UNITED MOTORS SERVICE

[Guest prs519]

I was just browsing and came upon Dave H.s comment with regard to Motorola radio and UMS (United Motors Service). It reminded my of an old curiosity I have. What, or who, was UMS? When researching to identify or otherwise learn about GM parts, espicially from the 1930s, I would run into their name (especially with regard to neat things like accessories, electric stuff, etc.). I grew to despise them, because after playing Where's Waldo with the old GM parts books for long lengths of time, I would find the answer that I needed was in Chaptor 10.0002 or maybe 17.234 whose printed matter ended, respectively, at 10-.000, or 17.233. Then it would say only say something to the effect of, "if you are looking for it here, you are not only in the wrong place, you are in the wrong book"! They were kind, however, and recommended the search be taken up with the United Motor Services book! Then, when still not able to find the partI would, while in throwing the book, note, plum beyond the index, a chapter of superceded numbers that were sometime obsolete. Anyway, would like to know a little more about who UMS was, and also a little more of the evolution of Delco

Remy as a GM company. Anyone feel up to giving it a try? Am I alone in thinking the GM parts numbering system used to be the ultimate punishment for my bad living habits or something of that nature?

[Guest Bob Call]

Here is a link to Delco-Remy history Says Remy was aquired by United Motors Corp. Delco (Dayton Electrical Labratory) was acquired by GM. Later GM acquired United Motors Corp. Eventuallly Remy and Delco were merged.

Delco Remy Division - History

United Motors Service was a retailer of Remy, Delco and Klaxton products and was acquired by GM.

America on the Move | United Motors Service sign

[ply33]

Chrysler used parts from United Motors Service through 1934 and the 1928-33 Plymouth Master Parts book has a UMS section for all of the Delco-Remy (electrical), Delco-Lovejoy (shocks), AC (fuel pump, speedometer and air cleaner), North East (speedometer) and Klaxon (horn) parts.

[5219]

I have a late 1940's table model home radio bearing the "Delco" brand. The chassis sticker says the manufacturer is "United Motors".

There was a time when GM was into home appliances. Delco also marketed a line of battery powere home appliances for rural areas without electricity.

My grandfather lived in a house built in 1941. The boiler bore a "GM" nameplate and the data plate named "United Motors" as the maker.

Mr. Sloan must have envisioned moving into every form of commerce.

[Guest Bob Call]

GM also owned Frigidaire appliances.

[Dave Henderson]

Some years back this sign turned up at an antique mall. Somewhere I read that this product line came from United Motors, but haven't been able to find the reference. Anyone?

[Dave Henderson]

P. S. "United Motors Service" appeared on a very collectable sign, but that was not the company's name. Rather, it supposedly indicated that a repair shop or a vendor used or sold their products. Correct me if that isn't the case. The company name was United Motors Corporation when acquired by Wm. Durant.

[Dave Henderson]

Oops, I'll have to eat crow on this one. After reading the Delco Remy history the fact is that there WAS a United Motors Service Inc. No explanation was given concerning when or why there was a name change from United Motors Corporation, or if the two corporations co-existed. .

Edited August 14, 2011 by Dave Henderson (see edit history)

[Guest Dick Whittington]

I just purchased a NOS United Motors neon sign this week. It was found in an old auto parts store. Was in an unopened box when they found it. Also got a pair of Lovejoy shock absorber transfer decals like you would put on a display window. Had a pretty good day.

[auburnseeker]

Dick Whittington your a Lucky dog if that UMS neon sign had the touring car on it as well. The back of my UMS books all have the advertising you could buy for your shop. Some pretty nice stuff. Wish I could find one for my shop especially since I sell NOS part full time.

Sounds like a nice score. I'm jealous!!!!

[Guest Dick Whittington]

Dick Whittington your a Lucky dog if that UMS neon sign had the touring car on it as well. The back of my UMS books all have the advertising you could buy for your shop. Some pretty nice stuff. Wish I could find one for my shop especially since I sell NOS part full time.

Sounds like a nice score. I'm jealous!!!!

