Waltham Manufacturing Company

Waltham Manufacturing Company was founded by Waltham businessmen around engineer Charles Herman Metz (1863–1937). Metz encouraged two employees to build a steam car of their own in the company's premises, which led to the Waltham Steam. Metz imported French Aster engines, and secured the U.S. distributorship for De Dion-Bouton engines and imported this maker's tricycles and quadricycles. Using De Dion-Bouton patents, WMC started building their own Orient Autogo and Orient Autogo Quad in 1899.

An early investor in WMC, Charles A. Coffin (1844–1926), first president of General Electric, ordered an electric prototype in 1898, which didn't go into production. Metz experimented with engines mounted on bicycles. The evolving Orient Aster was one of the first U.S.-built motorcycles. Metz was assisted by famed French bicycle racer Albert Champion (1878–1927) who arrived in the U.S. around 1899, becoming one of the first professional motorbike racers. Metz is even claimed to have found the expression "motor cycle" for his new vehicle, first used in an 1899 advertisement. Further, engines of Metz' design were developed and produced.

WMC's first car was a motor buggy called the Orient Victoriette, followed by two runabouts in 1902 and 1903. About 400 of the earlier model were sold; the newer Orient Runabout No. 9 was not a success with about 50 examples built.

In 1902, Metz left the company, founding Metz Motorcycle Company and C.H. Metz Company in town soon after. Engineer Leonard B. Gaylor succeeded him at WMC. The same year, Gaylor introduced a very light model with friction drive, sold as the Orient Buckboard. It seated 2 passengers and sold for just $425 ({{Inflation|US|425|1902|fmt=eq}}), making it the lowest-priced automobile available. The vertically mounted air-cooled single-cylinder engine with 756 cc (Bore 82.55 mm = 3.25 inches, stroke 107.95 mm = 4.25 inches) {{cite web|url= https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015021264133&seq=234 |title= Orient Buckboard |date=1905-01-15|publisher= The book of the automobile (1905) |access-date=2025-04-07}}

, situated at the rear of the car, produced {{convert|4|hp|kW|abbr=on}}. The car had tiller steering, weighed {{convert|500|lb|kg}} and had a {{convert|100|mi|km|abbr=on}} range, though minimal springing and the complete lack of any bodywork made it less than practical for a long journey. In the next years, it was offered in several models (including a diminutive delivery car), got an improved suspension, steering wheel, two chains instead of one belt to transmit the power to the rear wheels, and an optional {{convert|8|hp|kW|abbr=on}} two cylinder engine. It remained in production until 1907.

Plant superintendent John Robbins left in 1904. He was replaced by Leo Melanowski who was also chief engineer.

More conventional cars came in 1905 with front-mounted, water cooled inline 4-cylinder engines of 16 or 20 hp (12 or 15 kW) and chain drive. They were made until 1908. These power-plants were of proprietary design and consisted of four single cylinders mounted on a common crankcase.

Melanowski left in 1906, his position taken by William H. Little. Little developed a small runabout with a {{convert|10|hp|abbr=on}} V-twin engine and friction drive. Shortly before production started in 1908, WMC got into financial trouble and to avoid bankruptcy, their bank negotiated with Charles Metz. In July 1908, the C.H. Metz Company bought WMC, making Metz owner of one of the largest automobile manufacturer in the U.S. Reorganizations followed in 1909 and 1910, when the C.H. Metz Co. and WMC together were reorganized as the Metz Company.

Little's small car became the Metz Two, sold by marketing in 14 batches and assembled by the customer. It worked, and the company was not only out of debt in less than a year but also sold its huge stock of parts.

