Guest Posted August 5, 2002 Share Posted August 5, 2002 Hello, doing research on this company. Would like to know also where any models exist. <BR>thanks<BR>Mike Arthur<BR>703 810-5806<BR>michael.w.arthur@slma.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted August 5, 2002 Share Posted August 5, 2002 I did the usual check in the Standard Catalog of American Cars. Enger was built in Cincinnati, Ohio 1909-17. The V-12 that was offered in 1915 one of the first 12's in this country. It could be run as a six by cutting out one bank of cylinders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 16, 2002 Share Posted August 16, 2002 Some more information from the Bealieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile.<P>ENGER (1909-17)<BR>Enger Motor Car Co, Cincinatti, OH<P>1909 - high-wheeler powered by 14hp 2 cylinder engine.<BR>1910 - conventional 35/40hp powered by 4 cylinder engine, and priced at $2000<BR>1911 - 35/40 renamed Model 40. Wheelbase increased to 119 inches (3020mm) with 6 body styles<BR>1915 - Model 40 replaced by Model 6-50. Tourer and roadster offered at $1495<BR>1916- Twin Six 12 cylinder model offered, with 55bhp. As mentioned, could be converted to run on only one bank of cylinders. Made as either tourer or roadster, and priced at $1095. 1,113 cars sold<BR>1917 - Company founder Frank Enger commits suicide on January 4, after being diagnosed with cancer. Gives instructions for company to continue, but his widow petitions for receivership. Only 317 cars made, consisting of Twin Six and a small four selling for $695. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BruceW Posted August 16, 2002 Share Posted August 16, 2002 In ref to the 12 vs 6 cylinder operation, this bit of information was found at:<BR> <A HREF="http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Lot/3248/hist03.htm" TARGET=_blank>http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Lot/3248/hist03.htm</A> <P>"The most marvelous automobile improvement yet invented," another ad says. "Pull the little lever -- your 12 is a 6; push the little lever, your 6 is a 12." This was the way the Enger Motor Car Co. of Cincinnati described the 1917 Twin-Unit Twelve. By means of a small lever on the steering column, the driver was able to cut out six of the engine's 12 cylinders to attain maximum fuel economy, and cut them back in just as quickly for maximum power.<P>The lever pulled the exhaust valves off their seats, so there was no compression in the cylinders. It also allowed a shutter to close the intake manifold feeding fuel to those six cylinders.<p>[ 08-16-2002: Message edited by: BruceW ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest De Soto Frank Posted August 16, 2002 Share Posted August 16, 2002 Bruce,<P>That sounds a bit less trouble-prone the Caddy's V-8/6/4 formthe '80's! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R W Burgess Posted August 16, 2002 Share Posted August 16, 2002 Great story, Bruce. It's a shame that technology wasn't picked up by other companies of the time. I'll bet you it was easy to work on too. Wayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdh7475 Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Does anyone know if any of the Enger 6-12 cars exist? Also - does anyone have any original advertising / company literature for sale? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poci1957 Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 If you are interested in a little research you can find reprints of trade books and magazines in Google Books. I used "Enger Cincinatti" as the search in the site and it will pull up little news blurbs of the day, very interesting.I am researching two local assembled cars of the teens and noticed we had a local dealer that handled Engers and looked up their story, seems interesting. Good luck, Todd C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdh7475 Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 Thanks for the info. Being local here in Cincinnati, I find the whole story of Enger fascinating along with that I believe my grandfather worked on the 12 cylinder car, and that my great grandfather worked for the George Enger Carriage Co (Frank Enger's father), and then probably for Frank Enger Motor Co. Frank Enger was definately far ahead of his time with the convertible 12 cylinder engine. Still trying to find if any cars or parts of cars exist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allcars Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 Interesting thread. Here is a "real photo post card" from my collection of early car views that shows a circa 1910 Enger with its presumed owner and his passengers. An "Enger" script badge is affixed to the radiator. The card is blank on the back and was never mailed.Allcars Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdh7475 Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 That is great - really appreciate it. Whats the chance that is Frank Enger himself? I have been trying to find pictures of him but have not been sucessful yet. Enger was a high roller here in Cincinnati, if you get a chance google "frank enger house". I have talked to the current owner of this house who is very interested in Enger and his cars. I will pass this on the him. Thanks again, Mark H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexRiv_63 Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 I can't help with real knowledge of the Enger, but I do have an original serial plate for an Enger 40 Model G. The