Not quite that lucky. The sign I have is one that you would have seen in the front window or hanging behind the parts counter. I saw one like you are talking about in OH a couple of years ago. A little rich for my blood

Edited August 15, 2011 by Dick Whittington (see edit history)

[Guest pickering56]

Interested in any info about 1916 Dodge Brothers. Recently purchased doodlebbug.

[Guest Oracle]

Some history:

UNITED MOTORS CORPORATION

On 16 September 1915, at the Annual Meeting of the General Motors Company, W.C. Durant was back in control of the company.

United Motors Corporation was incorporated as a $60 million dollar company in New York on 16 May 1916, just a few weeks before Durant took over as President of General Motors. At that time, the General Motors Company was also a $60 million company, with Chevrolet just a few months previously increasing its capital limit from $20 million to $80 million to try and take over General Motors. It was initially set-up as a holding company for the stock of five parts and accessories companies with the well known trade names of DELCO, Remy, Hyatt, New Departure, and one unknown, short-lived company named the Perlman Rim Corporation. Out of the 1,101,640 shares issued by the United Motors Corporation, Durant personally owned 106,000 shares, or about 10%, which he signed over to the Chevrolet treasury as a gift, since he was an employee of Chevrolet Motor Company when he organized the Perlman Rim Company and the United Motors Corporation.

G.M. reports the Perlman Rim Corporation started active business on 1 July 1916 in New York State, working out of an office at 1790 Broadway, N.Y.C. In Arthur Pound’s book, The Turning Wheel, he claims Perlman took over the Jackson Rim Company in 1917 when the real expansion took place.

The Jaxon Steel Products Company was incorporated on 10 June 1918 as a selling company for the products of the Perlman Rim Company. Then the United Motor Corporation acquired the entire assets of the Perlman Rim Corporation for $5,500,000 cash on 30 July 1918 and filed the articles of Dissolution for the Perlman company the same day. The Jaxon Steel Product Division of United Motors Corporation, then took over the plant formerly operated by Perlman, with all the shares of the Perlman Rim Corporation, except 230 shares, cancelled.

United Motors consisting of the DAYTON ENGINEERING LABORATORIES COMPANY, Dayton, Ohio, REMY ELECTRIC COMPANY of Andersen, Indiana, the HYATT BALL BEARING COMPANY of Newark, New Jersey, run by Alfred Pritchard Sloan Jnr. [later Director of General Motors Limited on 31 August 1921], the NEW DEPARTURE MANUFACTURING COMPANY of Bristol, Connecticut,, the Perlman Rim Corporation of Jackson, Michigan, [see “CHEVROLET” and other accessory and parts manufacturers such as HARRISON RADIATOR CORPORATION, Lockport, New York, the KLAXON COMPANY of Bloomfield, New Jersey, [later a $10,000 company which was a subsidiary of Remy Electric Company at Andersen] making car horns, Jaxon Steel Products Company of Jackson, Michigan, were acquired by W.C. Durant and collected together under the Holding Corporation, the UNITED MOTORS CORPORATION. The Automobile 16 March 1916 issue reported that the Perlman Rim Corporation had just been incorporated in the state of New York with an initial capitalization of $10,000,000, with Durant’s friendly banker Louis Kaufman providing some of the financing. It was not so well known at this time, but it was Durant who was the man behind the Perlman Rim Co. Durant used his new Perlman venture as the cornerstone of his new parts holding company, just as he had used Buick eight years before in creating General Motors Company.

In August 1917, after Durant had over-reached himself, after having tried to prop-up the falling General Motors share price, he was bailed-out by his fellow General Motors Directors, though the price exacted was that he would merge all three corporations, General Motors, Chevrolet and United Motors together, and as a consequence after Chevrolet was acquired in May 1918 by payment in stock, in June 1918 United Motors became a subsidiary of the General Motors Corporation which became Holding Corporation itself. United Motors officially became part of General Motors Corporation, after a $46 million stock exchange, on 1 January 1919.

Finally, General Motors sold all the assets of the Jaxon Steel Products to the Kelsey-Hayes Wheel Corporation of Jackson on 19 June 1930 to bring to an end to GM’s direct involvement with the rim and wheel business.

