Bates [2] (United States) - AllCarIndex

Bates Automobile Company was established in Lansing, Michigan, in 1903 by M.F. Bates, who had previously built the first internal combustion engine in Michigan in 1889. Initially, Bates founded the Bates & Edmonds Motor Company to manufacture these engines before shifting focus to automobile production.

The company introduced its first vehicle, a 16-horsepower two-cylinder tourer, in 1903. This was followed by a model featuring an 18-horsepower three-cylinder engine in 1905. Despite the company's optimistic marketing slogan, "Buy a Bates and Keep Your Dates," production ceased later that same year. The site of the Bates factory is now home to the R.E. Olds Museum, preserving the legacy of early automotive innovation in the region.