Charles Brady King built his first car in Detroit in 1896. The original plan was to enter it in the November 1895
Chicago Times Herald auto race, but it was not completed in time. King finished it on March 6, 1896, and it became the first gasoline automobile to be successfully driven on the streets of Detroit.
Henry Ford reportedly followed behind on a bicycle on the maiden voyage of the King. The situation in 1896 Detroit was not nearly as pro-automobile as it would be a decade later. Discouraged, King dismantled his car and sold the chassis to
Byron Carter of future
Cartercar fame. King worked for various other car companies before creating another car in 1910 and establishing the
King Motor Car Company in February of the following year. The new King car incorporated a number of advanced features, such as a
Gray Motors engine cast en bloc,
cantilever springs,
left-hand drive, and a
centrally-located gearshift. Possibly its most advanced feature was its lubrication system in which the
flywheel served as a form of
oil pump. The first factory was rented and located at 1559 West Jefferson, but soon outgrew the space and moved into the former
Hupmobile plant at Jefferson and Concord in early 1912. Just a few months later, the firm was in
receivership, possibly from over-expansion. He put automobile executive J. G. Bayerline in the president position. Two years later there was a disagreement between the two men and Ward replaced Bayerline in the presidency of the company. In December 1914, a
V8 engine was introduced in the King, a scant two months after Cadillac announced its own V8-powered car. Starting in 1916, all Kings were 8-cylinder models. Early
4-cylinder cars were medium-priced at $1,350 in basic form, and for $1,565 when fully equipped with windshield, hood, and gas lamps. By 1914, even the V8-powered car was only $1,350, and was advertised as the "World's First Popular-Priced V8". By 1923, prices were $1,795–$2,550. == Production ==