1915 Stevens Duryea Model D-Six

J. Frank and his brother Charles made a pioneering journey in a car they built in Springfield, Massachusetts in September of 1893, leading to the formation of the Duryea Motor Wagon Company, where they built thirteen near-identical cars. By 1898, the brothers had split, and in 1900 Frank designed another automobile called the Hampden, after a nearby town. The Hampden prototype caught the attention of J. Stevens Arms & Tool Company of nearby Chicopee Falls, and, following a name change to Stevens-Duryea, entered production toward the end of 1901.

The two-cylinder runabout produced seven horsepower and used a three-speed sliding gear transmission with reverse and tiller steering. Priced at $1,250, it was approximately twice as expensive as the Curved Dash Oldsmobile. In 1905, the company moved even further upmarket with the introduction of a four-cylinder engine. A 50-horsepower Six was added the following year, and by 1910, a Model Y limousine sold for $5,000.

Many automobile manufacturers of this era recognized the importance of motorsports to promote the brand, a fact not lost on Stevens-Duryea, whose Model L cars set six records between 1902 to 1904 in competitive events, including races at Providence, Rhode Island, and Ormond Beach, Florida, a 500-mile New York to Boston trek and hill climbs at Eagle Rock Hill in New Jersey, Commonwealth Avenue in Boston, and New Hampshire's Mount Washington.

In 1906, Stevens-Duryea became a separate company from J. Stevens. As the years progressed, the Steven-Duryea vehicles became increasingly expensive and impressive. In 1915, the Westinghouse Corp. bought the company and used the factory to produce war material. After the Armistice, a group of former executives bought Stevens-Duryea and resumed car production. The new six-cylinder models that they offered had prices that reached as high as $9,500.

The Model C-Six was introduced in 1913 and rested on a 131-inch wheelbase, equipped with a 460 cubic-inch Side-Valve engine with a single carburetor, dual-ignition, and produced 46 horsepower. It used a three-speed progressive transmission, two-wheel mechanical brakes, and a semi-elliptic leaf spring suspension. The Landau-Phaeton was priced at $5,400, the Touring and Roadster were $4,550, the Limousine was $5,800, and the Demi-Berline listed for $5,750.

The company was acquired in the early 1920s by a syndicate headed by Ray M. Owen of Owen Magnetic, however, the company continued to build quality cars in small quantities as orders were received. Orders ceased around 1927, and so did the Stevens-Duryea.

by Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2021