Trumbull

Introduction

The Trumbull was a short-lived cycle car manufactured by the Trumbull Motor Car Company in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Between 1913 and 1915 approximately 2,000 Trumbull cars were manufactured. Following the death of Isaac his Trumbull on the RMS Lusitania, the company ceased production.

Company History

The origins of the Trumbull Motor Company can be traced back to an automobile designed by Harry J Stoops, the car took its name from its financiers, brothers Alexander H and Isacc B Trumbull, who had acquired the rights to the design when they purchased the American Cyclecar Company. Thus, in 1914 the Trumbull Motor Company was founded to manufacture and sell a selection of vehicles with a top speed of 50 mph (80 km/h). The Trumbull is powered by its liquid-cooled four-cylinder engine producing a range of 14 hp (10 kW) to 18 hp (13 kW) and is available in a variety of body styles, including roadster, coupe and delivery truck. era. In 1915, the chain drive system was replaced by the more common direct drive through a gearbox. In all, some 2,000 Trumbull cars were built, of which three-quarters were exported, mainly to Europe and Australia. The sole British importer was its A.I. Made of green wood from Leeds, this roadster retailed in 1914 for £105 in the U.K. and $425 in the United States. The New York Police Department was also an early Trumbull user, with a fleet of more than 20 vehicles.

Most of the Trumbull's competitors left much to be desired in terms of functionality and reliability, which tarnished the vehicle's reputation and led to a decline in sales. The result was that most of the Trumbull's production was destined for export, with about 1,500 of the 2,000 produced finding customers in Europe and Australia.

Rapid collapse

Production increased to 300 cars a month, and on May 1, 1915, company president Isaac Trumbull boarded the RMS Lusitania for a visit to Europe. Twenty Trumbull cars attended, and expectations were high, as up to 300 cars were expected to be sold as a result of the trip. On May 7, the Lusitania was torpedoed off the coast of Ireland, and Isaac Trumbull was one of more than 1,000 lives lost. Almost immediately, the Trumbull brothers decided to devote their efforts to the manufacture of munitions for the fight against Germany in World War I, and in November of that year, the Trumbull Motor Company was dissolved.

Source:

• 1915 Trumbull 15B Cyclecar Registration no. not UK registered Chassis no. 637
  https://cars.bonhams.com/auction/25455/lot/698/1915-trumbull-15b-cyclecar-chassis-no-637/
• Trumbull Cyclecar
  https://academic-accelerator.com/encyclopedia/trumbull-cyclecar
• 1914 Trumbull Cyclecar
  https://www.conceptcarz.com/z19928/trumbull-cyclecar.aspx