Pic-A-Day (80) Albert Mach Fine Art.
1908 Schacht K
This is a General interest post for auto aficionados sharing a pictorial history over the decades.
I hope you enjoy the educational - historical information!......
This was seen at the AACA Museum in Hershey.
http://www.aacamuseum.org/
Schacht Manufacturing Company was a horse buggy builder that produced automobile components as a sideline.
Well built, attractive high-wheelers such as the K model established the company as a successful automobile manufacturer.
It would eventually produce over 8,000 vehicles. The firm reorganized as the Schacht Motor Truck Company in 1913.
Year of construction: 1908
Factory: Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.A.
Type: Runabout high-wheeler
Cylinder: 2, 180° horizontal, rear mounted, water-cooled
Power: 16 PS, 48 km/h
Capacity: 2400 cm
Gearbox: Continuous friction drive

Schacht Cars and Trucks
Made in Cincinnati, OH
1904-1940
by Ed Hass
In 1904, brothers William and Gustav A. Schacht ran a small shop making farm wagons and buggies in Cincinnati, OH, when they decided to attach a two-cylinder, 10-horsepower gasoline motor to one of their two-pasenger, high-wheeled buggies, powering the rear wheels via chain drive. The Schacht high-wheeler automobile soon developed a loyal following among early automobile buyers in southern Ohio, northern Kentucky, and southeastern Indiana, and the Schacht Manufacturing Company was founded in 1904 to make these "horseless carriages". As of 1911, the Schacht factory was at Sanford and Cumberland Avenues in Cincinnati.
Unusual for an automobile of this early era, the Schacht featured a steering wheel, instead of a tiller. It also featured a brass radiator at the front of the buggy. The entire carriage of the buggy was suspended on a pair of semi-elliptic multi-leaf springs, which attached at the front and rear axle beams. The high wheels, although appearing fragile, actually gave the Schacht greater maneuverability than many competitors, over the bumpy and muddy roads of that era. However, the solid rubber tires and rigid wooden wheels made for one very rough ride.
n 1904, Schacht offered only the two-cylinder, 10-horsepower model. In 1905, this model was still available, but a 4-cylinder, 30-horsepower model was also available. In 1906, the horsepower of the 4-cylinder model increased from 30 to 40.
In 1907, Schacht designated its 10-horsepower, two-cylinder model as Schacht Model H. The 4-cylinder, 40-horsepower Model was dubbed Model B.
In 1908, fledgling Schacht was hit with a double whammy, when Henry Ford introduced the most popular car of the day, his Model T. And that same year, several auto makers (Oldsmobile, Cadillac, Buick, etc.) consolidated into General Motors. Schacht scrambled unsuccessfully to compete against these two new automotive powerhouses. Worse, wealthy Michigan lumber barons (with trunkfuls of money to invest) were bankrolling GM and Ford, and the Schacht brothers had no such financing to help them compete. Ironically, one of the finest examples of a Schacht of this era (a 1909), is now in the Henry Ford Museum!
In 1908, Schacht improved its two-cylinder motor, increasing its horsepower from 10 to 12. Designated Model K, this improved version replaced the 2-cylinder, 10-horsepower Model H. The 4-cylinder, 40-horsepower Model B was apparently discontinued. Perhaps it was just too expensive to field two models against Ford and GM.
Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) in Hershey, PA, owns a 1908 Schacht that was donated to their auto museum.
In 1909, the two-cylinder Model K underwent two more improvements, the first increasing horsepower from 12 to 18, and the second further increasing the horsepower to 20.
In 1910, the horsepower of the two-cylinder Schacht increased again, this time to 24. The 1910 edition was called Model R, and the 1911 edition, also at 24 horsepower, was dubbed Model D. Also in 1911, the 4-cylinder, 40-horsepower touring car was back, now designated Model AA.
In 1911, the first-ever "Indy 500" 500-mile automobile race was held at Indianapolis, IN, less than a day's drive from the Schacht factory in Cincinnati, OH. The very next year, 1912, Schacht fielded a race car, wearing the number 18, at the 1912 Indy race. Powered by a 4-cylinder Wisconsin motor, the Schacht was driven by Bill Endicott.
At the first Indy 500 in 1911, driving Car 42 (a Cole), Endicott had been the 37th-fastest qualifier, and was flagged out in the first lap, finishing 26th. But behind the wheel of the Schacht in 1912, Endicott qualified 15th at an average 80.570 miles per hour He drove the Schacht all 200 laps (2-1/2 miles per lap) over the rugged board track, to finish a very respectable fifth place, winning a $2,500 purse. The 1912 Indy 500 winner, Gil Anderson in a Wisconsin-powered Stutz, had qualified only a fraction faster than the Schacht, at 80.930 MPH. The fastest qualifier of the day was 88.450 MPH by David Bruce-Brown, in a National.
In those days, with the fragility of automobiles in general and tires in particular, simply completing the 500-mile race was a significant achievement. So for Schacht to have started the race 15th and finished in 5th place out of a starting field of 33 cars (ten of which failed to complete the race at all), was a major victory for the small, relatively-unknown company. This racing victory failed to translate into increased car sales. Still, it says a lot about the quality of the Schacht, that Bill Endicott ran his third and final Indy 500 in 1913, at the wheel of Car 33 (a Case), starting 9th (with a qualifying speed of 85.700 MPH). Endicott broke the drive-shaft of the Case on the second lap, to finish 27th in 1913. Out of three Indy 500 races, Endicott's only success was in the Schacht; 1911 and 1913 were dismal failures for him.
In 1912, investing their own money in trying to expand from a local to a national brand, nearly bankrupted the Schacht brothers. Also, in 1912, the two-cylinder model was at long last discontinued. A new 4-cylinder model, called the JM, initially boasted 45 horsepower, but by the end of 1912, the horsepower was upped to 50. The 4-cylinder, 40-horsepower model now came in two flavors, called Models FL and GF.
Schacht dropped its 4-cylinder, 40-horsepower touring car in 1913, to concentrate on the new 4-cylinder, 50-horsepower model. Three versions were offered in 1913: a touring car, a light-duty truck, and a combination passenger car and truck. These were designated Models NS, KL, and PP. 1913 would be the final year for the Schacht automobile.
In 1914, after production of over 8,000 automobiles, Schacht switched production from cars to trucks, under a new corporate name, the G.A. Schacht Motor Truck Company. This new name suggests that brother William was no longer associated with this enterprise. Schacht's experience building for the rough and hilly terrain of the Cincinnati area, and finishing 5th on the rugged board track of the Indy 500, made Schacht ideally suited for the production of tough and rugged trucks.
Also in 1914, the old Schacht automobile designs were sold to the Willys-Overland Automobile Company, and production moved to Toronto, Ontario.