Friday, July 27, 2018

Grabowsky Power Wagons


The Motor Vehicle company that Max and Morris named after themselves lasted only a short time. After forming the company in 1900 they built one truck and a partial second one, reforming as the Rapid Motor Vehicle Co. in 1902. They completed that second truck and sold it to a company in Detroit, it was probably the only motorized truck in the city at that time. 
The Rapid Motor Vehicle Company went through several iterations but by 1904 had relocated in Pontiac, Michigan and soon were turning out hundreds of trucks per year.
 In 1908 William Durant started buying stock in the company and Max Grabowsky resigned to open the new venture shown above. 
 The Rapid Motor Vehicle company along with the Reliance Truck Company became the basis of the GMC truck line. That name was first used on a vehicle in 1912.
 Meanwhile the Grabosky Power Wagon venture fizzled out, going bankrupt in 1912. The manufacturing assets were purchased by Seitz Automobile Transmission Co., Wyandotte, Michigan, which continued to build the Grabowsky truck for a short time.

No comments: