In 1897, Scottish bicycle maker Alexander Winton, based in Cleveland, founded the Winton Motor Carriage Company. He built one of America’s earliest automobiles. The 1897 Winton featured leather seats, rubber tires from the young BF Goodrich Company, and a 10 horsepower engine. It could reach 33 mph.

Winton believed in bold promotion. He sent a driver from Cleveland to New York, covering 800 miles to prove the car’s reliability. The stunt worked. By 1899, Winton had become the largest automobile manufacturer in the United States. He also opened the country’s first automobile dealership in Reading, Pennsylvania.

His influence reached far beyond his own company. One customer, James Ward Packard, grew frustrated with his Winton and complained. Winton challenged him to build something better. Packard did exactly that and founded the Packard Automobile Company. Around the same time, a young engineer named Henry Ford applied for a job at Winton’s factory. Winton turned him down. Ford went on to start his own company.

Winton continued to sell cars to wealthy buyers through the 1910s. But the company resisted change. It focused on conservative design and engineering. Only one sport model, the Sport Touring, broke from tradition. Most models remained formal tourers, sedans, limousines, and town cars. Sales declined in the early 1920s.

On February 11, 1924, Winton ended automobile production. He had already shifted into engine manufacturing in 1912 with the Winton Engine Company. That move proved lasting. His company became a major supplier of marine and locomotive engines. Its successor, Electro Motive Diesel, continues that legacy today.