Comet Automobile Company Records
The Comet Automobile Company records contain photographs, correspondence, business records, and clippings related to the company during the period 1918-1920.
Biographical / Historical Note
George W. Jagers, founder of the Comet Automobile Company, introduced his first model at the Chicago Automobile Show in 1917. Production of the vehicle began the following August in Decatur, Illinois. Initial sales of the 6-cylinder automobile were...
MoreGeorge W. Jagers, founder of the Comet Automobile Company, introduced his first model at the Chicago Automobile Show in 1917. Production of the vehicle began the following August in Decatur, Illinois. Initial sales of the 6-cylinder automobile were modest but consistent.
In 1920, Comet received an order for 40 cars from Belgium and plans were made to go international. Construction was begun on a large, new factory with a 200-car-per-day capacity. But huge foreign orders never materialized and by December 1920 the company was in deep financial trouble. A smaller 4-cyclinder car was introduced in 1920 along with a viable financing/purchasing plan, but the company never produced after 1922. There were no bidders when the company was offered for sale late in 1922. Its assets were sold the following year.
LessScope and Content Note
The collection contains photographs, correspondence, business records, and clippings related to the company during the period 1918-1920.
Collection Details
Object ID: 92.1.1771.0
Creator: Comet Automobile Company
Inclusive Dates: 1918-1920
Size: 0.4 cubic ft.
Language: English
Collection Access & Use
Item Location: Benson Ford Research Center
Access Restrictions: The records are open for research. Finding aid available at <a href="https://findingaids.thehenryford.org/xtf/search?identifier=92.1.1771">https://findingaids.thehenryford.org/xtf/search?identifier=92.1.1771</a>
Credit: From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Digitized Artifacts From This Collection
In many cases, not all artifacts have been digitized.
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Vehicle Assembly Line, Comet Automobile Company, circa 1918
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
George W. Jagers established the Comet Automobile Company in Decatur, Illinois, in 1917. The six-cylinder Comet -- an assembled car built from components manufactured by outside suppliers -- was a steady, if not spectacular, seller in the Midwest. But Jagers expanded too quickly, building a new factory in 1920 that Comet couldn't afford. The company's assets were liquidated in 1923.
Keywords
Object ID
92.1.1771.1
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Vehicle Assembly Line, Comet Automobile Company, circa 1918
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