The American Chocolate, later known as the Walter, was an American automobile manufactured from 1902 to 1906 by vending machine company American Chocolate Machinery Co. in Manhattan, New York. He decided to expand his business by assembling automobiles in his factory. The cars were exhibited at the New York automobile show.
The cars were built from imported components, and were 30, 40, and 50 hp models. Production was supervised by Swiss engineer William Walter, who began building cars in 1898. The company relocated to Trenton, New Jersey in 1906, where it began producing cars under the name Walter.
After 1910 Walter was building 4 X 4 trucks, which were used by the military and municipalities. Just after World War I, Walter sub-contracted some production of its trucks to the Milwaukee Locomotive Manufacturing Company. After that, Walter switched from the brand's own four-cylinder motor to the Waukesha engine, and the company moved to a new location on Long Island in 1923. The company would be finally absorbed by Kovatch Mobile Equipment Corp (KME) in the late 1970s.
Models
| Year | Engine | Horsepower | Transmission | Wheelbase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1902 | 2-cylinder | 12 | N/A | N/A |
| 1903 | 2-cylinder | 12 | 3-speed manual | N/A |
| 1903 | 4-cylinder | 24 | 3-speed manual | N/A |
| 1906 | 4-cylinder | 30 | 3-speed manual | 110 in (280 cm) |
| 1906 | 4-cylinder | 40 | 3-speed manual | 110 in (280 cm) |
| 1906 | 4-cylinder | 50 | 3-speed manual | 122 in (310 cm) |
Notes
- ^ Kimes, Beverly (1996). Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942. Krause Publications. ISBN 0-87341-428-4.
- Mueller, Mike (2006). American Horsepower: 100 Years of Great Car Engines. MBI Publishers. p. 20. ISBN 9780760323274. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
...1902, when William Walter rolled out the first car from his American Chocolate Machinery Company factory in New York ...
- Wallechinsky, David; Wallace, Amy (2005). The new book of lists : the original compendium of curious information. Canongate. p. 246. ISBN 9781841957197. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
- "Official Space Allotment for the New York Show". Automobile Review. 7 (12): 322. 15 December 1902. Retrieved 7 April 2013.
- Mutza, Wayne (15 October 2020). Engines and Other Apparatus of the Milwaukee Fire Department. McFarland. p. 62.
- Mroz, Albert (2010). American Cars, Trucks and Motorcycles of World War I: Illustrated Histories of 225 manufacturers. Jefferson, North Carolina: Mc Farland and Company, Publishers. p. 379. ISBN 978-0-7864-3967-6.
- Jim Donnelly (2018-09-23). "Where snow fell, the trucks of Walter shoved". Retrieved 30 September 2016.
- Lewerenz, Alfred (1973). "The American Chocolate Company - a bit od history". Horseless Carriage Gazette. 35–36: 30. Retrieved 7 April 2013.
- "Image of a 1902 Waltomobile Tonneau". American Chocolate Machinery Co. Archived from the original on 2015-11-27.
- "The 1904 Walter Gasoline Car". Cycle and Automobile Trade Journal. 8 (7): 112. 1 January 1904. Retrieved 7 April 2013.
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