The history of Connecticut automobile manufacturing is virtually hidden to most of it’s citizens. It has only been through researching many obscure sources, that I have found how prolific the automobile industry really was in our state. Quite a bit of information has been found on the major companies like Pope-Hartford, Locomobile and Corbin where there are still representative automobiles in existence various collections around the world. I found many photographs and advertising brochures which show their beauty and describe their great workmanship. Numerous vintage photographs show these cars in the early 2oth Century Vanderbilt Cup Races, competing against the major European manufactures all to prove the durability of the automobile. In fact, several of the races were won by the CT cars, the most famous Locomobile, Number 16.
This 1907 Columbia was made in Hartford, CT. Owned by John Lothrop from New Hampshire, it was on display at the 2010 Festival
So, how many other automobiles were manufactured in Connecticut? My list kept growing as my research progressed but it was not until I talked with Tom Tkacz Sr. about the subject that he gave me the most complete list. Amazingly, his list contains 184 Connecticut auto manufactures and including the automobile name, the town and year in which it was built. All made before 1920, most of them before 1910.
Most of the CT automobiles are known only by name but nine makes still have automobiles in existence. They include the Corbin from New Britain; Pope-Hartford, Columbia and Kelsey-Motorette from Hartford; Locomobile and Trumbull from Bridgeport; Frisbe and Compound from Middletown and the Cameron from New London and Stamford. We had 14 Ct-made automobiles at the 2010 Vintage Motorcar Festival and we expect others to be on display at the 2011 Festival. If anyone has information about these cars please contact me, Mark Johnson, at markj@klingberg.org or 860 832-5526
