Daimler Motor Co.

PATH:  Home » Contents > Boat Building » Boat Equipment > Propulsion > Engines >

Page Under Development
Overview
The Daimler Motor Co. of New York, NY produced the SILENT KNIGHT marine propulsion engine.

ΞPIXΞ

History

ΞPIXΞ

General
Daimler Motor Company, an American company founded in 1888 and not to be confused with the German Daimler Motor Company, Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft, was one of several enterprises other than piano making in which William Steinway engaged. “William Steinway . . . flirted with making automobiles and speedboats in the 1890s . . . ,” asserts James Barron. (1, p.132) William did more than flirt, however, and pursued the manufacture of Daimler engines in the United States and their multiple potential uses until his death in 1896.(7)
In 1886, William began correspondence with Gottlieb Daimler, a German inventor and co-developer of a small internal combustion engine that ran on liquid petroleum fuel.(3, p. 320) On August 22, 1888, five days after William had taken rides in a railcar and a boat that Daimler had fitted with his engine, William and Daimler “have a long talk.” (Diary, 1888-08-22) Events moved quickly and in September and October, Daimler Motor Company, headquartered in Long Island, New York, was founded and given the American rights to Daimler’s patents.(2)(5)(7) The firm was legally established on January 26, 1889, with a an authorized capital of $200,000.(7) William recorded the first board of directors’ meeting for Daimler Motor Company—a firm in which William invested a reported $181,800 (3, p. 415) —was held on February 2, 1889. (Diary, 1889-02-02) (3, p. 321) Although at first the company imported Daimler motors from Germany, soon production of motors for the company “was taken over by National Machine Company in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1891, and it was this company which engaged in license production of America’s first operational engine based on Gottlieb Daimler’s original design drawings.” (2) Later William suggested that manufacturing be done near the Steinway plant in Long Island.(7) By early 1892 William wrote in his diary that the “Daimler Motor Comp New Building all finished” (Diary, 1892-01-30) so it is possible that the production of Daimler motors in Steinway Village near the Steinway & Sons factory began around this time. The Daimler factory was enlarged in 1895.(5) (Diary, 1895-01-13) The gas and petroleum engines produced were used primarily for stationary machines and boats, although William did discuss experiments on “Wagonettes” with Daimler and Kubler.(Diary,1893-10-18)(2).
Among the applications William saw for Daimler motors of various sizes were small dynamos, cream separators, sewing machines, pumps, ventilating fans, blowers, light wood-working machinery, printing presses, elevators, boats, tramways, shoemaking machinery.(3, pp. 321-22) And by late 1893 a Daimler motor carriage, imported from Germany, was running up and down the streets of Steinway Village in Astoria on Long Island, “making it one of the pioneer gasoline vehicles to run on American roads . . . .” (3, p. 323). When The New York Times published a long article on William’s many activities in July of 1896, it listed the officers of Daimler Motor Company as William Steinway, president, Frederick Kübler, vice president, Louis von Bernuth, treasurer, and Herman Kleber, secretary.(5)
The Daimler Motor Co. concentrated on building a variety of motors but not motorized vehicles. However, the company produced motorized boats, incorporating the knowledge of and availability of wood from the piano manufacturing activities of Steinway & Sons.(6) William Steinway had a Daimler motor boat, named Gemini.
The overwhelming majority of William’s Diary entries relating to Daimler Motor Company are matter-of-fact: For example, “Hold first Meetings of Daimler Motor Comp andAstoria Homestead Company.” (Diary, 1889-02-02) “Daimler Motor Comp. getting gradually into shape.” (Diary, 1889-11-30) “Daimler Motor nearly ready to run.” (Diary, 1891-04-18) And “In evg F. Kübler calls talks about purchasing, with G. Daimler, the assets of Daimler Motor Comp.” (Diary, 1894-05-17)
Other diary entries reflect William’s enthusiasm for the venture. For example, William wrote in the summer of 1895 that he has just toured Daimler Motor Company’s “New Building” in Astoria—”all finished and looks splendid.” (Diary, 1895-08-17)
More than half a dozen Diary entries reflect personal displeasure with the company, nevertheless. For example, as early as November 17, 1893, William reported, “Kübler sees me in eve’g about selling out Daimler Motor Co. of which Co. I am disgusted.” (Diary, 1893-11-17) A year later, William states, “See Kübler in forenoon at my house, am horrified to find that the unfortunate Daimler Comp. has again lost some $18.000. since January 1st as I predicted.” (Diary, 1894-11-04 ) And in marked contrast to several 1895 Diary entries relating improving business at Daimler Motor Company, on March 18, 1896, William cursed the company “for its draining me of money +resolve to stop it.” (Diary, 1896-03-18) Three days later, on March 21, 1896, William reported having “a long and earnest consultation on the Daimler Motor Co. constantly working with a heavy loss.” (Diary, 1896-03-21) Some of William’s entries reflected impatience with Daimler, as he referred to a letter from Daimler as “ridiculous, as before.”(Diary, 1894-01-29)
Following William’s death in November 1896, appraisers declared the company “worthless.” Daimler Motor Company, Fostle contends, “closed entirely when denied William’s cash infusions. . . .” (3, p.415)
In August 1898, less than two years after William’s death, a new firm called The Daimler Manufacturing Company was formed; its principal was Frederick Kübler, who had been general manager of William’s Daimler Motor Company and a frequent liaison between William and Gottlieb Daimler. (3, p. 415) This firm obtained the assets and old physical plant of the Daimler Motor Co.(6)(3, p. 415). It built the “first American Mercedes” and continued to produce cars until 1913, when fire significantly destroyed the factory.(7)
[jsm/khj]
Sources:
1. Barron, James. Piano: The Making of a Steinway Concert Grand. New York: Times Books, 2006, p. 132.
2. “A Car for America,” available from Daimler Global Media site. http://media.daimler.com
3. Fostle, D.W. The Steinway Saga: An American Dynasty. New York: Scribner, 1995.
4. Lieberman, Richard K. Steinway & Sons. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1995, pp. 116-17.
5. “North Beach, Steinway, Long Island: Motor Without Steam,” The New York Times, July 12, 1896, p. 25.
6. Salemi, Michael. “The Nearly Forgotten Story of the Mercedes from Long Island.” The Star, January-February, 2011, p. 44.
http://races.phmclients.com/images/uploads/STAR_AmerMercedes.pdf
7. Wilkins, Mira. “Crosscurrents: American Investments in Europe, European Investments in the United States.” pp.25-26/ www.h-net.org
More from http://www.americanhistory.si.edu/steinwaydiary/annotations/?id=845

