Pierce D. Schenck of Dayton established the
Speedwell Motor Car Company with a $50,000 capitalization. He hired Gilbert J. Loomis, who had built Loomis cars in
Massachusetts, as Chief engineer. From 1909, the Speedwell's base price was $2,500, . Advertising stated "It would be folly to pay more," and “It would be unwise to pay less." The Speedwell was a well built car with a dedication to detail. Speedwell was among the earliest companies to market a
torpedo and the only one to use concealed door hinges and place the horn under the hood. The one-chassis policy did not prevent the company from offering Speedwells in several body styles, including some evocatively called Cruiser, Duck Boat and Speed Car. From 1910, Speedwell was manufacturing light and heavy duty delivery
trucks as well. Most of the 4,000 Speedwells built during the lifetime of the company were sold from 1909 to mid-1912. In 1911, Speedwell built a closed two-door, dubbed a
sedan, which was the first recorded use of the term. After Pierce Schenck turned his interest to malleable iron and Gilbert Loomis left Dayton, In 1913, however, Mead was killed in an automobile accident, leaving others, less familiar with the engine, to try to attend to the need for refinements to is design. ==Production models==