There were numerous cars named Atlas: a Pittsburgh car built 1906-1907; a Springfield, Massachusetts car built 1907-1911 (which became the Atlas-Knight 1912-1913); the Atlas Motor Buggy of 1909 from Indianapolis; and a Paris car built 1949-1951.

Contents 1 Pittsburgh car 2 Springfield car 3 Atlas Motor Buggy 4 Paris car 5 Notes 6 References

[edit] Pittsburgh car

The Atlas Automobile Company was established on College Avenue in the East End of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in late 1906 in a "fireproof garage."^[1] It was offered as a touring car or runabout. The car had shaft drive and a sliding gear transmission. The firm was out of business by the next year.

[edit] Springfield car

After Harry Knox left the company that had been building Knox cars in Springfield, he established the Knox Motor Truck Company in 1905 to produce Atlas commercial vehicles. His former partners at his previous firm took him to court over the name. After he was forbidden from using the Knox name, he formed the Atlas Motor Car Company in late 1907. Harry Knox had proposed to the people producing the Sunset in California that he produce the car under license. At first they refused, but changed their mind after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. The Atlas of Springfield was thus based on the Sunset, even using the same two-stroke engine. This same 2-cylinder 22hp engine was used in the Atlas delivery vans and taxicab, starting in 1908. Harry Knox refined the engine and developed a 3-cylinder 34hp version of it. Later, a 60hp 4-cylinder version was offered. The firm entered an Atlas in the 1909 Vanderbilt Cup, being the first two-stroke car to enter a major long-distance road race. This fact was promoted in susequent promotional materials. Not long after, the two-stroke engine fell out of favor in the marketplace, and Knox added a Knight sleeve-valved engine in 1912. These cars were called Atlas-Knights, and were bigger, five- or seven-passenger touring cars that cost approximately $3500.^[2] The company was bankrupt by early 1913, supposedly due to problems acquiring engines. Harry Knox then moved to Indianapolis to assist the Lyons brothers in producing the Lyons-Knight.

[edit] Atlas Motor Buggy

This was a prototype highwheeler produced by the Atlas Motor Buggy firm of Indianapolis in 1909. After the sole prototype was built, the firm returned to its two-stroke gasoline and diesel stationary engine production. Later, the Atlas factory was used for the Lyons-Knight, after the Lyons brothers bought the company.^[3]

[edit] Paris car

Produced by the Société Industrielle de Livry, this Atlas was launched at the 1949 Paris Auto Show. The show car was a minicar that seated 2 and had a 125cc AMC engine. Production cars featured a 175cc 8.5hp unit and a top speed of 43mph.^[4] The car was also referred to as the Coccinelle (Ladybird). The Sofravel French minicar of the same era was also referred to as the Atlas, which must have been confusing to consumers. The Livry parent company also produced the Kover and Le Piaf minicars.

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

• Georgano, Nick (Ed.). The Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile. Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn, 2000. ISBN 1-57958-293-1
• Kimes, Beverly Rae and Clark Jr, Henry Austin. Standard Catalog of American Cars: 1805-1942 (Third Edition). Iola, WI: Krause. 1996. ISBN 0-87341-428-4

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