ΞPIXΞ

at http://www.vintagemachinery.org/mfgindex/detail.aspx?id=4441

ΞPIXΞ

Specifications For __________________
2/4-Stroke Cycle Gasoline/Diesel Marine Engines

Click on Links for Model Pages with Spec Sheets, Manuals, etc.

TABLE KEY:
CYL = Cylinder Configuration-Number−Liner: IL = Vertical In-Line, s =Slanted, h = Horizontal, n = Inverted
-CYL: V = V, O = Opposed, R = Radial, WR = Wankel Rotary
−CYL: W = Wet Liners, D = Dry Liners, C = Combo Wet & Dry Liners, P = Parent/Native Bore, S = Sleeved
−CYL:  ? = Not Published
RATING: COM = Commercial, R = Recreational, WB = Work Boat, PC = Pleasure Craft
RATING: CON = Continuous, INT = Intermittent
RATING: CON, CD, HD, MCD, MD, INT, ID, GS, HO, etc. (See Duty Ratings at end of this table)
ASP: NA = Naturally Aspirated, T = Turbocharged, S = Supercharged
ASP: TA = Turbocharged & Aftercooled, TI = Turbocharged and Intercooled
KW = Kilowatts, HP = Horsepower, BHP = Brake Horsepower, MHP = Metric Horsepower, ? = Not Published
@RPM = Power Ratings @ Revolutions Per Minute
YEARS MFR’D: Beginning-Ending, Trailing  –  (Dash) without an Ending Date = Still in Production

ENGINE FAMILY/MODEL CYL BORE STROKE BORE STROKE DISPLACEMENT
Family/Model IL-?−? ?mm ?mm ?in ?in ?L / ?ci
MODEL/RATING ASP KW HP BHP MHP @RPM YEARS MFR'D
? NA ? ? ? ? 19??-19??‚
? T ? ? ? ? 19??-19??

