The 1908 Imperial Runabout, Manufactured in Williamsport Pa

 

The only automobile ever manufactured in Williamsport was the 1908 Imperial Motor Car Co.

In 1905, N. Burrows Bubb, a local businessman, constructed a new automobile garage at the southwest corner of West Third and Locust Streets in Williamsport.

Bubb was the general manager of the Hermance Chemical and Otto Chemical Firms when he built the garage.  He purchased the property from the Spies Brothers.  W.H.C. Huffman and sons was hired to build the garage.

It was to be a two story brick structure, 115 feet deep with 80ft frontage on West 3rd Street.

The Williamsport Auto Exchange was formed in early November 1905, with Bubb's sons Harry & Nathan as incorporators.  The sons rented the garage from their father, with Harry named as president. Brothers George, James, and Albert were also associated with the business.

When first opened, the garage sold Reo & White & Premier vehicles.

By 1906, Bubb's sons were operating the Williamsport Automobile Exchange, selling new and used cars, from the building.

C.P. VanFerls, the manager of the Williamsport Auto Exchange, then designed a prototype car.  It was road tested for the first time on April 2, 1907.

"It had a rakish look, was silent running, and is said to have reached 60 miles and hour during the test."

It was called the Imperial roadster.  

The Second Imperial, $2,500

[$2,500 in 1908 is roughly $86,000 in 2024]

Two models were built - a a runabout with a folding rumble seat, and a roadster with four seats.

October 19 1907

Produced for just one year, none of the cars are known to be in existence still today.

The financial panic of 1907, along with the cars open body style, hindered sales, and the company went into receivership (bankruptcy) in late 1908.

October 1907

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Dec 4 1906

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If you have ever browsed the Williamsport Sun Gazette on Newspapers.com, you will know that the scans are frequently terrible, and often not even searchable, they are such poor quality.  But the below article & photo ran in the October 3rd 1907 edition, for reference, in case someone has the time and inclination to search out a clearer copy: