Dorchester Illustration 2705 The Dorchester Automobile
The Dorchester model automobile was short-lived, apparently only available in 1906. It was produced by the Crest Manufacturing Company, which had purchased the car dealership, Hub Automobile Exchange at 191 Freeport St., Dorchester. This address was on the west side of Freeport Street at the corner of Beach Street.
The only information found was today’s illustration, from an issue of the “Cycle and Automobile Trade Journal,” 1906, and an article on Wikipedia written in German.
The text was translated using an online translation program.
“The company was based in Dorchester, Massachusetts. It initially operated as a car dealer. In 1906, the plant was purchased by the defunct Crest Manufacturing Company. Automobile production began in 1906 based on the Crestmobile. The brand name was initially Dorchester. Sales were poor. A better model followed in 1907, which was now marketed as the Hub. It was presented at the Boston Automobile Show in early 1907. Vehicle production ended in the same year. It is not known when the company was dissolved.
“The only model was a stripped-down version of the Crestmobile. An air-cooled single-cylinder engine with 4 hp powered the rear axle via a chain. It was mounted without a panel above the front axle and directly in front of the dashboard. Steering was done with a steering lever, which was long outdated in 1906. The only structure was a light two-seat runabout. The curb weight was around 181 kg.
“This model still had a single-cylinder engine. It was also air-cooled and located under a hood. The engine power of 10 hp was transmitted to the rear axle via a planetary gear and a cardan shaft.”
The fact that the Hub Automobile Exchange continued to advertise in later years leads me to wonder if Hub purchased the defunct Crest Manufacturing Company instead of the other way around, as stated in the translation of the Wikipedia entry.