In 1919, the General Motors Board acquired further companies, such as the Fisher Body Company and the DELCO-LIGHT COMPANY from Durant which manufactured farm lighting and power plants and Frigidaire washing machines and refrigerators. After Durant left the Corporation, having agreed an exchange of stock to redeem his debts, Alfred P. Sloan took-over and with his totally different style reorganised the motor divisions so that they did not compete on price and market niches: Sloan became a Director of General Motors Limited in 1921. Charles Kettering came over to General Motors with the Delco Corporation, having invented several startling advances that revolutionised the car industry, including quick-drying paint for cars. The Board also set-up the General Motors Acceptance Corporation as well as the General Motors Export Division, later under Mr Mooney to become the Division to oversee all foreign sales since up until then all Divisions had arranged their own exports. G.M.A.C. set up a branch office in London at the General Motors Limited headquarters in Thurloe Place in 1919 under Theodore Strong Avery, Branch Manager, who was also to become a General Motors Limited director on 31 August 1921.

Delco used to offer their 'Delco-Light' generators and in the 1930s GM imported Opel engines to equip these generators.

DELCO-LIGHT and FRIGIDAIRE

Charles Kettering and Edward Deeds incorporated the Domestic Engineering Company, with Richard Grant as sales manager, to manufacture portable lighting systems, the “Delco-Light” system which by 1918, was manufacturing 60,000 Delco-Lights a year and employing 2,370 workers. Kettering and Deeds then sold the Domestic Engineering Company to General Motors Corporation in 1919, becoming the Delco-Light Company [Grant later went on to be the organizer of the Chevrolet dealer network].

In 1918, Durant whilst President of General Motors personally acquired the Guardian Refrigerator Company which had been organised in 1916 to manufacture a refrigerator invented by Alfred Mellows of Fort Wayne, Indiana, and sold it in due course to General Motors Corporation becoming part of the Delco-Light Company in 1919, selling “”Frigidaire”-branded refridgerators. In 1919, Kettering had sold the Delco-Light Company to General Motors Corporation, the Delco-Light Company was by 1925 a $100,000 Common Stock corporation owned by General Motors in the same group as the Harrison Radiators Company.

It has not been possible yet to establish when the Delco-Light Company first set up a branch in London, but it must have been before 1924. Adjacent to General Motors Limited in Colindale Avenue, The London Aerodrome, London N.W.9., according to the 1924 Street Directory, DELCO-LIGHT COMPANY, “electrical dealers”, were located adjacent to General Motors Limited’s building. Delco-Light Company then moved out of the Colindale Avenue premises around 15 April 1925, as mentioned below.

The Fulham Road leasehold premises, i.e. numbers 717-723 Fulham Road, London S.W.6 were assigned from Delco-Remy & Hyatt Limited to the DELCO-LIGHT COMPANY, again, “electrical engineers”, as a branch of the Delco-Light Company of Dayton, Ohio, as was the Delco-Light Company of Canada Limited of Oshawa, a member of the G.M. Accessory and Parts Manufacturing Group. This was almost unique, since General Motors did not in this case form a subsidiary company in the U.K., but as they did with General Motors Acceptance Corporation and Overseas Motor Service Corporation, simply traded under the auspices of the U.S. company as a Branch office. Mr F.C.S. Parson was listed as the Secretary in the Rates Books: the premises being listed as shops, office and basement which suggests that Delco-Remy Limited also had a retail facility, basement and workshops throughout their period of tenure.

Delco-Light Company then vacated the premises on or before 10 July 1926, according to the Rates Book, and any trading would have been carried-on at Grosvenor Road instead: was the Lease surrendered or assigned on? The Rates Book does not say. They then moved to new premises, CHAPTER STREET HOUSE, Chapter Street, Westminster, London S.W.1 until 1929 at the latest, when it appears that the branch was closed. In the 1928 Street Directory, they are listed as [vendors of] “electrical generating sets”!

The Delco-Light Company acquired a fleet of Chevrolet commercial vehicles, and owned 40 according to General Motors Limited’s own Chevrolet commercial brochures, the same number as A.C.-Sphinx!

As a point of interest, the Delco-Light Company of Canada Limited was a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Delco-Light Company of Dayton, Ohio.

