Columbus Motor Vehicle Company
The Columbus Motor Vehicle Company was an automobile manufacturer in Columbus, Ohio, from 1902 to 1904.
History
As early as 1899, Charles W. Groff and J. Frank Runkle experimented with automobiles. At the end of 1901, they founded the Groff-Runkle Motor Vehicle Company in Columbus, Ohio. In 1901, a prototype was completed, which successfully completed a test drive between Columbus and Wooster, Ohio. Later, Mr. Frank Burkholder, Barton Griffiths, and George W. Groff financially joined the company. With the initial capital of $50,000 provided by the financiers, the Columbus Motor Vehicle Company could be founded. The first vehicle was the 'Santos Dumont' model, named in honor of the Brazilian-French aviation pioneer. In 1903, the company introduced an additional, smaller model. This single-cylinder runabout with 9 hp as an entry-level vehicle cost 1,250 dollars.
Models