Ce l e b r a t i n g
EI CH
o v e r 1 1 2y e a r s mot or COMP A NY
Hones t .Or i gi nal .Di f f er ent . Si nc e1 898.
I n1 853J os ephEi c h,aBavar i anf r om Regens bur g,bec ameoneoft hef i r s ts et t l er si nSt .Cl oud.He washer ei nal ogc abi ni n1 854whenhehel pedwel c omeands hel t ert heEdel br oc kandWi l s on f ami l i es ,whohadt r avel edbys t eamboatf r om St .Paul .J os ephandhi swi f e,Cr es z ent i a,homes t eadedaf ar mi nSt .Wendeli n1 858,andr ai s ed1 2c hi l dr en.
T heyounges twasAl oi sA.Ei c h,knownas" A. A. " ,t hef i r s toff ourgener at i onsoft heEi c hf ami l yt o r unEi c hMot orCo.I nJ anuar yof1 897,A. A.andMi c haelBi s eni usf or medapar t ner s hi pt os el lf ar m i mpl ement s ,r epr es ent i ngMc Cor mi c kHar ves t i ngmac hi ner yandSt udebakerwagonsandbuggi es . T henextyeart heyboughts ever all ot si ndownt ownSt .Cl oudonSevent hAvenue,j us tnor t hofSai nt Ger mai nSt r eet .I n1 898t hef i r s tuni tofwhati snow t heMeyerbui l di ng( St .Cl oudBus i nes sCent er ) wasbui l t ,c al l edt he" mac hi nes hed. "I ts t i l ls t andsast henor t hhal foft hepr es entbui l di ng.
ST UDEBAKERandt hebegi nni ngoft heAut omot i veEr a
I nt hel at e1 890' saut omobi l edes i gner swer ewor ki ngwi t hs t eam,gasandel ec t r i c i t y.T hef i r s t St udebakerhor s el es sc ar r i agec ameouti n1 902,andwasc al l edt he" El ec t r i cRunabout . "I n1 904 t heypr oduc edt hei rf i r s tgas ol i nec ari nc onj unc t i onwi t ht heGar f or dengi nec ompany.Andt hen,i n 1 908,St udebakert eamedupwi t ht heEver et t Met z ger Fl ander sCo.i nMi c hi gan.E. M. F.Fl ander s wer et hef i r s tc ar smanuf ac t ur edbySt udebaker .
Af t erbuyi ngouthi spar t neri n1 901 ,andhavi ngi gnor edel ec t r i cengi nes ,A. A.wasc onvi nc edbya per s uas i veSt udebakers al es mant os t oc kagas ol i neengi nevehi c l e.T hef i r s tc arwass ol dt oO. F. Met z r ot h,wi t hadel i ver ydat eofMar c h1 3t h,1 91 0.T hec arwasanEMFSt andar dwi t h" M"t op; gl as sf r ont ,andJ oness peedomet er .T het ot als al eamountwas$1 , 41 3.Ni ne" hor s el es sc ar r i ages " wer es ol dbyA. A.Ei c hi n1 91 0.
Par adeonW. St . Ger mai nSt . Ci r c a1 91 8
A. A. Ei c h&SononSevent hAve. , Downt ownSt . Cl oud, MN. 1 950
I n1 921t hebus i nes sbec ameA. A. Ei c handSon, whenMi l t onj oi nedt hef i r m af t ergr aduat i ngf r om St . J ohn' sUni ver s i t y.1 923wasanes pec i al l ygoodyearf orSt udebak erwi t ht hei nt r oduc t i onof new s i xc yl i ndervehi c l es-t he" Bi gSi x" , t he" Spec i al 6"andt he" L i ght6"-t hec ar st hatmade St udebak erf amous .St udebak ers ol d1 50, 000c ar si n1 923, andA. A. Ei c handSons ol d77.
Andt hen, i nt hes ummerof1 929, t hes t oc kmar k etwasatanal l t i mehi gh.I nOc t obers t oc k s begant odr op, andbank sandc or por at i onsner vous l ys t ar t edt oc al l i nl oans .St oc k hol der spani c k ed, andt hemar k etc r as hed.T heGr eatDepr es s i onhadbegun.
