Corbitt (United States)

Corbitt Automobile Company was an American automobile manufacturer based in Henderson, North Carolina. Founded by Richard Corbitt, the company initially produced horse-drawn buggies in the 1890s before transitioning to automobile production in 1907. The first vehicle was essentially a motorized buggy, characterized as a high-wheeler equipped with a two-cylinder engine, single-chain drive, and a simple piano-box body design.

In 1908, Corbitt enhanced its vehicle designs by adding wings to the body. By the end of 1909, the company had manufactured approximately 100 high-wheelers. The following year, Corbitt shifted its focus to more conventional automobiles, introducing models with 18/20 horsepower two-cylinder engines. This was followed by a 30-horsepower four-cylinder model in 1912 and a 30/35 horsepower variant in 1913. The final year of car production saw a slightly smaller engine of 26 horsepower, although it maintained the same wheelbase and body styles as previous models. All Corbitt vehicles were open models.

Despite its innovations in automobile manufacturing, Corbitt eventually ceased car production due to the increasing demand for its trucks, which had been in production since 1910. Although Corbitt was not a large manufacturer compared to industry giants like International or Mack, it gained respect in the truck sector over more than four decades. The company notably supplied the U.S. Army with 6x6 trucks during World War II and continued operations until 1958.