Edelbrock

Infobox Company
company_name = Edelbrock Corporation
company_
company_type = Private company
foundation = Beverly Hills, California, USA (1938)
founder = Victor Edelbrock, Sr.
location =Torrance, California| location =Torrance, California
industry = Automotive aftermarket
products = Automotive parts
revenue = gain $125.98 million USD (2004) [http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/929037/000095012904007403/a02052e10vk.htm SEC listing] ]
net_income = gain $3.49 millions USD (2004)
divisions = Automotive
Motorcycle
Russell fluid transfer
Shock Absorbers
Foundry
num_employees = 722 (2004)
homepage = [http://www.edelbrock.com/ www.edelbrock.com]
key_people = Victor Edelbrock, Jr., CEO & President (1962-present) Edelbrock Corporation is a specialty performance automotive and motorcycle aftermarket parts manufacturer. The company has five locations: its headquarters and three more locations in Torrance, California, including a distribution center and museum, and its foundry in San Jacinto, California. The company was founded in 1938 by Vic Edelbrock.

=The beginning= Vic Sr. was born in a small farming community near Wichita, Kansas in 1913. After the family grocery store burned down in 1927, Vic left school at the age of 14 to help support the family by ferrying Model T Fords from Wichita to the many outlying farms in the area. The frequent stops to replace parts that shook loose on the region's dirt roads made Vic an expert in impromptu repair work.Madigan, Tom. "Edelbrock: Made in USA", Tehabi Books, 2005.] Edelbrock Corporation annual report 1999, Edelbrock Corporation, 1999.] Soon after, he found work in a local repair shop, working as an auto mechanic. [http://www.edelbrock.com/automotive_new/misc/company/edelbrock_history.shtml History at Edelbrock's official website] ] When the Great Depression hit in 1931, Vic Edelbrock went to California to live with his brother. Initially, Vic moved in with his brother, Carl and took a job as an auto mechanic. In order to earn some extra money to open his own repair shop, Vic took an evening job in downtown Los Angeles parking cars at a large apartment complex. It was a chance encounter at this parking complex where Vic bumped into a 19-year-old Irish girl named Katherine (Katie) Collins, who was working as a day maid. Despite the fact that Katie was engaged, Vic managed managed to woo her away from the other bachelor; Vic and Katie married just eight weeks after meeting in 1933.

At the young age of 22, he then teamed up with his new brother-in-law to open his first automobile repair shop on Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. Business flourished and in 1934 Vic moved into his own shop on the corner of Venice Blvd and Hoover in Los Angeles. Business continued to grow rapidly and he moved his shop 3 more times in the 1930s.cite web|url=http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/history2/74/Edelbrock-Corporation.html|title=Edelbrock Corporation - Company Profile, Information, Business Description, History, Background Information on Edelbrock Corporation|publisher=www.referenceforbusiness.com|accessdate=2008-05-14] In 1936, Vic and Katie gave birth to Vic Jr., their only child.

The Slingshot

In 1938 Vic bought his first project car, a 1932 Ford Roadster. [http://www.corvettefever.com/eventcoverage/153_0401_edelbrock_tour_vics_garage/index.html Corvette Fever periodical] , Retrieved June 26 2007] Vic joined with Tommy Thickston to design a new intake manifold for the roadster's flathead engine. Unhappy with the performance of that, Vic designed his own manifold, nicknamed "The Slingshot". [http://lang.sbsun.com/socal/route66/history/edelbrock083101.asp Historic Route 66 article] , Retrieved March 18 2008] Most notably, the new manifold allowed two Stromberg 97 carburetors to be used, eliminating a bottleneck which limited horsepower for the engine.Canadian Classics & Performance, January 2004] The manifold was tested for quality at the Rosamond dry lakes(occupied today by Edwards Air Force Base), which was routinely a testing ground for Edelbrock and many other car clubs and racing associations. After stripping off the fenders and hubcaps, Vic drove it in 7.41 seconds at a speed of convert|121.45|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on, achieving a national speed record in the flying quarter mile on 16 November 1941.Almquist, Ed. "Hot Rod Pioneers, The Creators of the Fastest Sport on Wheels", Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc., 2000.] All Chevy Magazine article, August 1988, Michael Lufty] Originally, Vic had no intention of producing any additional manifolds, but the overwhelming response following his phenomenal speed in a 1932 Ford prompted Vic to make more. This was the first product commercially sold by Vic Edelbrock and marked the beginning of the company as it is known today. Edelbrock manufactured 100 of the "Slingshot" manifolds.