• Waltham Orient Buckboard{{cite web|url= https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=chi.105712459&seq=117 |title= Waltham Orient Buckboard |date=1905-01-15|publisher= Hand book of automobiles (1905) |access-date=2025-03-08}}{{,}}{{cite web|url= https://www.europeana.eu/de/item/77/Kulturen_objekt_46211 |title= Waltham Orient Buckboard |date=1905-01-15|publisher= Kulturen |access-date=2025-05-03}}
• Waltham Model E{{cite web|url= https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=chi.105712459&seq=118 |title= Waltham Model E |date=1905-01-15|publisher= Hand book of automobiles (1905) |access-date=2025-03-08}}
• Waltham Model K{{cite web|url= https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015022474673&seq=209 |title= Waltham Model K |date=1906-01-15|publisher= Hand book of automobiles (1906) |access-date=2025-03-12}}
• Waltham Model L{{cite web|url= https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015022474673&seq=211 |title= Waltham Model L |date=1906-01-15|publisher= Hand book of automobiles (1906) |access-date=2025-03-12}}
• Waltham Model M{{cite web|url= https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015022474673&seq=210 |title= Waltham Model M |date=1906-01-15|publisher= Hand book of automobiles (1906) |access-date=2025-03-12}}
• Waltham Model N{{cite web|url= https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015022474673&seq=212 |title= Waltham Model N |date=1906-01-15|publisher= Hand book of automobiles (1906) |access-date=2025-03-12}}
• Waltham Model R{{cite web|url= https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015022474673&seq=213 |title= Waltham Model R |date=1906-01-15|publisher= Hand book of automobiles (1906) |access-date=2025-03-12}}
• Waltham Orient Light Touring Car{{cite web|url= https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=chi.105712459&seq=119 |title= Waltham Orient Light Touring Car|date=1905-01-15|publisher= Hand book of automobiles (1905) |access-date=2025-03-08}}
• Waltham De Luxe Touring Car {{cite web|url= https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=chi.105712459&seq=120 |title= Waltham De Luxe Touring Car |date=1905-01-15|publisher= Hand book of automobiles (1905) |access-date=2025-03-08}}
• Waltham Orient Limousine{{cite web|url= https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=chi.105712459&seq=121 |title= Waltham Orient Limousine|date=1905-01-15|publisher= Hand book of automobiles (1905) |access-date=2025-03-08}}
• Waltham Delivery{{cite web|url= https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015022474681&seq=140 |title= Waltham Delivery |date=1907-01-15|publisher= Hand book of automobiles (1907) |access-date=2025-03-15}}
• Waltham 178 C Parcel Car {{cite web|url= https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015022474699&seq=140 |title= Waltham 178 C Parcel Car |date=1908-01-15|publisher= Hand book of automobiles (1908) |access-date=2025-03-22}}
• Waltham 28 Runabout{{cite web|url= https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015022474699&seq=141 |title= Waltham 28 Runabout |date=1908-01-15|publisher= Hand book of automobiles (1908) |access-date=2025-03-22}}
• Waltham 138 Roadster{{cite web|url= https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015022474699&seq=142 |title= Waltham 138 Roadster |date=1908-01-15|publisher= Hand book of automobiles (1908) |access-date=2025-03-22}}
• Waltham 158 Family Tourer{{cite web|url= https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015022474699&seq=143 |title= Waltham 158 Family Tourer |date=1908-01-15|publisher= Hand book of automobiles (1908) |access-date=2025-03-22}}
• Waltham D.L.R. Runabout{{cite web|url= https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015022474699&seq=144 |title= Waltham D.L.R. Runabout |date=1908-01-15|publisher= Hand book of automobiles (1908) |access-date=2025-03-22}}
• Waltham 17{{cite web|url= https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015036836156&seq=251 |title= Waltham 17 |date=1909-01-15|publisher= Hand book of automobiles (1909) |access-date=2025-03-23}}
• Waltham White{{cite web|url= https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015022474723&seq=190 |title= Waltham White |date=1911-01-15|publisher= Hand book of automobiles (1911) |access-date=2025-04-05}}
• Waltham 1,5 t Truck{{cite web|url= https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015022474723&seq=195 |title= Waltham 1,5 t Truck |date=1911-01-15|publisher= Hand book of automobiles (1911) |access-date=2025-04-05}}
• Waltham 3 t Truck{{cite web|url= https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015022474723&seq=204 |title= Waltham 3 t Truck |date=1911-01-15|publisher= Hand book of automobiles (1911) |access-date=2025-04-05}}