ENGINE FAMILY/MODEL CYL BORE STROKE BORE STROKE DISPLACEMENT
Family/Model IL-?−? ?mm ?mm ?in ?in ?L / ?ci
MODEL/RATING ASP KW HP BHP MHP @RPM YEARS MFR'D
? NA ? ? ? ? 19??-19??‚
? T ? ? ? ? 19??-19??
Table Under Development
If you can help us add brand information, Spec Sheets, Manuals, etc. that we lack, please submit the link or PDF to Editor♥EverythingAboutBoats.org (Replace “♥” with “@”) so we can add it to the website. Thanks.
Table and Links from www.OldMarineEngine.com
More From www.OldMarineEngine.com
Manufactures from Carpenter Data
–

Duty Ratings

Continuous

Pleasure Craft

–

Contact Information

Daimler Motor Co.
–
New York, NY
Toll Free: 1-8
Telephone:
Fax Line:
Website:
Contact Form:
Email:

EVERYTHING ON THIS PAGE OK?
If there is anything on this webpage that needs fixing, please let us know via email To:
Editor♥EverythingAboutBoats.org (Replace "♥" with "@")

THIS ARTICLE IS STILL EVOLVING!
The page may contain rough drafts that include raw source materials.

Visit our FEATURED ARTICLES Home Page
to see examples of our website's comprehensive contents!

Thanks to our amazing contributors for the steady flow of articles, and to our dedicated all-volunteer staff who sort, polish and format them, everyday we get a little bit closer to our goal of
Everything About Boats. If you would like to submit an article,
See Submitting Articles.

— TOP 20 MOST POPULAR ARTICLES —

Detroit Diesel 8.2 Liter “Fuel Pincher” V8 Engine
Cummins V-555 & VT-555 “Triple-Nickel” V8 Diesel Engine
Lehman 120 (6D380) Diesel Engine (Ford 2704C & 2715E)
Ford Industrial Power Products Diesel Engines
How to Identify Ford Diesel Engines
Ford 2715E Diesel Engine
Lehman Mfg. Co.
Perkins Engines
Universal Atomic 4
Sears Boat Motors: Motorgo, Waterwitch, Elgin, etc.
Chrysler & Force Outboards
Eska Outboard Motors
Allison Transmission
ZF Friedrichshafen AG
Marine Surveyors by Country
American Marine Ltd (Grand Banks)
Boat Inspection (Types of Marine Surveys)
Boat Builders: (A∼Z) (w/Vessel Types, Locale & Years Active)
USCG NVIC 07-95 Guidance on Inspection, Repair and Maintenance of Wooden Hulls
American Boat and Yacht Counsel (ABYC)

Layout of the EverythingAboutBoats.org Website's Pages

— Types of Webpages —
This website consists almost entirely of 3 types of webpages as follows:

  1. TOPIC PAGES (See Main Topic Pages listed on Website Contents or the Right Sidebar) ⇒
  2. VENDOR PAGES (Vendors of Products, Services, Events,+, Destinations & Media Creators)
  3. PRODUCT PAGES (Equipment, Events, Media: pDoc, Books, Magazines, Videos, Websites,+)

Clickable Links that lead to other webpages appear in Blue Text and usually open in a new window.
Links in the Right Sidebar and most directories open in the current window, not a new window.
Note in the examples above that these pages form a natural hierarchy.
The unnumbered "^" pages are listed alphabetically in most tables.
Media Titles in tables are distinguished by their smaller font size.
Media (Books, Magazines, Videos, Articles,+) are treated as Products.
Vendors' Product Documentation (pDoc) are considered Media.
Destinations & Media Creators are treated as Vendors.
All Website Pages are optimized for viewing on
full-width disktop computer monitors,
but can be viewed on phones.