St udebak erf al t er ed, des pi t eef f or t st or eent ert hel owpr i c edaut omobi l emar k etwi t ht he " Roc k ne. "St udebak erdec l ar edbank r upt c yandwaspl ac edi nr ec ei ver s hi pi n1 933.T woyear s l at erSt udebak erbec amet heonl yaut omobi l emanuf ac t ur ert ober el eas edf r om r ec ei ver s hi p.
1 923pr i ntad f ort heSt udebak er 5pas s engerc oupe. I nc l udesor i gi nal l i s tpr i c es f oral l 1 2model s .
T he1 940' sbr oughtwarabr oad, andf orSt udebak er , f or ei gnor der sf orwars uppl i es .Att heendof J anuar y,1 942,al lpas s engerc arpr oduc t i onwass t oppedbyUni t edSt at esgover nmentdegr ee, c ompl et el ys hut t i ngof fs uppl y.St udebak erbeganpr oduc i ngt r uc k sandengi nesf orai r c r af t .
Ands o, af t ers ur vi vi ngt hegr eatdepr es s i onandt hebank r upt c yofSt udebak er , A. A.Ei c handSonsnow f ac ednotonl yvehi c l eandgass hor t ages ,butl abors hor t ages .Mos templ oyeesl ef tt os er vei nt hewar .
For t unat el y, bef or et heendoft hewar , St udebak ers oughtas t r at egyt obet hef i r s tc arc ompanyout oft hegat ewi t hnew s t yl i ngandanal l new model f orpos t wars al es .Ot herc arc ompani eshadnot r et ool edasqui c k l y, andi n1 950St udebak erac hi evedi t speakpr oduc t i onof268, 229c ar s .T hepopul ar" bul l et nos e"s t yl i ng, per hapst hemos t f amousdes i gnf r omSt udebak er , wasaddedi nt hi syear . T hi sgl or ywasnott ol as t , however , asSt udebak er ' ss al esbegandec l i ni ngi n1 951and1 952.I twas c us t omar ydur i ngt hi sper i odt oc hangevehi c l ebodys t yl esever yyear ,andSt udebak erc oul dnot c ompet ewi t ht hef i nanc i al r i gor soft heBi gT hr ee' syear l ys t yl i ngc hanges .
Att hatt i me,downt ownSt .Cl oudwasgr owi ng,andt her ewasnor oom t odi s pl ayanyus edvehi c l es .Des c r i bedbyAut omot i veNewsasa" moder n$ 65, 000bui l di ng, "t hec ompanyr el oc at edt o i t spr es ent l oc at i onat 1 931Di vi s i onSt . i n1 957.T hec ompanywast henr enamedEi c hMot orCo. , and t heMer c edesf r anc hi s ebeganatt hi sl oc at i on.
Dani el Ei c hj oi nedt hef i r ms hor t l yt her eaf t er , andwasi nf l uent i al i nes t abl i s hi ngamar k eti ni mpor t edvehi c l es .As por t sc arandr oads t erf an, Danl edt hec ompanyt owar dss uc hbr andsasMG, T r i umph,Aus t i nHeal y,Hi l l man,Bor gwar d,andf i nal l y,Mer c edes .St .Cl oud' sf i r s ti mpor t edc arwas pr obabl yaBMC( Br i t i s hMot orCar . )
L et t ert oA. A. Ei c h&Soni nr ec ogni t i onof57year sofbus i nes s .
Ei c hMot orCo. St udebak erSer vi c eShop. 1 958.
Ei c hMot orCompany’ spr es ent dayhomeat1 931W Di vi s i onSt . 1 958.
1 960. Fi r s tVol k s wagenBeet l es ol d. Dani el Ei c h( r i ght )
Vol k s wagenEnt er st heUni t edSt at es
I twasdur i ngt hi st i mei nGer manyt hatVol k s wagen, ort he" peopl es ' c ar "wasgai ni ngmoment um. J us tbef or et hewar ,t heGer mangover nmentwass ett oi nt r oduc eac i vi l i anc ar .Af t ert hewar ,t he Br i t i s ht ookc ont r oloft heWol f s bur gpl anti nt hei rz oneofoc c upat i on.Needi ngt r ans por t at i onpr oduc t i onbec aus eofheavywardamage, t heBr i t i s hover s aw t hepos t warpr oduc t i onofvehi c l es .T he c ar sdevel opedar eput at i onf ors i mpl i c i t yandr el i abi l i t ywi t har uggeddemeanor , havi ngbeendes i gnedt ot r avel overwar damagedr oadsorl ac kofr oads .