• Brass Era car
• List of defunct United States automobile manufacturers

{{reflist}}

• {{Citation |publisher = N. W. Henley & co. |location = New York |author = Hiscox, Gardner Dexter |title = Horseless vehicles |date = 1900 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/stream/horselessvehicle00hiscrich#page/208/mode/2up |chapter=Waltham Manufacturing Co. |ol = 7244186M }}
• Beverly Rae Kimes: Pioneers, Engineers, and Scoundrels: The Dawn of the Automobile in America. editor SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) Permissions, Warrendale PA 2005, {{ISBN|0-7680-1431-X}} (hardcover)
• Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly (January, 1904)
• [http://crookedlakereview.com/articles/1_33/2may1988/2treichlerm.html The Great Orient Buckboard Race] by Martha Treichler
• [https://www.academia.edu/1059405/The_Metz_Company_of_Waltham academia.edu: The Metz Company of Waltham by Daniel U. Holbrook (1986)] (English) (retrieved, 20 January 2014)
• [http://www.historicwaltham.org/essays/perruzzi_essay.php historicwaltham.org: Essays / Isabella Perruzzi / Charles Metz]
• [http://www.trombinoscar.com/veterans/waltham0701.html trombinoscar.com: Waltham Orient Buckboard Model B.R. and history] (French)
• [https://archive.today/20130416030624/http://www.waltham-community.org/history.html waltham-community.org: History (timetable)]

• [http://www.proteanpaper.com//scart_results.cgi?comp=howiebik&framed=0&part=CatAntqBike-W-042&scat=1&scatord=desc&scatall=yes&skey=norm&srkeyall=&srkeywords=&srcateg=000000000000000253 proteanpaper.com: Union Cycle Company catalogue (1894)]
• [http://www.bicyclemuseum.com/?s=orient Picture of a Orient Chainless bicycle (1898); Bicycle Museum of America]
• [http://www.statnekov.com/motorcycles/lives1.html statnekov.com: Motorcycles Chapter 1 with a picture of the Orient Tandem Pacer motorcycle]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20120712183600/http://www.theworldofmotorcycles.com/vintage_motorcycle_marsh-metz.html motorcycles.com: Vintage Motorcycle Marsh-Metz]
• [http://www.motorcycle.com/how-to/motorcycle-history-part-2-90381.html motorcycle.com: Motorcycle history Part 2]
• [http://oldbike.wordpress.com/motorized-tandems/ oldbike.wordpress.com: Motorized Tandems]
• [http://pazhayathu.blogspot.ch/2010/10/early-motor-cycles.html pazhayathu.blogspot.ch: Early Motor-cycles]
• [http://www.conceptcarz.com/z21754/Orient-Autogo.aspx conceptcarz.com: Orient Autogo (1900)]

• [http://www.carfolio.com/specifications/models/car/?car=195030 carfolio.com: 1906 Waltham Orient Buckboard specifications]
• [http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z7393/Waltham-Orient.aspx conceptcarz.com: 1903 Waltham Orient Runabout Buckboard]
• [http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z7476/Waltham-Orient.aspx conceptcarz.com: 1906 Waltham Orient Runabout Buckboard]
• [http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z15773/Metz-Two.aspx conceptcarz.com: 1909 Metz Two / 12 HP]
• [http://www.carfolio.com/specifications/models/car/?car=260546 carfolio.com: 1910 Metz Two / 12 HP specifications]
• [http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/static/Misc%20Brochures/Autos%20of%201904%20Booklet/dirindex.html oldcarbrochures.com: Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly; "Automobiles of 1904" (January, 1904)] (see p. 11)

{{commons category|Waltham Manufacturing Company}}

Category:Brass Era vehicles

Category:Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of the United States

Category:Waltham, Massachusetts

Category:1893 establishments in Massachusetts

Category:Veteran vehicles

Category:1890s cars

Category:1900s cars

Category:Motorcycle builders

Category:Motor vehicle manufacturers based in Massachusetts