E-M-F Company
E-M-F manufactured automobiles from 1909 to 1912. The name E-M-F was from the initials of the three company founders: Barney Everitt (a custom auto-body builder), William Metzger (formerly of Cadillac Motor Car Company), and Walter Flanders (who was production manager at the Ford Motor Company located one block east on Piquette Avenue). This company was the third to occupy this space as two other companies - also run by William Metzger - were established here. Perhaps the building was cursed as the EMF predecessors, Northern Motor Car Company and Wayne Motors Company both failed.
After E-M-F vacated the premises, the land was bought by Studebaker which had other factories in Detroit. After Studebaker vacated the building, using it to assemble seats, trim and lights, it served as home to another destined-to-fail car company: The Knute Rockne Motor Car Company. Yes, that Knute Rockne. Still owned and operated by Studebaker, the Studebaker Rockne was a stylish roadster that fizzled after sales declined following the death of the famous Notre Dame coach in 1931.
Contrary to popular belief, Henry Ford neither invented the assembly line nor was the first automobile manufacturer to implement it. Walter Flanders started the moving assembly line in this factory while still working for Ford Motor Company. He attached a chassis to a rope which was slowly winched across the factory floor by an elevator motor. E-M-F vehicles suffered from poor design and were often in repair. The E-M-F 30 was sold with a guarantee that if it ever broke down, the company would fix it for free. That offer eventually bankrupted the company but not before Walter Flanders was able to build a huge estate in western Oakland County.
On a warm Monday evening of June 20, 2005, a spectacular fire of unknown origin razed the former EMF/ Northern/ Wayne and Studebaker factory buildings to rubble.
After E-M-F vacated the premises, the land was bought by Studebaker which had other factories in Detroit. After Studebaker vacated the building, using it to assemble seats, trim and lights, it served as home to another destined-to-fail car company: The Knute Rockne Motor Car Company. Yes, that Knute Rockne. Still owned and operated by Studebaker, the Studebaker Rockne was a stylish roadster that fizzled after sales declined following the death of the famous Notre Dame coach in 1931.
Contrary to popular belief, Henry Ford neither invented the assembly line nor was the first automobile manufacturer to implement it. Walter Flanders started the moving assembly line in this factory while still working for Ford Motor Company. He attached a chassis to a rope which was slowly winched across the factory floor by an elevator motor. E-M-F vehicles suffered from poor design and were often in repair. The E-M-F 30 was sold with a guarantee that if it ever broke down, the company would fix it for free. That offer eventually bankrupted the company but not before Walter Flanders was able to build a huge estate in western Oakland County.
On a warm Monday evening of June 20, 2005, a spectacular fire of unknown origin razed the former EMF/ Northern/ Wayne and Studebaker factory buildings to rubble.