The early years

. Parts to increase an engine's performance were not readily available. So the racers built their own. Soon Vic found himself building pieces first for his friends and then for customers.McFarland, Jim. "The Great Manifold Bolt-On!", Edelbrock Corporation, 1982.]

To deal with the enormous amount of mail he was receiving, Vic created the company's first catalog, entitled 'Edelbrock Power and Speed Equipment' in 1946 with the help of Pete Petersen. This quickly hastened the transformation of the Edelbrock company from a repair garage into a performance parts manufacturer. Then, in 1947, Edelbrock produced the first cylinder heads for the Ford flathead.

One of the very first companies to use an engine dynamometer, Edelbrock moved to a convert|5000|sqft|m2|abbr=on. "purpose-built" shop in 1949 to develop more manifolds, cylinder heads and racing pistons. In the early 1950s, Edelbrock continued to dominate the dry lakes and expanded racing to the Bonneville Speedway.

Racing fame

After the war, the CRA (California Roadster Association) was formed to run oval races with dual-purpose roadsters that could run lakes or track. It transformed through the years into what we know today as sprint cars.cite web|url=http://www.streetrodderweb.com/features/0601sr_speed_equipment_history/index.html|title=Speed Equipment History - Street Rodder Magazine|publisher=www.streetrodderweb.com|accessdate=2008-05-14|last=Storer|first=Jay] In 1946, Edelbrock entered racing history in the field of midget car racing. Edelbrock's team toured the dirt track racing circuit of Southern California with Bobby Meeks tuning the cars and drivers such as Walt Faulkner, Perry Grimm, Cal Niday, Danny Oakes, Harry Stockman, Bill Vukovich, Rodger Ward and Bill Zaring.Anderson, Stephen K. "Historical Reunion: Repeating History Through a Car and a Great American Family". American Rodder magazine, May 2004. Retrieved 5 August 2008] "Circle Track" magazine article, December 1989, Tom Madigan]

Another major claim to fame for Vic was when he beat all the Offenhauser-powered midget cars; this feat was particularly remarkable due to the fact that the Offenhausers had a great power advantage over all of the other motors. [http://www.worthyofhonor.com/Inductees/Edelbrock_Vic.htm Biography] at the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame] Using a Kurtis Kraft V8-60 midget car powered by a secret blend of 20% nitromethane (disguised with the scent of orange oil), Ward made history on August 10, 1950, when Edelbrock's -powered #27 car broke the winning streak of the "Offy"-equipped midget cars at the famed midget car racing venue Gilmore Stadium. This was the only V8-60 to ever beat the Offys in the entire Gilmore 386-Race history.Circle Track magazine article, January 1990] Then the same car raced at the Orange Show Stadium in San Bernardino the following night and beat the Offenhauser cars again.Rodger Ward article] This feat was never duplicated in the history of midget racing. Edelbrock wasn’t the only racer in the period to be experimenting with nitromethane; Joaquin Arnett and Tony Capanna were fooling around with it in their hot rods, as well. Edelbrock, however, is generally considered to be the man who pulled it all together and made it work. [http://www.dragtimes.com/Nitromethane-Drag-Racing-Top-Fuel-Soup-of-Choice.html DragTimes.com article on nitromethane] ] Vic Edelbrock was elected to the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 2005.

Chevrolet small-block engine

Up until 1955, Edelbrock only made parts for Ford, Mercury and Lincoln. Few things affected the company (as well as the development of hot rod market) more than the development of the Gen I Chevrolet Small-Block engine in 1955. Its simple compact design launched a generation of innovations that stood the test of time.

Chevrolet delivered three 3 Gen I engines to Edelbrock for experimentation:
* An Engine to test on their dynamometer
* An engine for boat racing was prepared for boat builder Henry Lauterback and immediately set 2 world records in Miami, Florida
* An engine to test multi-carb manifolds for magazine articles

In 1958, Vic Sr. managed an industry first by designing and achieving one horsepower-per-cubic-inch from a 283 cid small-block Chevy with his new Cross Ram Manifold. This breakthrough led Edelbrock to produce manifolds for Pontiac and Chrysler engines as well.

