Back in Time... "The Superfine Small Car"
A Short History of Lakewood's Automaker:
Templar Motors Company
Story by Mike Kezdi, LakewoodBuzz.com reporter

“By its performance in every part of the United States , and in many distant lands, Templar has proved that the best Europe offers in improved design and construction, can be - and is - successfully adapted to the demands of Americans for exceptional road-ability under all operating conditions.”  
-- from a Templar Motors Company sales brochure

The Cleveland area, in the early days of the automobile, was considered a hub of the industry. The Templar Motors Company was part of that hub and the only manufacturer that called Lakewood , Ohio its home.

A plot of land at Plover and Halstead Streets was home to the Templar’s Lakewood complex. It consisted of three frame buildings with a fireproof building added later. Today, the site is occupied by Lake Erie Screw Corporation at 13000 Athens Avenue.

Templar was formed in 1916, by a group of local investors looking to make a quality car in the European style.  They took the Templar name from a military religious order dating back 800 years, and used the order’s Maltese cross as their emblem.

Lakewood ’s automaker, unlike some of its competitors, designed and built its engines in-house. The Templar Vitalic Top-Valve motors were all 4-cylinder engines with a displacement of 197 cubic inches. According to a 1922 sales brochure, the small bore (3.375 inches) was necessary for moderate taxation and the long stroke (5.5 inches) gave the cars slow-running ability and more power for hills. The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) rated horsepower was 18.2 at 2,100 RPM.  According to Horseless Age, an early automobile magazine...

“It was a remarkable motor that inspired the Templar ideals and Enterprise .”

The wheelbase of all Templar models was 118 inches, or in current terms less than an inch longer than a 2005 BMW 7-Series. The cars had a curb weight of 2,750 pounds and a turning radius of 19.5 feet.

In their day, Templars were considered high-end vehicles and offered some unique features. The bodies were built entirely in-house out of aluminum, around a wood frame, to keep weight down and lines smooth. Templars were available in four colors, each the result of 27 coats of paint!

They could be ordered with a folding Kodak camera and a map compass tucked into their own compartment. All Templar models included an inspection light powered by the car’s battery, an oil pressure gauge and a complete tool kit with jack.

Templar’s “Open Car” (convertible) models featured the one-man operated “Neverleek Top” and cover with door opening side curtains. The automaker claimed that these features made its convertible almost as snug as the closed-top models.

The first car was completed and shown by Templar Chief Engineer A.M. Dean in July of 1917. The car debuted at all the major car shows of the time… including New York , Philadelphia , Boston and Cleveland .

Consumers paid nicely for Templar's innovative features and engineering.  Pricing was $1,985 for the 4- and 5-passenger touring models, $2,155 for the 4-passenger Victoria elite models, and $2,255 for the 2-passenger roadster.  By comparison, you could buy a Ford Model "T" for only $345 to $695.

Unfortunately, because of World War I, the Templar plant was converted almost entirely to making ammunition. Somehow, they managed to manufacture some cars, with a total output of 150 cars in the 1918 model year.

It was in 1918, that the company adopted the slogan “The Superfine Small Car.”  With Templar’s new marketing slogan came a price hike and a new 5-passenger sedan.  The most popular Templar model was the 2-passenger roadster, pictured here; it featured body-colored fenders, splash guards, plus an aluminum step in place of the usual running boards.

The 2-seater was also the most famous Templar.  E.G. “Cannonball” Baker, a world-renowned racer set some amazing speed records in a stock-car version of Templar's roadster he called the “Recruiter.” He drove from New York to Chicago in 26 hours and 50 minutes, besting a previous record by six hours and 10 minutes. His Templar traversed the distance of 992 miles, averaging a record-breaking 36.97 miles per hour!  In his Recruiter, Cannonball Baker broke more records in 1920, carrying United States Army messages from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and from Mexico to Canada .

In 1919, Templar raced to raise prices for all its models and constructed the fireproof building that still stands today. The building was to house the entire manufacturing process and the old frame buildings were used for warehousing finished cars and storage space.  With the new facility, production increased.

Amid problems with the Depression and difficulty getting parts from suppliers because of post-war problems, the company reorganized as Templar Motors Company Incorporated, with $10 million in authorized capitalization.  A financial statement showed the company had assets of more than $9,500,000 and liabilities of less than $750,000 and they paid out quarterly dividends.  There were now 106 sales and distribution centers in 32 states and 15 foreign countries. Production went up to 1,850 making Templar the sixth largest automaker in Cleveland and 15th in the United States outside of Detroit , the nation's already recognized “ Motor City .”

In late 1920, some Templar stockholders pursued a company and board takeover, alleging fraud, deceit and mismanagement.  After two meetings, on uneasy ground, the majority of Templar’s stockholders stayed the course with the existing management.

Unfortunately, from September 1920 to March 1921, sales only totaled 128 cars and the workforce was cut from 900 to 165, mostly Lakewoodites.  This wasn’t the only cutting that management had in mind to be competitive.

Instead of raising or holding prices, Templar opted to cut its car prices… $500 off on all open models and $600 on all closed models. Less than three months later, sticker prices on all models were cut again to encourage car buyers.

Then in December 1921, a fire broke out at the Lakewood complex.  Thirty near-complete cars and the wooden buildings were lost to the flames.  Templar’s estimated loss was $300,000.  Fortunately, the fireproofed building wasn’t damaged and it wasn’t long before production was up and running again.  But it wouldn’t be enough.

In early 1922, there was more controversy between stockholders and the management and Templar Motor Company Inc. had problems remaining solvent.  Production was down to eight cars a day in a plant that was capable of 25.  By October, the company was in financial ruins and declared bankruptcy.

A federal judge put the company into receivership, appointing T.L. Hausmann as the receiver, or custodian and manager, of Templar’s remaining assets and operations.  Hausmann was determined to turn the company around and reorganized it as the Templar Motor Car Company, at the same time introducing a brand new 6-cylinder engine.

The 6-cylinder models had 27.34 horsepower and sat on a longer 122-inch wheelbase. Prices for the more powerful and larger Templars ranged from $1,895 to $2,595.

But Hausmann had arrived on the scene too late to save the Lakewood 's only automaker.  In 1924, a Cleveland bank took over because of a defaulted loan, and the Ohio Securities Commission filed charges against the company.

In its 7-year history, the company built approximately 6,000 Templar automobiles, won world speed records, changed its name three times, lost three buildings, and had nine salesmen plead guilty to selling uncertified securities to investors.  Eventually about 20,000 local and other stockholders saw Templar Motor Car Company lose $6 million and go bankrupt, and watched its assets being sold off to pay back banks and other creditors.  All in spite of Templar producing the very popular “Superfine Small Car”... right here in Lakewood, Ohio.