logo appears to match the radiator script on the previous photo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivan Saxton Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 I saw an engine of one of the V12s that could run as a six. It was lying outside the rear of a Pharmacy shop at Kangaroo Flat, Bendigo , Victoria in about 1961. It was at a weekend, so I was unable to talk to the owner, who had a primary interest in Bugattis. People over the years have fitted all sorts of other engines into Bugattis, such as Ford V8, Chev, Holden, Anzani, and I remember not what else. It would be an interesting mental picture to imagine a light, compact Enger 12/6 cylinder engine in a Bugatti; though there is no reason to believe the owner had any such intention. Some time later the engine was taken by someone unknown. One of my friends in the district told me that the engine was found again years later, and I understand this man from Eaglehawk, which is another suburb of Bendigo, and a couple of his friends, were able to get the engine to run. I know that man is no longer with us, and my friends recollections do not help further in picking up a cold trail, but I will try asking other older members of their district club to see if it can possibly be traced if it does still exist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdh7475 Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 Thanks Ivan, hard to believe an engine made it to Australia, with no sight of any cars in the U.S. ! Mark H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdh7475 Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 Well, believe it or not, it has been confirmed that these are indeed the three children of Frank Enger. The current owner of the Frank Enger house in Cincinnati (who is very interested in the whole Enger story) has a similar earlier picture of the two daughters with another unknown girl sitting in another Enger car behind the house. In your postcard, Ruth Enger is in the front seat (born 1896 died 1995), Janet Enger (died 1968) and John Enger (born 1894 died 1983). Hope this adds to your card collection! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdh7475 Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Also found portrait of Frank Enger, probably not too long before he committed suicide, and his house, designed by famous architect Matthew Burton. Beautiful example of Beaux-Arts style. Apparently money could be made in the carriage/brass era auto industry! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay144 Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 The gentleman in the picture with the two ladies appears to be a little ''excited''......I wonder is it was the car or the women?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdh7475 Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 I saw an engine of one of the V12s that could run as a six. It was lying outside the rear of a Pharmacy shop at Kangaroo Flat, Bendigo , Victoria in about 1961. It was at a weekend, so I was unable to talk to the owner, who had a primary interest in Bugattis. People over the years have fitted all sorts of other engines into Bugattis, such as Ford V8, Chev, Holden, Anzani, and I remember not what else. It would be an interesting mental picture to imagine a light, compact Enger 12/6 cylinder engine in a Bugatti; though there is no reason to believe the owner had any such intention. Some time later the engine was taken by someone unknown. One of my friends in the district told me that the engine was found again years later, and I understand this man from Eaglehawk, which is another suburb of Bendigo, and a couple of his friends, were able to get the engine to run. I know that man is no longer with us, and my friends recollections do not help further in picking up a cold trail, but I will try asking other older members of their district club to see if it can possibly be traced if it does still exist.Well, two years later and I am not any closer to finding out whether any cars still exist in the US, but I do know how cars ended up in Australia. Enger had an advertisement in The Sunday Mail, the daily newspaper in Adelaide, South Australia on 11/25/1916 stating that Behrens & Marshall were sole agents for Enger, and it would appear that Enger did import some cars into Australia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 The gentleman in the picture with the two ladies appears to be a little ''excited''......I wonder is it was the car or the women??One of the girls is trying very hard not to look.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Mellor NJ Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 The original poster was a guest so I don't know if I'm talking to any body but I found some info.http://www.cartype.com/pages/4845/enger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Mellor NJ Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Mellor NJ Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 1908 Enger Model D High-Wheel Stanhope AutomobileFrank Enger, Cincinnati, OH, designed his high-wheel automobile in 1908 and formed his Enger Motor Car Company in 1909 to put his automobile into production. The were the standard two-cylinder cars of that period. However, before long, he standarized the model and used a four-cylinder, overhead valve engine of his own design. His 1915 model used a conventional six-cylinder and later two six-cylinders, placed side-by-side were used as a twelve-cylinder. With his mechanism, they could