American Simplex

Billed as "a motor-car symphony", the American Simplex was an American automobile manufactured in Mishawaka, Indiana, USA, from 1906 to 1915 by the Simplex Motor Car Company; the company shortened its name to Amplex in 1910 to avoid confusion with the better-known, New York-based Simplex. This change also coincided with a reorganization of the company. Originally the company manufactured a two-stroke four-cylinder 50hp two-stroke model, later upsized to 6.8 liters and rated at 50 hp. In 1910, three open-roof models and two enclosed models were offered, costing up to $5,400; in 1911, a 30/50hp toy tonneau was introduced.

They were expensive, a limousine being offered at as much as $5,600. The firm kept using the 2-stroke engine, after it had become obsolete; a 4-stroke was offered unsuccessfully in 1913. Gillette Motor Co took over the Amplex manufacturing facilities in 1916, but refused to manufacture conventional engine-valving but rather a rotary sleeve-valve engine.

See also

* List of automobile manufacturers