The Saxon Motor Car Company was located in Detroit, Michigan, from 1914 to 1922. In 1917, 28,000 cars were made, making it the seventh largest car maker in the United States.

History

Hugh Chalmers of Chalmers Motor Car Company began the company to market a low priced volume car. The first Saxon was a 2-seat runabout with 2-speed transmission and a four-cylinder engine made by Ferro and built in the old Demotcar factory. 7,000 were made in the first year of production. The cost of a Saxon in 1913 was $395, .

From 1913 to 1914, electric lighting was an extra option, which became a standard fitting to the car in 1915. Also available in 1915 was the Saxon Six, a five-passenger tourer, with a 30–35 hp (22–26 kW) Continental six-cylinder, electric starter and headlights, on a 112 in (2845 mm) wheelbase and 32×3½-inch (81×8.9 cm) wheels, all for $785, .

In its peak year of 1916, 27,800 Saxons were produced. The Saxon Six was followed in 1917 by a Sedan. In December 1917, Harry W. Ford was out and the new president was Benjamin Gotfredson. From 1918 the company got into financial difficulties while expanding, with large quantities of parts and building a larger factory. The 4-cylinder models were dropped from the range and the Sedan went as well in 1919. !! Production according to Seltzer, Lawrence H.

|-

| 1914 || align="right"|7,127||7,300

|-

| 1915 || align="right"|11,761 ||19,000

|-

| 1916 || align="right"|21,134||26,000

|-

| 1917 || align="right"|28,219 ||21,000

|-

| 1918 || align="right"|12,223 ||7,000

|-

| 1919 || align="right"|3,426||3,000

|-

| 1920 || align="right"|6,110||740

|-

| 1921 || align="right"|2,173 ||500

|-

| 1922 || align="right"|521||250

|-

| Sum || align="right"|92,694||84,790

|}

Band leader George Olsen drove a Saxon. Olsen mentions this on the first Jack Benny Program, May 2, 1932. Olsen was the bandleader on that show.

In the 1937 Hollywood film "Easy Living", Jean Arthur's character, a poor woman mistakenly thought to be rich, is asked to buy a car from the V16 Company of America, and answers that "of course I've never driven one; we had Saxon's... Yes I suppose they are different."

It has been misreported that Saxon President Harry Ford left the company due to illness. The fact is that after raising capital for the company, Ford lost his position in a proxy fight. He subsequently joined the war effort as an officer, and died while a military officer during the influenza epidemic.

Notes and references

  • Internet Archive: Car Questions at Roaring Twenties Antiques
  • History of Saxon Motor Car Company