Olds reportedly went on to build additional vehicles. Frank Clark was the son of noted Lansing carriage builder Albert Clark. Frank Clark's first motor vehicle in 1903, the ClarkMobile runabout , was powered by a single cylinder, water cooled engine rated at 7 horsepower, and was similar to the Oldsmobile Curved Dash. With slow sales, of the approximately 100 built, the last of the production was sold to Lansing's New Way Motor Company in 1905, who installed their new air cooled engines and sold them under the New Way name, this being their only attempt at selling motor vehicles. A principal in the New Way Company was Charles H. Way , who designed the ClarkMobile engine. New Way continued to manufacture air cooled stationary engines until 1938.
Clark's next incursion into the chaotic automobile business was in 1910 with the Clark , a 14 horsepower, two cylinder, air cooled, vehicle. The engine was made by Lansing 's Furgason Motor Company. He changed directions this time and produced a "high wheeler"; a style of vehicle characterized by having large diameter, hard rubber tires. Apparently this vehicle was even less successful than the previous ClarkMobile and was discontinued by 1912.
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Clark was not easily discouraged as he also designed and built a truck in 1910, called, surprise, the Clark . This was a two cylinder, water cooled vehicle of 20 horsepower, with the engine under the floor, in the style of his previous autos. It was rated at 1000 pounds capacity and sold for $750. Successful? No. It was superseded in 1912 by his second truck design.
Perhaps the name Clark was the problem. His next effort was called the Superior in 1912. This was a large truck for the time with the modern positioning of the engine in front under a hood. It was rated at one ton capacity and was powered by a four cylinder Rutenber manufactured engine. To produce this vehicle he teamed with Lansing 's Furgason Machine Company to form the Clark Power Wagon Company. Success eluded him again and at this time he was competing with downtown rival Reo Motor Truck Company, founded by, remember him?, R. E. Olds.
Clark finally gave up on Lansing after 1914 and moved to Pontiac , Michigan , where he founded Columbia Motor Truck and Trailer Company, where he stayed until his retirement in 1929. |
