1916 Scripps-Booth

Classic Scripps-Booth

Scripps-Booth was a United States automobile company based in Detroit, Michigan, which produced motor vehicles from 1913 through 1923.

History

The company was founded by artist and engineer James Booth (of the Scripps publishing family), who also built the Bi-Autogo. Scripps-Booth company produced autos intended for the luxury market. In 1917, the Scripps-Booth Company was purchased by Chevrolet, which in turn was acquired by General Motors in 1918; General Motors discontinued the brand name in 1923.

Vehicles

For 1914, Scripps-Booth offered a three-passenger torpedo roadster, called the "Rocket", powered by a 103in3 (1702 cc) (2⅞×4-inch, 3½×102 mm) 18 hp (13 kW) watercooled four cylinder of valve-in-head design (very sophisticated for the period), with Zenith carburetor and Atwater-Kent automatic spark advance. It featured a 110 in (2794 mm) wheelbase and 30×3½-inch (76×8.8-cm) Houk detachable wire wheels, with three speeds and (still a rarity then) shaft drive. With complete electrical equipment, from Bijur starter to ignition (on a separate switch from starter) to headlights to Klaxet electric horn (with a button in the steering hub, rather than a bulb) to pushbutton door locks, it sold for US$775, compared to US$700 for the Ford Model S (new in 1909), US$650 for the high-volume Oldsmobile Runabout, Ford's Model T at $550, Western's Gale Model A at US$500, the Black starting as low as $375, and the Success at an amazingly low US$250.

About one third of the production of the classic Scripps-Booth were imported into England although only two right hand drive cars are currently known to have survived.