Curtiss (United States) - AllCarIndex

The Curtiss Motor Car Company was established in the early 1920s in Hammondsport, New York, by Glenn Hammond Curtiss, who was primarily known for his contributions to aviation. The company produced a limited number of automobiles, specifically between 1920 and 1921, during a period when several aero-engineered cars emerged in the United States following World War I.

The Curtiss vehicles were powered by the Curtiss OX-5 V8 engine, which was developed by Curtiss himself. This engine was modified for automotive use by Charlie Kirkham, who served as the chief engineer at the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company. The chassis for the cars was designed by Miles Harold Carpenter, who was also involved in the creation of other automotive projects.

The production of Curtiss cars was minimal, with estimates suggesting that possibly only one unit was manufactured. This vehicle was a two-seat roadster equipped with a dickey seat, although there were also design drawings for a dual-cowl tourer. The operations of the Curtiss Motor Car Company were informal, and the cars produced were primarily given to friends of Curtiss rather than being marketed to the general public. As a result, the legacy of the Curtiss Motor Car Company remains obscure, with little documentation on the exact number of vehicles produced.