart, Jr. became President of Wright. The Wright Company merged with the Glenn L. Martin Company in August of 1916 and the newly formed Wright-Martin Aircraft Corporation acquired all outstanding Simplex Automobile Company stock to make it a wholly owned subsidiary. In October 1917, Simplex Automobile production at New Brunswick ended as resources were diverted to airplane engines for World War I. The Mercer Motor Company of Trenton, New Jersey acquired the assets of the Simplex Automobile Company in January 1920.

The Simplex Model 50

The Simplex Model 50 was the company's sole offering through 1910 when it was joined by the Model 90. The 124-inch wheelbase chassis was joined by longer 127- and 129-inch options for 1909, the same year the list of available body styles grew beyond the four-passenger Toy Tonneau to include a seven-passenger tourer (129-inch platform) and a Landaulet and Limousine (127-inch platform). Customers could also specify unique coachwork designs by coachbuilders of their choosing, including Healey & Co., Demarest, Holbrook, and Brewster.

The Simplex Model 50 derived its name from its 50 horsepower (ALAM rating) T-head four-cylinder engine. Designed for the sporting motorist, it was equipped with one of the largest four-cylinder engines ever to power a production automobile. The potent powerplant, four tall gears, and superb chassis gave it enviable performance, and its steep price tag made them very exclusive. During its nearly decade-long production lifespan, nearly 250 examples were produced.

The 1912 Simplex Model 50

The 1912 Simplex Model 50 was offered with four-passenger touring coachwork on a 124-inch platform at a price of $5,400. The Model 90 and Model 75 would also utilize this 124-inch wheelbase frame and offered additional body styles. The five-passenger touring body style on the 129-inch wheelbase frame (also used by the Model 38) added $300 to the base price. The largest available platform, with a 137-inch wheelbase, was available with the Model 50 and the Model 38 (the Simplex 38 was a shaft-drive car introduced in 1911 and built through 1915), and both were offered with body styles that included a touring, landaulet, and limousine (all with seating for seven passengers). For the Model 50, the touring was priced at $5,700, and the landaulet and limousine at $6,400.

The 600 cubic-inch engine was installed in a chassis with solid front and live rear axles with semi-elliptic leaf springs all round. Two-wheel mechanical drum brakes provided the stopping power.

Simplex produced 200 vehicles in 1912, its highest level of production to that point.

by Daniel Vaughan | Aug 2022