1923 Piedmont at the Virginia Museum of Transportation
The Piedmont was a vintage automobile made by the Piedmont Motor Car Company of Lynchburg, Virginia from 1917 to 1922.[1]
History
The Piedmont was produced in a variety of closed and open body styles and was powered by 4-cylinderLycoming and 6-cylinderContinental engines.[1] The company also made cars for other companies, such as the Alsace, Bush, Norwalk and Lone Star.[2]
These were Piedmonts, but fitted with badges, hubcaps and other identification of the company who ordered the cars.[1]
This badge engineering for other companies had a direct impact on the cars actually marketed and sold under the Piedmont name. With the outside orders taking priority, Piedmont dealers in Virginia were sometimes unable to provide a car for customers who placed an order, which gave the make a poor reputation, thus hindering further sales.[1]
In December 1920 the company attempted to increase publicity and sales by advertising in the Lynchburg News ten Model 4-30 and ten Model 6-40 cars for sale to residents of Lynchburg, Campbell, Bedford, Amherst and Appomattox only, with prices reduced by $500 for each car.[2] Sales manager George Hay also persuaded the Lynchburg Police Department to use Piedmont cars, as it would "look better for the company" if they did so.[2]
Closure
In anticipation of an ever-increasing flood of orders from outside producers, Piedmont had overstocked its inventory, which with the Depression of 1920-1921 led to the company going into receivership in October 1922.[2] There was over $225,000 worth of parts in stock.[2]