— Contents of Webpages —
Website Pages typically contain the following Sections:

  1. PATH (Shows the chain of EAB pages w/links that lead to the page being viewed).
    1. EXAMPLE:
      PATH: HOME, WEBSITE INDEX, WEBSITE CONTENTS » ∨
      ∧ BOAT BUILDING & REPAIR » Boat Equipment » Propulsion » Engines » ∨∨
      ∧∧ Ford, Ebro, American Diesel, AmMarine, Barr, Beta, Bomac, Bowman, Couach,
      Lees, Lehman, Mermaid, Parsons, Renault, Sabre, Thornycroft, Wortham Blake »
      ∧ DO-IT-YOURSELF » DIY Boat Building & Repair » DIY Schools & Classes »
      ∧ MEDIA w/Creator Directory » Documentation, Books, Magazines, Videos, Websites »
    2. (The "»" right pointing Guillemet symbol shows the chain through the page links.)
    3. (The "," comma between page links in the chain indicates pages are not subordinate, but are instead at the same level. See engine brands in the example above.)
    4. (The "∨", "∨∨", "∨∨∨",+ symbols indicate that the path line continues with whatever follows the "∧", "∧∧", "∧∧∧",+ symbols respectively. "∧" Precedes each MAIN TOPIC Page.)
  2. PAGE CONTENTS (Table of Contents with links to each main section on the page).
  3. PAGE BODY (The type of page determines the contents of its body as follows:).
    1. TOPIC PAGES (Topic Treatment: Introduction, Overview, Background, Details,+).
      • (Many Topic Pages contain Directories of Vendors with Links).
      • (Most Directory Listings are Alphabetical and/or by Locale).
    2. VENDOR PAGES (Vendor's Profile, Contact Information, Products, Services,+).
      • (Manufacturers, Resellers, Refitters, Yards, Surveyors, Clubs, Schools, Authors,+).
      • (Boating & Travel Destinations are treated as Vendors on their own Vendor Pages).
    3. PRODUCT PAGES (Product Features, Vendor Links, Specifications, Documentation,+).
      • (Media created by a vendor is often treated as a Product on its own Product Page).
      • (Boating & Travel Events are often treated as Products on their own Product Pages).
  4. RELATED RESOURCES (Topics, Vendors, Products, Media: Books, Websites,+ with Links).
  5. PAGE TAIL Contains the following Anchors Aweigh Academy & EAB Website Features:
    1. The Anchors Aweigh Academy's EverythingAboutBoats.org Header.
    2. A link to our Featured Articles EAB Home Page.
    3. Top 20 Most Popular Articles. (The section that appears right above ⇑ this section).
    4. Layout of the EverythingAboutBoats.org Website's Pages. (This very section ⇐).
    5. Topics of Webpages. (The very next section below ⇓).
    6. What we have accomplished so far.
    7. Members must Sign-In to gain full access to Expanded Pages & Programs.
    8. Sign-Up (if not already a member).
    9. Public Comments (about the website & about this page).
  6. RIGHT SIDEBAR (Website Contents menu with links to Main Topic & Subtopic pages).
    (On some smart phones, the Right Sidebar may appear at the bottom of the webpage)

— Topics of Webpages —
Website Pages are categorized under the following 16 MAIN TOPICS:

The MAIN TOPICS follow a natural progression from conception of the vessel thru its
building, marketing, survey, financing, insuring, transport, moorage, use and upkeep.
The MAIN TOPICS (all Caps) below are followed by their Main Subtopics with Links.