[Guest prs519]

Hi, Oracle,

I must give you a very sincere thank you for enlightening me and the community about GM and its subsidiaries and the history of same! You clearly went to substantial time and effort to do so! As substantial and meaningful as this information is, I think it is an uncommon person who has even a vague understanding of the evolution of the companies. Thanks again, and I for one, feel some debt to you for your having gone to substantial time and effort to fill us in!

Thanks again!

Perry in Idaho

[poci1957]

I like old car commercials and have a few Delco TV commercials prominently mentioning United Motors Service in 1955-57 or so. Sounds like the signs may have been featured in independent repair shops and parts stores that handled Delco, AC, New Departure and other GM OEM parts. Congratulations to Dick Whittington on the sign, what a find!

[Guest Bob Call]

Veering off to the Delco Light system, when I was a kid growing up on a farm we didn't have electricity, running water or, indoor plumbing. Heating was a potbelly stove burning wood and coal, cooking and baking was on a kerosene stove and perishable food were kept in an icebox which was delivered a couple of times a week (50 block) or purchased on a 4 mile trip to town (population 1500) at the icehouse. Entertainment and news from the outside world was via a battery powered Philco table model radio. One and a quarter miles up the road was a combination gas station with visible pumps, grocery store (more like a precursor to a modern convenience store) and auto, truck, tractor and farm equipment repair shop and blacksmith. This place was uptown modern as they had electric lights just like in town and stayed open past dark. The electric system was a DC system powered by a windmill and stored in Delco wet cell batteries. I distinctly remember the batteries as they fascinated me. They were in a wooden shed at the base of the windmill and rested on two tiers of shelves. It was a 32 volt system and each 2 volt cell was a large square heavy glass container holding the plates and acid. The glass cell was about 12 inches square and about 18 inches tall. I used to stand in the shed and wonder how those cells could hold electricity that illuminated the light bulbs in the store and shop. When the Mr. Jameson, the blacksmith mechanic, died in about 1950 a couple of my uncles ran the the shop until Mrs. Jameson, the store keeper, died in about 1956. The place was closed down by the heirs and today the site of the store, shop, house and windmill are under a highway junction and the farm is the site of a Wal-Mart Super Center. The farm where I lived is under part of the same highway and a turnpike interchange. Ah, progress.

[Dave Henderson]

Until reading the United Motors Corporation history provided by Oracle, I didn't know that Klaxon Horn was one of their holdings. Thanks Oracle.

In addition to making nice horns, their boxes were no slouch either.

[Guest Oracle]

Re Klaxon

Circa 1925...

At this juncture, in the U.S., the Remy Electric Company and Dayton Enginering Laboratories Company were separate. However, Delco electrical and automotive component manuafacture was moved to Anderson, Indiana, in 1926 and the two Companies merged, with Klaxon as a subsidiary, to form the DELCO-REMY CORPORATION making starters and ignition equipment. Thus, for example a 1926 Model 374A REMY Distributor with a serial number in the 300,000 series, would be later labelled as a DELCO-REMY Distributor, same model and type, but in the 500,000 series! This merger in fact took place after the merger of the two makes had taken place in Britain! This explains how the description of the ignition and starting equipment used on imported General Motors cars and trucks changed suddenly. The British subsidiary obviously followed-suit with DELCO, REMY, and DELCO-REMY labelled products.

Re United Motors Service Corp:

UNITED MOTORS SERVICE COMPANY

After United Motors were acquired by General Motors Corporation, General Motors set-up a wholly-owned subsidiary, UNITED MOTORS SERVICE, INC. which provided service for Delco, Remy, Klaxon, New Departure, Hyatt and AC Speedometers in the U.S. and also later Canada, though there was also a Canadian subsidiary of this company, UNITED MOTORS SERVICE COMPANY LIMITED, which traded alongside the U.S. parent at the same offices in Toronto. However, until McKinnon Industries Limited of St. Catherine’s, Ontario, a General Motors of Canada subsidiary from 1929, built a Delco Plant in St. Catherine’s in 1931, it seems that all components were imported from the U.S. McKinnons were given a license/franchise by General Motors to produce AC, Delco etc. components and items imported with Canadian-built chassis were often confused with either British or U.S. items with the same branding. However, Canadian-built products were also imported into the U.K. after McKinnons started production since they carried lower duty than U.S. parts, and their electric motors were not available from the U.S.: these “fractional horsepower motors” were installed in all manner of machinery. These Canadian products, as well as U.S.-sourced ones, were sold via AC-Sphinx and DRH in the U.K. as well as each other’s products as well.

