Bands of brothers built up Detroit auto industry
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it was not uncommon for family members to become partners in their entrepreneurial pursuits. Most of these collaborations were between brothers, as women were most often expected to stay at home. Never was this trend played out more frequently than with the early pioneers of the auto industry. From the famous (the Dodge brothers and Fishers) to the not so famous, these blood relatives worked side by side to make their fame and fortune in Detroit.
One of the most famous of these families of businessmen was the Dodges, Horace and John, who cut their teeth in the world of manufacturing by hanging around their father's foundry. After getting more mechanical experience in a boiler shop and then in a bicycle production facility in Windsor, the brothers turned their attention to the fledging automobile industry.
After a successful run producing transmissions for Oldsmobile, the pair caught the attention of Henry Ford, at whose company they were responsible for the manufacture of thousands of Ford chassis. In 1913, Horace and John opened their own auto production facility in Hamtramck, where their brand of cars quickly gained a reputation for quality and innovation.
By 1920, the Dodges were producing more than 500 cars a day and in the process made themselves fabulously wealthy. John Dodge died of tuberculosis in January of that year, and Horace died 11 months later from complications of cirrhosis of the liver.
Another team of brothers to grace Detroit's early auto world were the Grahams -- Joseph, Robert and Ray. Although not as well-known as the Dodges, the Grahams were instrumental in the production and early development of trucks.
These Indiana farm boys got their start in the glass-making business, but when Ray devised a special rear axle and spliced frame originally made for the ubiquitous Mr. Ford and his new line of trucks, their business flourished.
In 1921, the Dodge Corp. wooed the brothers to expand its truck-making segment. By 1926, their concern was not only the largest exclusive truck manufacturer in the world, but they were running the giant Dodge organization as well. A few years later, the brothers started their own car brand called the Graham-Paige. Their venture had limited success and was eventually sold to Chrysler.
Besides developing the first domestic trucks, the Grahams were responsible for a host of innovations for the car industry, including an advanced shock absorber, state-of-the-art car bodies and their most famous offering, the eight-cylinder engine known as the "Blue Streak."
Another band of brothers to make a splash in the Motor City were the seven Fisher boys whose sturdy car frames became world renowned. The Fishers got their start manufacturing horse-drawn carriages at the turn of the 20th century. The brothers came into their own when in 1908 Fred and Charles founded the Fisher Body Co. with the express purpose of building frames for automobiles.
By 1913, the Fishers, now with several more brothers on board, were turning out 100,000 cars per year and soon became the world's largest manufacturer of auto bodies. Part of the reason for their success was the development of interchangeable wooden body parts that did not have to be hand-fitted, as was the case in the construction of carriages.
Eventually, Fisher Body was absorbed into General Motors operations, but the Fisher family has continued on in the automotive industry with Fisher Corp. (metal stamping), General Safety (seat belts), Fisher Dynamics (seat mechanisms and structures) and TeamLinden (seat mechanisms).
The Studebaker brothers -- Clem, Henry, J.M., Peter and Jacob -- were another noteworthy team that had a big impact on the early evolution of American car building. Brand Studebaker made its way into the automobile market after the turn of the 20th century with the introduction of an electric car in 1902 (Thomas Edison was one of its first customers) before focusing on a gas-powered version in 1904.
In 1911, Studebaker would join forces with the Everitt-Metzker-Flanders Co. of Detroit to form the Studebaker Corp. Studebaker sold automobiles under the EMF and Flanders names until 1913; thereafter, all new cars carried the Studebaker name. Sales of the Studebaker were brisk until slowed by the Depression years. The brand made a comeback during the World War II by supplying the military with sturdy trucks and an amphibious transport vehicle dubbed "The Weasel."
Sales fell again following the war, and the company was forced to merge with Packard in an effort to stay afloat. The end of the line for Studebaker was in 1966. The last model marketed -- the Avanti -- included breakthrough features such as disc brakes, optional supercharged engines and a fiberglass body.
A truly ingenious tandem of kinsmen was Chester E. Gunderson and Alvin E. Gunderson. They made their name -- and fortunes -- in a variety of transportation-related ventures. In the early 1930s, the Gundersons began selling engine parts and by 1935 were also repairing trailer brakes. Two years later, the Gundersons began the manufacture of trailers for hauling logs, dry cargo and petroleum products.
The ever-astute brothers branched out by producing school bus bodies, hearses and vans. By 1938, they added underground and above-ground storage tanks to the product line and purchased the Mogul Transportation Co., which included a small fleet of tanker trucks and trailers. The next year, Chester and Alvin introduced one of the first trailers designed for hauling automobiles.
By the time of their deaths (Alvin in 1971, Chester in 1974), the brothers had devised a number of product firsts, such as car-top carriers, motorized rototillers and a collapsible plywood boat. Perhaps the most famous Gunderson product was the railroad car underframe built for the Pacific Fruit Co. in 1958.
Two years later after the first underframe was produced, the company delivered 200 coal cars to the Union Pacific Railroad. Rail cars quickly became a significant part of the company's business, although it continued building bridges, barges and other marine equipment, including the floating laboratory inverted platform for the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in 1962 and an experimental hydrofoil ship hull for the Boeing Co. in 1967.
By 1995, the company the brothers had built had produced more than 85,000 railway cars.