Demandf ort heVW Beet l ewast r emendousf ort henext dec ade, andi n1 955, ast hef i r s t VW i mpor t s hi tAmer i c a, Dani el Ei c h, t hegr ands onofA. A. Ei c h, s t ar t edhi sques tf ort heVW f r anc hi s e.I n1 960, asVW pr oduc edf ourmi l l i onBeet l es ,Ei c hMot orCo.bec amet he5t hVW deal er s hi pi nt hes t at eof Mi nnes ot a.
Vol k s wagenexper i enc edi t speakyear si nt he1 970' s .T heBeet l ec ont i nuedt obepopul arbec aus e ofi t sval ueandr el i abi l i t y.I twasas ever el yi nf l at i onar yt i me,andPr es i dentNi xoni mpos edpr i c e c ont r ol s .Ourdependenc eonf or ei gnoi l gr ew, andourr es er vesdi mi ni s hed.I nOc t oberof1 973, t he OPECoi lembar goc aus edgaspr i c est oi nc r eas eby70%.Smal lc ar swer ebeaut i f ul .Vol k s wagen pr oduc eddur abl e, pr ac t i c al , f uels t i ngyands af evehi c l est hatappeal edt ot he1 970sbuyer s .I nt he l at e1 970sVW begans el l i ngadi es elvehi c l et hatwass opopul art hatnear l yal loft hem wer es ol d bef or et heywer eevenpr oduc ed.
1 977Vol k s wagenRabbi tDi es el
T heAddi t i onoft heMaz daBr and
I nt r i guedbyanew t ypeofr ot ar yengi ne,Dani elEi c has s oc i at edwi t ht heHi r os hi mabas edaut omobi l emanuf ac t ur er ,Maz da,i n1 975.Maz dapr oduc edbot hr ot ar yandpi s t onengi nevehi c l es . T her ot ar y,( Wank el ) ,engi nebec amek nownf ori t s ’powerands moot hnes s .A l i ght wei ghtand c ompac tr ot ar yengi nehast heequi val entpowerofas t andar ds i xc yl i nderengi ne.T her ot ar y engi neoper at eswi t hs pi nni ngr ot or sandasar es ul tr equi r esf arl es spar t st hanac onvent i onal engi neandc anoper at eatamuc hhi gherr pm.
T heMaz dapi s t onengi nesbec amewel l k nownf ort hei rendur anc e, ec onomyandr el i abi l i t y.Dur i ng t hef uel c r unc hoft hel at e1 970s , t hef uel -s avi ngMaz dasgai nedhugepopul ar i t y.
T oday,Ei c hMot orCompanyi sagr owi ngandl andmar kbus i nes si nSt .Cl oud,MN.Wi t h j us tover60empl oyees ,andover1 1 2year sofbus i nes s ,wei nvi t eyout os eewhatmakes t hi sc ompanys pec i al .Manyofourempl oyeeshavebeenapar toft heEi c hMot orCompany f ami l yf orover30year s .Ourc ont i nueds uc c es si sas i gnt hatourc us t omer sappr ec i at et he har dwor kanddedi c at i onwe’ veexhi bi t edi nourdai l yoper at i ons ,t hedevot i ont oc ommuni t yi nvol vement ,andawar dwi nni ngr epr es ent at i onoft heVol ks wagenandMaz dabr ands .
I nt hei rFebr uar y2009i s s ue,CarandDr i verr ec ogni z edEi c hMot orCompanyast he9t h ol des tdeal er s hi ps t i l li noper at i oni nt heUni t edSt at es . *“ Idon’ tknow i fpeopl eknow what a mi nor i t ywear e, ”s aysL i nda Ei c hDes J ar di ns ,Pr es i dentofEi c hMot orCompanyand Gr eat Gr andDaught erofAl oi sEi c h.“ T her ear en’ tmanyf ami l yownedaut omobi l edeal er s hi pss t i l li nexi s t enc et oday. ”
* Bas edonf ami l i esanddeal er s hi pst hathaver egi s t er edwi t ht heNat i onalAut omobi l eDeal er sAs s oc at i onf orhavi ngbeeni nbus i nes sf or1 00year sormor e.
Dat eofpubl i c at i on3. 24. 201 0.