Just to confuse the unwary, there was also an overseas equivalent of the North American United Motors Service Inc.: OVERSEAS MOTOR SERVICE CORPORATION, a wholly-owned $10,000 subsidiary of the General Motors Export Company of New York, [itself a $1 million capital subsidiary of General Motors Corporation], based in New York City as well. This company dealt with the sales and service overseas of AC Spark Plugs, AC Speedometers, Klaxon Horns, Delco and Remy starting, lighting and ignition systems, Hyatt bearings, New Departure bearings, and other accessories. O.M.S.C. fulfilled the role of AC-Sphinx and D.R.-H.in all other export markets other than the U.K. and the Irish Free State

[Dave39MD]

United Motors Service (UMS) has evolved over the years from UMS to United Delco and is still part of GM as ACDelco.

[Guest Oracle]

As regards Canada:

,

After United Motors were acquired by General Motors Corporation, General Motors set-up a wholly-owned subsidiary, UNITED MOTORS SERVICE, INC. which provided service for Delco, Remy, Klaxon, New Departure, Hyatt and AC Speedometers in the U.S. and also later Canada, though there was also a Canadian subsidiary of this company, UNITED MOTORS SERVICE COMPANY LIMITED, which traded alongside the U.S. parent at the same offices in Toronto. However, until McKinnon Industries Limited of St. Catherine’s, Ontario, a General Motors of Canada subsidiary from 1929, built a Delco Plant in St. Catherine’s in 1931, it seems that all components were imported from the U.S. McKinnons were given a license/franchise by General Motors to produce AC, Delco etc. components and items imported with Canadian-built chassis were often confused with either British or U.S. items with the same branding.

...the 1931 Chevrolet Master Parts List shows that Delco-Remy, Lovejoy Shock- absorbers and Klaxon were supplied by the Factory Direct Branch, of United Motors Service Company Limited, a Canadian subsidiary of United Motors Service Inc., both of which companies were based at 5 St. Albans Street, Toronto.

A new DELCO plant was built and opened by McKinnon Industries Limited in St. Catherines in 1930. This was intended to provide more Canadian-made automotive components. Delco-Remy, Lovejoy Shock- absorbers and Klaxon components were supplied by yet another Canadian G.M. company, United Motors Service Company Limited, a Canadian subsidiary of United Motors Service Inc., both of which companies were based at 5, St. Albans Street, Toronto: United Motors was the Durant-formed holding company for the various parts suppliers such as AC Spark Plug, Delco-Remy. Transmissions and other components were supplied by McKinnon’s, and axles from the Walker Road, Walkerville Plant [

Overeseas:

Just to confuse the unwary, there was also an overseas equivalent of the North American United Motors Service Inc.: OVERSEAS MOTOR SERVICE CORPORATION, a wholly-owned $10,000 subsidiary of the General Motors Export Company of New York, [itself a $1 million capital subsidiary of General Motors Corporation], based in New York City as well. This company dealt with the sales and service overseas of AC Spark Plugs, AC Speedometers, Klaxon Horns, Delco and Remy starting, lighting and ignition systems, Hyatt bearings, New Departure bearings, and other accessories

[1912Staver]

Hi group, I found the mention of Pearlman rims interesting. My 1918 E-45 McLaughlin has Pearlman rims as O.E.M. equipment. It is my understanding all 1918 Buicks also use Pearlman rims and hardware. Now I see the connection between Pearlman and Jaxon. There is a interesting article in THE HORSELESS CARRIAGE GAZETE from a few years ago concerning a patent law suit involving Pearlman { who as I recall fraudulently claimed to have invented the detachable rim concept}.

All the best Greg in Canada