00 – HOME: CONTENTS, ABOUT EAB: Contact EAB, Abbreviations & Symbols, FAQ, GLOSSARY, ADs,+.
01 – ABOUT BOATS w/Museum Directory: Early History, Recent History, Modern Vessel Types,+.
02 – BOAT BUILDING, OUTFITTING, REFITTING & REPAIR: Materials, Equipment, Builders,+.
03 – BOAT MARKETING: Boat Shows, Dealers & Brokers, Importing & Exporting, Auctions & Sales,+.
04 – BOAT INSPECTION: Types of Marine Surveys, Marine Surveyors, Schools, DIY Inspections,+.
05 – BOAT TITLES & VESSEL REGISTRY: Boat Title & Registration, Vessel Registry, Title Co's,+.
06 – BOAT FINANCING: Conventional (Banks, Credit Unions,+), Unconventional (Creative),+.
07 – BOAT INSURANCE: Maritime & Recreational: Coverage, Carriers, Agents,+., Claim Processing,+.
08 – BOAT TRANSPORT: By Sea (Piggyback, Delivery Skippers & Crews, & Towing), Over-Land,+.
09 – BOAT HAULING & LAUNCHING: Drydocks, Ways, Lifts, Cranes & Hoists, Launch Ramps,+.
10 – BOAT MOORAGE & STORAGE: Builders, Anchorages, Marinas, Yards, Racks & Stacks,+.
11 – BOATING ORGANIZATIONS: Yacht Clubs & Sailing Clubs, Paddling Clubs, Boat Owners,+.
12 – BOATING & TRAVEL: Events, Destinations, Boat Rentals & Charters, Cruises, Voyages,+.
13 – BOATING & MARITIME EDUCATION: Recreational Seamanship, Ship's Master & Crew,+.
14 – MARINE LAWS & REGULATIONS: International & National Laws‚ Lawyers‚ Investigators‚+.
15 – DO-IT-YOURSELF: DIY Boat Building & Repair, DIY Boat Sales, DIY Boat Surveys, DIY Classes,+.
16 – MEDIA w/Creator Directory + Academy eLibrary: pDocs, Books, Magazines, Videos, Websites,+.

The above MAIN TOPICS and a more detailed listing of Subtopics
can be found on the Website Contents page and on the Right Sidebar.
An Alphabetical Index of the website can be accessed at Website Index.

What we have accomplished so far.
Anchors Aweigh Academy and its EverythingAboutBoats.org website.

  • Published over 50,000 website pages about boats and boating, bringing us closer to reaching our goal of becoming "The ultimate reference resource about boats and ships for everyone from the beginning recreational boater to the seasoned professional mariner!"
  • Published over 300 website main topic webpages, many with full articles on the topic. See our Website Contents or the Right Sidebar for the listing of the main topic pages.
  • Published over 9,000 marine vendor webpages, all with their contact information, most with a description of their products and services, many with product documentation, specifications and independent reviews. (incl.: Boat designers, boat building tools, material and equipment manufacturers and suppliers, boat builders and dealers, yacht brokers, marine surveyors, boat insurers, boat transporters, skippers and crews, boatyards and marinas, yacht clubs, boat rentals and yacht charters, boating, seamanship and maritime schools, marine law attorneys and expert witnesses, boat refitters and repairers, book authors, magazine publishers, video producers, and website creators)
  • Acquired over 120,000 pages of product documentation including Catalogs, Brochures, SpecSheets, Pictures, Serial Number Guides, Installation Manuals, OpManuals, Parts Catalogs, Parts Bulletins, Shop Manuals, Wiring Diagrams, Service Bulletins, and Recalls. And have made all viewable to Academy Members through our EAB website eLibrary.
  • Acquired over 1,200 books and magazine back issues in our academy library and so far have made over 700 viewable to Academy Members through our EAB website eLibrary.
  • Published over 500 DIY How-To articles about boat design, construction, inspection, operation, maintenance, troubleshooting and repair. We are working hard to do more.

We are currently formatting and polishing the Anchors Aweigh Academy online and hands-on courses. Our Marine Surveying course has proven to be excellent for both the beginner and the seasoned surveyor, and especially helpful to the Do-It-Yourselfer.

Current Academy Members must SIGN IN to gain FULL access to this
website including expanded pages and valuable Academy programs
like our Academy eLibrary and our Ask-An-Expert Program!
If your membership has expired, CLICK HERE to Renew.

IF YOU ARE NOT YET AN ANCHORS AWEIGH ACADEMY MEMBER,
 CLICK HERE to discover how you can become a Member and gain FULL access to
thousands of expanded pages and articles, and dozens of excellent programs
WITH JUST A SMALL DONATION!

Comments for Public Viewing

Submit any comments for public viewing via email To: Comments♥EverthingAboutBoats.org (Replace "♥" with "@")
Please remember to put this webpage's title in the subject line of your email.
All comments are moderated before they appear on this page. See Comment Rules.

