ACF-Brill

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Formed in 1899, the American Car & Foundry Company was one of the numerous ‘trusts’ formed at the turn of the century - in effect an association that shored up its members through economies of scale by combining their supply, manufacturing, sales and marketing into one cohesive unit. At the time of its formation American Car and Foundry Company (or the ‘Car Trust’ as it was popularly known) owned no factories or inventory, and was solely a holding company that controlled the majority of the capital stock of the firms in which it was associated. Its goal was to control the manufacture of railroad rolling stock by eliminating their competition through association, friendly acquisition, hostile takeover, or putting them out of business.

As the sales of interurbans and streetcars started to decline in the early 1920s ACF's directors became interested in acquiring stock in the motor coach manufacturing industry. They joined together with one of their chief competitors, the J.G. Brill Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in a scheme to acquire control of the Hall-Scott Motor Car Co. and the Fageol companies of California and Ohio in order to obtain an integrated bus manufacturing business.

Subject ID: 70991

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Formed in 1899, the American Car & Foundry Company was one of the numerous ‘trusts’ formed at the turn of the century - in effect an association that shored up its members through economies of scale by combining their supply, manufacturing, sales and marketing into one cohesive unit. At the time of its formation American Car and Foundry Company (or the ‘Car Trust’ as it was popularly known) owned no factories or inventory, and was solely a holding company that controlled the majority of the capital stock of the firms in which it was associated. Its goal was to control the manufacture of railroad rolling stock by eliminating their competition through association, friendly acquisition, hostile takeover, or putting them out of business.

As the sales of interurbans and streetcars started to decline in the early 1920s ACF's directors became interested in acquiring stock in the motor coach manufacturing industry. They joined together with one of their chief competitors, the J.G. Brill Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in a scheme to acquire control of the Hall-Scott Motor Car Co. and the Fageol companies of California and Ohio in order to obtain an integrated bus manufacturing business.

A plan was consummated whereby American Car & Foundry and Brill would combine their assets and put a deal together where they would control both Hall-Scott and the California and Ohio branches of Fageol. The complex transaction would result in the end of Brill’s autonomy but Curwen believed the resulting scheme was not only in the Brill Company’s best interest, but was in the best interests of its stockholders as well.

Subject ID: 70991

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Subject ID: 70991