A critical turning point in the company's history was the 1964 decision to build a small-block Chevy intake manifold for a 4-barrel carburetor. The C-4B manifold was developed with help from Bob Joehnck and opening the door to a whole new line of performance products. Competing with the factory was a risky proposition, but it turned out to be a beneficial one, as it launched the company into fast-forward. Berggren, Dick, "Stock Car Racing" article, March, 1998]

Growth

Victor Edelbrock, Sr., died in 1962, and was succeeded by his son Victor Edelbrock, Jr. [http://www.streetrodderweb.com/hotnews/0502sr_vic_edelbrock_honored/ "Vic Edelbrock Jr. To Be Honored"] , Street Rodder magazine, Retrieved June 26 2007] Vic Jr. graduated in 1958 with a degree in business from USC and took the role of "President and Chief Executive Officer", a position that he still holds today (2008). [http://www.edelbrock.com/media/news/2002/company/vic_bio.html Vic Bio at Edelbrock website media center] ]

Edelbrock joined SEMA (the Specialty Equipment Marketing Association) as a charter member in the 1960s, with Vic Jr. serving as president from 1971 to 1974. Vic was elected in a crucial time in the history of SEMA; Congress enacted the Clean Air Act in 1971 and established the Environmental Protection Agency, which targeted the air pollution caused by internal combustion engines. Vic lead the entire aftermarket industry through its most difficult, turbulent and critical time period.

When gas prices soared in the 1970s, Edelbrock produced a complete line of "Streetmaster" intake manifolds that improved mileage, as well as performance.

In 1987, Edelbrock moved its facilities to its current location in Torrance, California, where it resides today. The five building corporate facility occupies over convert|400000|sqft|m2.

In 1990, Edelbrock built a new sand-cast aluminum foundry in San Jacinto, The convert|73000|sqft|m2|sing=on facility employed 75-100 workers and gave the company the ability to increase production according to market demands.SEMA News, 1990.]

In 1994, the Edelbrock corporation began selling shares of stock on the NASDAQ stock exchange and initially raised $21 million [http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Edelbrock-Corporation-Company-History.html] , FundingUniverse.com article, retrieved 4 August, 2008.]

In 2000, Qwiksilver II was acquired and Edelbrock began marketing motorcycle products.

In 2000, Russell Performance Plumbing, a company that manufactures fittings and hoses, was acquired by Edelbrock. The old company in Florida was relocated to Torrance by 2001.

According to the 2004 Edelbrock annual report, as of June 30 the company employed 722 persons, and achieved revenues of $125.98 million USD. Since the company went private again, revenue findings have not been available to the general public.

ponsorship

Edelbrock does not sponsor a NASCAR team directly, but instead has access to advertising through a deal with NASCAR by which the Edelbrock contingency sticker is placed on every NASCAR race car. Contingency is a common form of 'after the fact' sponsorship whereby racers place stickers on their vehicles from companies that post monetary awards to racing teams for winning, in exchange for the visibility and the right to use images of the driver and their car in promotional literature and advertising. Similarly, Edelbrock posts contingency awards to drag racers as well, including classes of racers who engage in racing as a hobby.

Since 2002, Edelbrock has been the title sponsor of the PRO Edelbrock Drag Racing Series, which features both professional and sportsman racing classes. The racing series features 7 classes of heads-up style racing and 3 classes of index style racing. [http://www.popularhotrodding.com/events/0305_phr_pro_edelbrock_drag_race/index.html Popular Hot Rodding article] ]

Products

Makes: Edelbrock produces aftermarket parts for automobiles, trucks, motorcycles, ATVs, and boats for many makes of vehicles including Ford, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Acura, AMC, Buick, Cadillac, Dodge, Eagle, GMC, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Jeep, Mercury, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Rover and Toyota. For motorcycles and ATVs, Russell (acquired in 2000) manufactures parts for Arctic Cat, ATK, Bombardier, Honda, Kawasaki, KTM, Polaris, Suzuki and Yamaha. Additionally, Edelbrock also sells Speed Bleeders, for bleeding brake lines for BMW, Fiat, Infiniti, Isuzu, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Merkur, Mitsubishi, Nissan/Datsun, Porsche, Saab, Sterling, Subaru and Volkswagen. Edelbrock also manufactures brake lines for Hummer, Lexus, Mini Cooper, and Plymouth. [http://www.edelbrock.com/automotive_new/misc/company/auto_catalog.shtml 2008 Edelbrock automotive catalog] ]