be operated individually as six-cylinders. He needed new capital in 1916, so he reorganized the company, but it went into receivership in 1917. He committed suicide that year and to protect her interest in the company, his wife put it into receivership. The Enger company began to manufacture war materials later that yea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Mellor NJ Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 [TABLE=align: center]<tbody>[TR=bgcolor: #525252][TD][/TD][TD][/TD][TD=width: 6][/TD][/TR][TR=bgcolor: #525252][TD=align: center][/TD][/TR][TR=bgcolor: #525252][TD=align: right][/TD][/TR][TR][TD=align: right][/TD][/TR]</tbody>[/TABLE]Enger Motor Car Company radiator emblemSmithsonian Institution Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bud Tierney Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 Apparently Enger's 6 was a temporary bridge into the V12, as it's listed in one of my old parts catalogs as coming with a Cont 7N, not one of Enger's own engines...A 1917 ring catalog lists the 1915 V12 as 2 5/8 bore, while the 1916/17 were 2 11/16 bores, a pretty small difference...bored out to correct casting irregularities??? That catalog indexes ring sizes from 1 3/8 to 12 1/2 bores, and the only other 2 11/16 bore was the Militaire "S" for 1917, listed as a 4 cyl...(Std Cat lists a Militaire 2 wheel, advertised as a car but described as a a motorcycle by Std Cat, built 1916, but doesn't mention the engine used)... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdh7475 Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 Hi Ivan,I found an article in the Cincinnati Enquirer dated 7/30/1916 - the sales manager for Enger wrote that sales of the Twin Six were strong - in fact an order taken for 23 cars shipping to Sydney Australia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdh7475 Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 Hi Dave,Thanks for the info on the earlier Enger cars. I have unearthed a ton of information on Enger from the local newspapers. Enger seemingly made a lot of money in the early stages of auto manufacturing, or possibly had bankrolled a lot of profit from the carriage business. Regardless, up until late 1916, the Enger family was still in the high roller society of Cincinnati. It all seemed to end quickly after the suicide of Frank Enger on 1/4/1917. Within months the company was in receivership, and later that year an auction was held disposing of the assets of the company. I don't see any references of any part of the company surviving past that time period. After a fire destroyed Sayer and Scovill's manufacturing plant in Cincinnati, they took over the Enger plant on Gest Street. Less than three years after 1916, Pearl Enger, Franks wife, and her adult children were living in a small apartment in Cincinnati, quite a downhill slide from the palatial estate that they had built in the late 1890's. Enger had a vast network of sales agents across the US and abroad that seemed to be selling a decent amount of cars from 1910 - 1917. I cant believe that not a single car exists. I know that several of the Enger carriages from the late 1800's are in the hands of carriage collectors in the area. Does anyone know of anyone that owns an Enger automobile? If anyone is interested in Enger automobiles and the history, I have a vast amount of information on the cars and history of the company and the family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Mellor NJ Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 Glad to help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ddvorak12 Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 Well, two years later and I am not any closer to finding out whether any cars still exist in the US, but I do know how cars ended up in Australia. Enger had an advertisement in The Sunday Mail, the daily newspaper in Adelaide, South Australia on 11/25/1916 stating that Behrens & Marshall were sole agents for Enger, and it would appear that Enger did import some cars into Australia.I know of an Enger here in the USA - It's in Sioux City , Ia. I believe it is a four cylinder model. Is there a way to contact you by email? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdh7475 Posted June 21, 2014 Share Posted June 21, 2014 Hi. I left message on your user name on this site with contact info. Looking forward to hearing from you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ryan Messer Posted July 30, 2017 Share Posted July 30, 2017 We have purchased and restored the Enger Mansion. We are very interested in finding an Enger Car to have as part of the history of this home. My email is ryanlmesser@gmail.com https://savingplaces.org/stories/full-house-in-this-restored-beaux-arts-mansion#.WX3vy4UpCaM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_S_in_Penna Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 It's always good to see old architecture being lovingly preserved. It's the same thing we do with cars, keeping things authentic and bringing neglected things back to perfection. May you find a good Enger car to go along with your historic house! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SC38dls Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 Beautiful Home- we restore the Copley mansion 30 years ago and used it for our office. Itwas just a unique experience and I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 Awesome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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