Regal (automobile)

Defunct American motor vehicle manufacturer

This article is about an automobile manufactured from 1907 - 1918. It is not to be confused with the Buick Regal, which is also an automobile, sold under the Buick brand, and the Reliant Regal. For other transportation with the name "Regal", see Regal (disambiguation)

Regal Motor Car Company

Regal logo from 1913 brochure

Regal factory postcard 1912

Industry| Automotive
Founded| 1908; 117 years ago (1908)
Founder| Lambert brothers, Fred W. Haines
Defunct| 1918; 107 years ago (1918)
Fate| Bankruptcy
Headquarters| Detroit, Michigan,

United States

Key people

| Charles R. Lambert, J. E. Lambert, Bert Lambert, Fred Haines, Paul Arthur
Products| Automobiles

Production output

| 52,544 (1908-1918)
1912 Regal Underslung Coupé

The Regal was an American automobile produced by the Regal Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan, from 1907 to 1918.[1][2]

## History

[edit]

The Regal Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan was established in 1908 as a partnership between brothers Charles R., J. E. and Bert Lambert and Fred W. Haines. The Regal was a medium-sized and medium-priced automobile designed by Paul Arthur. The car was widely publicized and a factory stock 30-hp Regal nicknamed "Plugger" crossed the country 5 times in 1909 and 1910 covering 22,000 miles. Regal four-cylinder engines were their own design while automobile bodies came from the Fisher coachworks of Detroit.[3]

Regal introduced an Underslung chassis model late in 1910 which added to its sporting image. In 1915 a V-8 engine and a light four-cylinder engine designed by S. G. Jenks were introduced that were manufactured by the Port Huron Construction Company.[2] Regal pricing was competitive, in 1911 pricing started at $900 (equivalent to $29,430 in 2023) for a Runabout to $1,650 (equivalent to $53,955 in 2023) for a Fore-Door Touring car. Regal was among the leaders in U.S. automobile exporting.[3]

Material shortages due to the First World War slowed production and Regal Motor Car Company ran out of operating funds. In February 1918, creditors elected to liquidate the company. The factory was purchased and kept open for a short while making spare parts.[3]

### Regal Britain

[edit]

In addition to American sales, from 1911 the cars were exported to Britain. The Seabrook Brothers who had a large automotive accessories business, branded the Regal as RMC and Seabrook-RMC for the British market. The First World War interrupted the supply from Regal and Seabrook turned to importing Napoleon trucks for the war effort.[1]

### Regal Canada

[edit]

In 1910 an attempt was made to assemble the Regal across the river from Detroit in Walkersville, Ontario, Canada, but very few were made.[1]

Henry Nyberg who had made cars under his own name, and was involved with the Madison automobile, set up Canadian Regal Motors, Ltd in Berlin (later Kitchener, Ontario) in 1914.[1]

The factory was the first in Canada to have a proper test track and test hill. It also had a club building with reading rooms, pool and dining rooms for factory workers with a separate one for white collar staff.[1]

A 30-hp four-cylinder Regal and the V8 Regal were produced. Local bodywork was used on the Regal components shipped from Detroit. Between 200 and 400 cars were sold up to the end of 1916 when supply problems arose with the Detroit factory. Due to World War I, Regal Motor Company in Detroit closed down.

Nyberg closed and sold the factory in 1918 and built another factory next door to build the Saxon automobile. When this didn't happen, he made the Dominion unit, which converted cars into light trucks.[1]

## Advertisements

[edit]

* Regal Motor Cars brochure cover

* 1908 Regal advertisement Cycle & Automobile Trade Journal

* 1910 Regal 25 advertisement in Motor World

* 1913 Seabrook R.M.C. advertisement

* 1914 Regal advertisement in The Horseless Age

* 1917 Regal advertisement in Motor Age

## Models

[edit]

