Rauch and Lang

{{Short description|American electric automobile manufactured in Cleveland, Ohio}}

{{Infobox company

| name = The Rauch & Lang Carriage Co.
Baker R & L Co.
Rauch & Lang, Inc.

| logo = 200px

| image = Copy of early 20th century lithograph showing aerial view, looking west. Rendering owned by Baker Materials Handling Corpation, Cleveland Ohio. - Rauch and Lang Carriage HAER OHIO,18-CLEV,25B-1.tif

| image_caption = The Baker Rulang Company - Plant no. 1

| foundation = {{Start date and age|1905}}

| founder = Jacob Rauch and Charles E.J. Lang

| fate =

| hq_location = Cleveland, Ohio

| location_city =

| location_country = United States

| key_people =

| industry = Automotive

| products = Vehicles
Automotive parts

| homepage =

| defunct = {{end date and age|1928}}

}}

The Rauch & Lang Carriage Company was an American electric automobile manufactured in Cleveland, Ohio, from 1905 to 1920 and Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts, from 1920 to 1932.{{Georgano-EncAuto3v}}{{Kimes-USCars3rd}}

History

File:Rauch & Lang 1920.jpgThe Rauch & Lang Carriage Company was incorporated in 1884, by Jacob Rauch and Charles E. J. Lang. Producing some of the best known and expensive carriages in Cleveland. The company entered the automotive business in 1903 by taking on the agency for the Buffalo Electric, and in 1905 offered an electric stanhope of its own manufacture.

= Electric Motor Cars =

50 stanhopes, coupes and depot wagons were built in the first year. In 1907 Rauch & Lang bought out the Hertner Electric Company who supplied Rauch & Lang motors and controllers; John H. Hertner became chief engineer for the Rauch & Lang automobile department. From 1907 the company made all parts of its car in its own factory.

Production increased annually, but In 1911 Rauch & Lang had endured being sued by the Baker Motor Vehicle Company for infringement of patent relating to the mounting of rear springs.

= Merger with Baker Electric =

With declining electric car sales nationwide, by 1915 the two firms decided to merge. The Baker R. & L. Company was the result, though the firm became more popularly known as Baker-Raulang as did the cars.

The Baker name continued only through 1916. Electric cars were available in several body styles, including some with four doors, which was unusual for an electric. A choice of front or back-seat steering was available.

The Owen Magnetic was produced in the Baker R & L Company plants from 1916 to 1919. During 1919 a total of 700 Rauch & Lang electrics were built and the company entered automobile coach-building as Raulang Body Division of the Baker R & L Company. Another department was set-up to produce electric industrial trucks.

= Chicopee Falls =

In January 1920, Ray S. Deering, the president of the Stevens-Duryea Company of Chicopee Falls. Massachusetts announced that he had bought out the electric passenger car business of Baker R & L which he reorganized as Rauch & Lang, Inc. A new factory built next to the Stevens-Duryea plant in Chicopee Falls was occupied by Rauch & Lang.

In 1922, Rauch & Lang, Inc. entered the taxicab field, with production of both electric and gasoline versions marketed under the initials of R & L. From 1923, taxicab production was the mainstay of the Rauch & Lang production. The electric taxi did not sell nearly as well, and the electric passenger cars were produced only in handfuls.

From 1924 Rauch & Lang, Inc. was in financial trouble. An extension of time was granted, and the firm struggled on for a while longer. Late in 1928 half of the Rauch & Lang factory was leased to Moth Aircraft Corporation, and passenger car production ceased later that year.

= Fate =

Shortly before the 1929 Wall Street crash, an experimental 60 hp gas-electric was built at Rauch & Lang in collaboration with General Electric engineers. It was sold to Colonel E. H. R. Green, son of multi-millionaire Hetty Green. The stock market crash later that fall precluded any possible plans of production, but the third hybrid built in 1930 is extant. The company continued sporadic production of taxicab and coachwork into 1932.

Gallery

File:Red Brougham Profile view.jpg|1890s Rauch & Lang Brougham

File:Rauch & Lang Carriage Company advertisement, Theatre magazine, Jan 1911.jpg|Rauch & Lang Carriage Company advertisement, Theatre magazine, Jan 1911

File:Rauch & Lang 1912-1914 (4).JPG|1912-1914 Rauch & Lang in a Salzburg Austria museum

File:The Rauch & Lang Carriage Company, May 1913.jpg|Rauch & Lang advertisement - American Homes & Gardens magazine May, 1913

File:1916 Rauch and Lang.jpg|1916 Rauch & Lang at Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum

File:1916 Owen Magnetic.jpg|1916 Owen Magnetic, coachwork and assembled by Baker R & L Co.

File:1922 Rauch and Lang Electric.jpg|1922 Rauch & Lang Electric

File:1930 Ruxton Model C Rauch & Lang Phaeton (3828638567).jpg|1930 Rauch & Lang coachwork - Ruxton Phaeton

=Other early electric vehicles=

References

External links

[https://www.conceptcarz.com/view/model/673/rauch-and-lang.aspx Rauch & Lang at ConceptCarz]
[http://www.coachbuilt.com/bui/b/baker_raulang/baker_raulang.htm Baker, Rauch & Lang at Coachbuilt.com]
[http://www.secondchancegarage.com/public4/rauch-and-lang-1.cfm Secondhandgarage.com: Rauch and Lang company history]
[http://ghostsofdc.org/2012/01/10/what-happened-to-the-electric-car-buy-a-rauch-lang-coupe-1909/ Ghostsofdc.org: What Happened to the Electric Car? Buy a Rauch & Lang Coupe (1909)]
{{HAER |survey=OH-11 |id=oh0117 |title=Cleveland Automobile Industry, Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, OH |data=34}}
{{HAER |survey=OH-11-B |id=oh0119 |title=Rauch & Lang Carriage Company, West Twenty-fifth Street & Monroe Avenue, Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, OH |photos=17 |data=17 |cap=1 |link=no}}

Category:Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of the United States

Category:Historic American Engineering Record in Ohio

Category:Electric vehicles introduced in the 20th century

Category:Motor vehicle manufacturers based in Ohio

Category:Manufacturing companies based in Cleveland

Category:Chicopee, Massachusetts

Category:Manufacturing companies based in Chicopee, Massachusetts

Category:Motor vehicle manufacturers based in Massachusetts

Category:American companies established in 1905

Category:Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1905

Category:Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 1920

Category:1905 establishments in Ohio