Products: air cleaners, air-fuel meters, camshafts, carburetors, clothing, coil springs, crate engines, crossmembers, cylinder heads, data acquisition, electronic fuel injection, exhaust manifolds, exhaust systems, fuel filters, fuel pumps, fuel rails, gaskets, gear drives, intake manifolds, lifter kits, mufflers, nitrous, panhard rods, pistons, planograms, power packages, pushrods, shock absorbers, solenoids, springs, strut tower braces, superchargers, suspension components, switches, throttle bodies, tie rod sleeves, timing chains, trailing arms, turbochargers, valves, valve covers, valvetrain parts and water pumps.

Russell products: brake fluid, brake lines, brake rotors, bungs, cushion clamps, ferrules, fittings, fuel lines, hoses, o-rings, pressure gauges, speed bleeders, and washers.

Timeline

* 1913 - Vic Sr. is born
* 1927 - Family grocery store burns down
* 1931 - Vic Edelbrock moves to California
* 1933 - Vic marries Katie / Vic opens his first repair shop on Wilshire Blvd.
* 1934 - Vic moves into a new shop on Venice and Hoover in Los Angeles
* 1936 - Vic Edelbrock, Jr. is born
* 1938 - Vic buys a 1932 Ford Roadster and designs the first Edelbrock product: the Slingshot manifold
* 1941 - Sept 28 - Vic Edelbrock, Sr. sets land speed record in a V8 roadster
* 1941-45 - Vic contributes to the WWII war effort by fabricating parts in the Long Beach shipyard
* 1945 - Vic designs his first aluminum racing cylinder heads for flathead Fords
* 1946 - First Edelbrock catalog published
* 1948 - Vic purchases a Clayton engine dynamometer
* 1950 - Edelbrock moves to its first purpose-built shop on Jefferson Blvd.
* 1951 - The first streamliner powered by a Flathead Ford to go over convert|200|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on is the Edelbrock-equipped Bachelor-Xydias SoCal Special [http://www.oilstick.com/nhra/edelbrock.htm Oilstick.com NHRA museum article] Groak, Bill, 2004.]
* 1958 - Vic Jr. Graduates USC / Edelbrock is the first to achieve one horsepower per cubic inch
* 1959 - Vic Jr. marries Nancy Crook
* 1962 - Vic Edelbrock, Sr. dies of cancer at the age of 49
* 1966 - Edelbrock builds a race boat for astronauts Gus Grissom and Gordon Cooper
* 1968 - Edelbrock moves to El Segundo, California
* 1971-74 - Vic Edelbrock, Jr. serves as president of SEMA
* 1975 - Car Craft names Edelbrock as "Manufacturer of the Year"
* 1987 - Edelbrock Moves to Torrance, California
* 1990 - Sand cast aluminum foundry is built in San Jacinto, California
* 1994 - Edelbrock goes public on the NASDAQ stock exchange
* 1995 - Begins manufacturing Harley-Davidson motorcycle products
* 1998 - Edelbrock Corporate (including shock & exhaust) receives QS-9000 and ISO 9001:1994 certification
* 1999 - New distribution center opens, including Vic's Garage, a museum of his cars
* 2000 - Edelbrock acquires Russell Performance Plumbing
* 2001 - QS-9000 and ISO 9001:1994 certification is extended to the distribution center
* 2002 - QS-9000 and ISO 9001:1994 certification is extended to the Russell division
* 2003 - Vic Edelbrock Sr.'s historic original 1932 Ford Roadster is acquired and restored.
* 2004 - Edelbrock goes private
* 2005 - ISO 9001:2000 certification is achieved by all Edelbrock divisions and replaces the previous certifications of QS-9000 and ISO 9001:1994
* 2007 - The Edelbrock foundry begins construction of a new permanent mold facility

Notes and References

External links

* [http://victorylibrary.com/mopar/edel.htm Older Edelbrock intake manifolds identified by part number]
* [http://www.streetperformance.com/index.html?detailedlisting=341 Application data and product details for Edelbrock parts]
* [http://www.russellperformance.com/ Website for Edelbrock's Russell division]