Year  | Model  | Type  | Cylinders  | Horsepower  | wheelbase (cm)  | Body Style

|
|
|
|
|
|

1908  | Twenty-Five  |  | 4  | 25  | 254  | Touring Car, Runabout
1909  | Thirty  |  | 4  | 30  | 267  | Touring Car, Runabout, Baby Tonneau
1910  | Thirty  |  | 4  | 30  | 272  | Touring Car, Runabout, Coupé, Limousine
1910  | Forty  |  | 4  | 40  | 312  | Touring Car
1911  | Twenty  | Model N  | 4  | 20  | 254  | Runabout
1911  | Thirty  | Model L  | 4  | 30  | 279  | Touring Car
1911  | Thirty  | Model LF  | 4  | 30  | 279  | Fore-Door Touring Car
1911  | Forty  | Model S  | 4  | 40  | 312  | Touring Car
1911  | Forty  | Model SF  | 4  | 40  | 312  | Fore-Door Touring Car
1912  | Twenty-Five  | Model N  | 4  | 25  | 254  | Runabout
1912  | Twenty-Five  | Model NC  | 4  | 25  | 254  | Colonial Coupé
1912  | Thirty  | Model L  | 4  | 30  | 279  | Touring Car
1912  | Thirty  | Model LF  | 4  | 30  | 279  | Fore-Door Touring Car
1912  | Thirty  | Model LO  | 4  | 30  | 279  | Torpedo
1912  | Thirty-Five  | Model H  | 4  | 35  | 300  | Touring Car
1912  | Forty  | Model S  | 4  | 40  | 312  | Touring Car
1912  | Forty  | Model SF  | 4  | 40  | 312  | Fore-Door Touring Car
1913  | Twenty-Five  | Model N  | 4  | 25  | 274  | Roadster
1913  | Twenty-Five  | Model NC  | 4  | 25  | 274  | Coupé
1913  | Twenty-Five  | Model T  | 4  | 25  | 274  | Touring Car
1913  | Thirty  | Model C  | 4  | 30  | 295  | Touring Car
1913  | Thirty-Five  | Model H  | 4  | 35  | 300  | Touring Car
1914  | Twenty-Five  | Model N  | 4  | 25  | 274  | Roadster
1914  | Twenty-Five  | Model NC  | 4  | 25  | 274  | Coupé
1914  | Twenty-Five  | Model T  | 4  | 25  | 274  | Touring Car
1914  | Thirty-Five  | Model C  | 4  | 35  | 295  | Touring Car
1915  | Light Four  |  | 4  | 20  | 269  | Roadster, Touring Car
1915  | Four  | Model D  | 4  | 39  | 279  | Touring Car
1915  | Four  | Model R  | 4  | 39  | 279  | Roadster
1915  | Eight  |  | 8  | 40  | 284  | Roadster, Touring Car
1916  | Model D  |  | 4  | 39  | 292  | Roadster, Touring Car
1916  | Model E  |  | 4  | 27  | 269  | Touring Car, Roadster
1916  | Model F  |  | 8  | 44  | 318  | Touring Car, Roadster
1917  | Model F  |  | 8  | 29  | 318  | Touring Car, Roadster, Limousine
1917  | Model J  |  | 4  | 20  | 274  | Touring Car
1918  | Model J  | High Power Four  | 4  | 20  | 274  | Touring Car

## Production

[edit]

1912 Regal Underslung Model NC Colonial Coupe

Annual production totals[3]

Year  | Production

|

1908  | 425
1909  | 2,134
1910  | 3,587
1911  | 4,526
1912  | 5,822
1913  | 7,627
1914  | 8,136
1915  | 8,227
1916  | 7,114
1917  | 4,123
1918  | 823
Totals  | 52,544

## See also

[edit]

* Regal automobiles at ConceptCarz
* Bonhams - 1911 Seabrook-RMC
* Detroit Public Library Collection - Regal Motor Car images
* Brass Era car
* List of defunct United States automobile manufacturers

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Regal Motor Car vehicles.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f Georgano, Nick (2001). The Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile (3 vol. ed.). Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers. ISBN 1-57958-293-1.
2. ^ a b Wise, David Burgress (2000). The New Illustrated Encyclopedia of Automobiles. Chartwell Books. ISBN 0-7858-1106-0.
3. ^ a b c d Kimes, Beverly Rae; Clark Jr., Henry Austin (1996). Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942 (3rd ed.). Krause Publications. ISBN 978-0-87341-428-9.