1909 Alco 40 HP

The American Locomotive Company (ALCO) was in operation from 1901 until 1969, with a primary emphasis on locomotive manufacturing. Additionally, the company engaged in automobile production between the years 1906 and 1913. Founded by the amalgamation of eight smaller railroad companies in the Eastern US, ALCO would build many of America's steam engines.

With tooling, factories, and talented engineers, ALCO was suitably positioned to enter the burgeoning horseless carriage business. Expediting the process, they secured the U.S. license to build the Berliet automobiles of Lyon, France, for a period of three years. Marius Berliet built his first automobile in France around 1894 and refined the design in the subsequent years.

The American Berliets made their debut at the New York Auto Show in November 1906, which took place at the Grand Central Palace. Initially, the vehicles were equipped with four-cylinder engines that transmitted power to the wheels through a chain drive system; by 1908, a shaft drive mechanism had been adopted.

Locomobile functioned under the Berliet license until September 1910, after which it began manufacturing products based on its own designs. The influence of Berliet persisted throughout the production period of ALCOs, as demonstrated by the engine and numerous other components constructed using metric measurements.

The vehicles manufactured by Locomobile were renowned for their engineering excellence and held in high esteem, ranking among the pantheon of great early US cars. The company asserted that the construction of each vehicle required one year and seven months, as every part was meticulously designed and produced to precise standards. The company's use of vanadium, an 'anti-fatigue' metal, prompted the company to adopt the catchphrase 'It Stays New!' The use of fine materials and the meticulously over-engineered parts came at a cost, with each ALCO often priced between $5,500 and $9,000.

Proving the ALCO's power and endurance, the company's own Henry Fortune Grant drove a race-prepared ALCO to victory in the Vanderbilt Cup Race in 1909 and 1910 and competed in the first Indianapolis 500 in 1911.

Notwithstanding the widespread acclaim of ALCO and the substantial prices commanded by its vehicles, it is thought that the company faced significant challenges in achieving profitability, frequently incurring losses on each automobile manufactured. In 1913, the company unexpectedly closed its operations and halted automobile production.

The 1909 ALCO
ALCO had a diverse portfolio of automobiles to offer its customers in 1909, with four- and six-cylinder engines of various outputs, several wheelbase lengths, and stately body styles that could carry several passengers. The four-cylinder model produced 22 horsepower and used a 112-inch wheelbase platform to carry their limousine or landaulette coachwork, both priced at $4,500. The forty-horsepower version of the four-cylinder T-head engine had a displacement size of 487 cubic inches and a single updraft carburetor. Its seven-passenger touring coachwork was priced at $5,000. The six-cylinder model was also a 7-passenger tourer, and its T-head engine displaced 524.8 cubic inches. Priced at $6,000, it was one of the most expensive automobiles of its era.

The 1909 Alco automobiles used a four-speed manual transmission with double chain drive to the rear axle, a solid front axle, and a live rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs and two-wheel mechanical brakes. The 40 HP four-cylinder ALCO rested on a 126-inch wheelbase platform, and the six-cylinder version had a 133.5-inch wheelbase.

by Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2024