General Comments About the Website

FROM Donald: "This is an awesome website. I found the information that I needed right away from one of the over 20,000 free articles that you provide as a public service. I'm surprised that so much if this site is free. But I still signed up so I could access the thousands of expanded pages, interesting articles, and dozens of valuable programs! The member's library of books, magazines and videos that I can view online is really terrific! I understand that you and your staff are all unpaid volunteers. Please keep up the good work. And I commend you for your plans to add another 10,000 free informative articles over the next year. I'm thrilled to support you in this endeavor with my small membership donation. Thanks again for all your hard work."

FROM Huey: "I agree with my Uncle, I too have found the articles to be very enlightening. They say that it will take about 100,000 articles to cover the full scope that they have envisioned for the website. They have over 20,000 articles so far and that's doing pretty well, but it could take several years to get the rest. I also noticed that many of the Main Topic Pages and some of the article pages are still in the rough draft stage. I guess that they will fill in as they can get volunteers to work on them. But what I can't figure out is why anyone would spend the time writing informative in depth articles just to give away free to this website for publication? What's in it for them?"

FROM Dewey: "Well Huey, to me It looks like most of the articles on this website are written by very informed people, like boating instructors, boat designers, boat builders, riggers, electricians, fitters, marine repair technicians and marine surveyors. Writing such articles helps establish them as knowledgeable professionals. After all, this website was originally created by a school for marine technicians and marine surveyors. The website is growing in content every day. They even had to move to a bigger, more powerful server because the website's traffic has been growing exponentially."

FROM Louie: "I agree with everyone above. This site is quickly becoming the ultimate reference resource about every aspect of boats and ships for everyone from the beginning recreational boater to the seasoned professional mariner. I use the topic pages on the right sidebar to browse around the website. It's like a Junior Woodchucks' Guidebook for Boaters. Their Members' Library of over 300 popular and obscure books and over 200 magazine back issues that can be viewed online is fabulous. The Academy's magazine is especially informative. On top of that, there is the "Ask-An-Expert program for members where you can get an expert's answer to any of your boat questions. And a whole years membership is only $25. What a deal! I really love being part of this "Everything About Boats" community and help provide thousands of helpful articles free to the public. I think that I'll sit down right now and write an article about my experiences boating with my uncle."

FROM Scrooge: "You rave about this website like it was the best thing since sliced bread. Well, I think it stinks. Sure, it has a lot of good information for boaters, and they're adding more every day, but it will probably never be finished. Furthermore, I don't even own a boat. And I wouldn't have a boat even if someone gave me one. Boats are a waste of money and time and energy and money! They're just a hole in the water you pour money into. If you gave me a boat, I'd sell it quicker then you could say Baggywrinkle. Then I'd lock up the cash with all my other money so I could keep my eye on it and count it every day. Bah humbug."

FROM Daisy: "I'm just so glad that Donald got the boat so we and the boys could enjoy boating — together. And of course all of the girls, April, May, and June, love to be on the water too, especially when that is where the boys are. Oh poor Scrooge, boating is more fun then you could possibly imagine."

FROM Scrooge: "After seeing how much fun you all have on the water together, I regret that I didn't have that much fun when I was young. I've had a change of heart, and I'm giving each of you a Lifetime Academy Membership."

FROM Editor: "For those of you that have stayed with us this far, many thanks, and we hope that you found this little narrative informative. Your faithful support inspires us to keep working on this phenomenal website. We know that we have a lot more to do. Ultimately, we hope that we can help you enjoy the wonder filled world of boating as much as we do. We are all waiting to see what you have to say about this webpage article. Submit any comments via email To: Comments♥EverythingAboutBoats.org (Replace "♥" with "@"). Be sure to include this page's title in the subject line. Also, your corrections, updates, additions and suggestions are welcomed. Please submit them via email To: Editor♥EverythingAboutBoats.org (Replace "♥" with "@"). It has been truly amazing to see what we have been able to accomplished when we've worked together. Thanks to all those that have donated their valuable time and energy, and a special THANK YOU to all that have supported this cause with their membership donations."

Comments About This Particular Page

FROM ΞNameΞ: “Be_the_next_to_comment_about_this_page.” {230316}