As automobiles became both more reliable and affordable, they also became more popular. Growing demand meant manufacturers’ could no longer rely solely on selling vehicles from the factory gates. William Metzger is credited with opening the first independent car dealership in Detroit in 1897. About the same time, H.O. Kohller opened the first franchised car dealership, selling Waverly electrics in Reading, Pennsylvania. Manufacturers used factory drivers, rail and boats to transport their products to a growing network of independent and franchise dealers.
Early Ford models were often encased in large wooden boxes and loaded on open railcars directly outside the Mack Avenue plant and later the Highland Park factory. Railcars would be shuttled to the Michigan Central, Grand Trunk or Soo Line terminal and rushed to anxious buyers. When they arrived at their final destination, a Ford mechanic would complete the final assembly of the vehicle, often using pieces of the wooded box for the floor and running boards.
The 1909 Sears, Roebuck & Company catalog advertised the Sears Motor Buggy for $395 or $370 without fenders or top, plus shipping to the nearest train station.
In 1902 there had been one car for every 1.5 million people in the country; two years later the ratio shrunk to one for every 65,000 people; and by 1909, after the introduction of the Model T, there was one car for every 800 people.
Reliable and affordable auto transport by road, rail and water was essential to the growth of the early automotive industry.
In 1910, the Toledo Shipbuilding Company produced the first steel car ferry for the Ann Arbor Railroad. The vessel, named Ann Arbor no. 5, was 360 feet long with a 56-foot beam and could carry up to 24 railway box cars, each loaded with four or five new automobiles. Leaving Ludington, Michigan, and arriving in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, the railcars and automobiles were then transported west by the Wisconsin Central and North Western railroads.
In 1920, when Ford opened the River Rouge Manufacturing Complex, it included ninety different buildings and 93 miles of railroad track to bring in materials essential to manufacturing automobiles, as well as transporting completed automobiles to market. The River Rouge was deepened and widened to accommodate deepwater ships needed to transport materials and automobiles through the Great Lakes and beyond. Ford also acquired the Detroit, Toledo and Ironton Railroad with 454 miles of main track to bring coal into the plant and ship manufactured automobiles from Detroit to Ironton on the Ohio River.
Through the 1940s and 1950s virtually every car and truck produced in the United States was transported by a car hauler, railcar or boat. In 1958 the first Toyotas and Nissans were exported to the United States. In 1967 the Volkswagen Beetle invaded American shores. Over the next forty years, countless other German, Japanese and Asian brands have been transported across the Atlantic and Pacific in ocean carriers, and then shipped to local dealerships by rail and truck.
The automotive landscape has changed dramatically over the past few years. However, the need for affordable and reliable auto transport continues to be a critical factor in the growth and profitability of automotive dealerships and remarketers.
Today, a new generation of customer-focused auto transport brokers is helping used car dealers, auto auctions, finance companies and fleet operators affordably and reliably transport cars and trucks anywhere in the United States.
By integrating both short-distance truck transport and long-distance rail service options they offer the flexibility to use the shipping mode that best meets practically any price and timing requirement. Leading auto transport brokers also provide instant price quotes and estimated transit times for door-to-door pickup and delivery anywhere in the United States. Vehicles are transported using industry-leading processes and safeguards to help ensure on-time, damage free transport and delivery by reputable, fully-insured auto transport carriers and service providers.
The early pioneers in the automotive industry relied on engineering innovations and emerging auto transport networks to ensure their success. Today’s smart used car dealers, auto auctions, finance companies and fleet operators can rely on a new generation of customer-focused auto transport brokers to help ensure the growth and profitability of their business.
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