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Cruise IN – Union City once shared its name with two automotive businesses
Union City, straddling the Ohio state line in Randolph County, once shared its name with two automotive businesses-the Union Automobile Company and Union City Body Company, Inc. Both of these entities have historic significance. Union Automobile Company was formed in 1902 by John W. Lambert of Anderson to produce his rear-engine automobile with a gearless, friction-drive. Production was designed for 10 cars a month. One source lists over 300 Union cars were sold, none of which are know to exist today. The early Union was a two- or four-passenger auto. A front seat over the axle was accessible for the other two passengers by folding down the cover, which became the floorboard. Another unique feature of the Union was that it was guaranteed for one year from the purchase date. (Editorial comment: So much for today's extended warrantees.) The car sold for $1250 without extras. A $100 down payment was required with the balance due upon delivery. In 1905, Lambert formed Lambert Automobile, a division of Buckeye Manufacturing Company, in Anderson, and the Union Automobile Company was closed. (See sidebar.) The Union Auto building is currently used as a storage facility for the Sheller-Globe Corporation, which manufactures plastic and zinc automotive parts. Union City businessmen C.C. Adelsperger, S.R. Bell, and J.W. Wogoman formed Union City Body Company to manufacture bodies for the horseless carriage in 1898. Early manufacturing was done principally for customers located within a radius of 100 miles. The company produced bodies for automotive pioneers Haynes, Apperson, Clark, Davis, H.C.S., Lexington, National, Premier, and Chandler. Later UCBC built bodies for some great names in the American automotive past such as Duesenberg, Cord, Essex, Pierce Arrow, and the Auburn Speedster. The company manufactured these bodies until the decline of specialty automobiles in the late 1920s. In the 1930s the company began the production of school bus bodies for various chassis manufacturers and truck cabs for Studebaker. During World War II, transit busses built on a Ford chassis were the sole products. In the 1950s, truck bodies were produced for installation on Ford, Dodge, GMC, and Chevrolet models until 1957 when an exclusive agreement was signed with Chevrolet and GMC Truck & Coach division. Today at the 1015 West Pearl Street plant, the UCBC builds four delivery truck models with 64 different sizes and a medium duty van in 14 different body sizes. Customers include Frito-Lay, UPS, U.S. Postal Service and Federal Express. UCBC has manufactured over 390,800 bodies since their first walk-in van was introduced.
(Sidenote: Union City was also the birthplace of auto pioneer Harry C. Stutz, born 1876.)
Back to: Cruise IN: A guide to Indiana’s automotive past and present
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