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Delco-Remy Moments
in Time
Contained in this page are
either links to historical documents or photos that help tell the story of
Delco-Remy, especially in the early years of the company.
1901-1918
Various newspaper and magazine
articles. The 1917 article about the Remy Brothers starting a
tractor Factory in Kokomo is a mystery because a search of the Kokomo
Library newspaper files reveals nothing more. The 4 story building noted in the 1918
article is the start of Plant 1. Courtesy of Brian Mulcahy.
1903
This clipping is out of a 1903 Gas Engine
Magazine. Courtesy of Brian Mulcahy.
1909
This is the oldest Remy publication found to
date and is a series of photos of an early auto making a cross county
trip, which was quite an adventure at the time. This the first two
pages only. From February of 1909.
1909
Two Magazine Articles
1910 - Remy Electric Company Brochure
This gives an excellent and fascinating view
of operations fourteen years after the Remy Brothers started making
electrical parts. This is in PDF format and will take a little time
to load. But it is worth the wait.
1912
This is from the January issue of Automotive Industries and gives an
overview of the starting motor technology of the time, which was very
diverse.
1914 - The New Remy
Not all the pages are here January of this 1914
document.
It can be noted from this brochure that Remy's entry into the lighting
portion of the SLI Business (Start it, Light it, Ignite it) was for Steam
Locomotives, of which several locomotive headlights are displayed.
There are none for automobiles.
Total Employment:
1,500+
1918
This school was apparently used to train women
working at the facility. August 7, 1918. Note the overhead
drive belt system to power the machines which was standard for this time
period. Photo courtesy of Ted Vinson.
August 28, 1918. Looking south from the
90 foot construction tower being used to build the east west section of
Plant 1. The Madison County Orphanage would be in the trees and it
looks like a road can be seen that goes to it. Also one railroad
track is down and it looks like ties are in place to lay a second one.
Later the trees and the Orphan's Home would come down to make way for
Plants 2 and 4. Photo courtesy of Ted Vinson.
1919 - 48 Hour Week Schedule
1923
Total Employment: 3,672
1925 -
United Motors Catalog
A comparison of similar products manufactured
by GM Divisions Remy in Anderson, IN and Delco in Dayton, OH.
Circa 1924-26
From a Saturday Evening Post from the mid
1920s. Start it, Light it, Ignite it (SLI) was a slogan used
in the non-battery plants to describe the product line and its functions.
This slogan may have had its beginnings in the magazine advertisements
that were being run at the time. Back then one had newspapers and
magazines and some radio were the methods of mass communication.
Starting Motors, Lighting Generators, Ignition Systems
To see excellent examples of the
Starting Motors, Lighting Generators,
and Ignition Systems of this era go to the Auburn Cord Dusenberg Museum
Page.
Also in later years Delco-Remy/ GM/ Delphi
(I can not remember now when this came about) would be take on the slogan
" Exceed Customer Requirements". Remy Electric had figured out 60
years earlier one does more than meet customer requirements.
In this ad the Starting, Lighting and Ignition
is part of the message. At the bottom Klaxon Horns have been added.
This may have been after the purchase of the Klaxon business and the
company was trying to promote the horn. It did not stay as part of
the long term slogan.
1926 - Visiting Day
Four Pages. This may not be the complete
handout given at the Open House but it gives great insight into the
plants, products and employment in 1926. Courtesy of Ted Vinson
Total Employment: 4,497
1927 - Delco-Remy Plant Brochure
Total Employment:
10,082
1928 - Anderson
Daily Bulletin article confirming GM purchase date of Guide Corporation
1929 - Delco-Remy
Phone Book
Fourteen Pages. This phone reveals a Plant 3 in
Indianapolis and a Plant 7 in Anderson that was a box Plant. By
looking at the Department Directory one can look back to see what each
plant was producing in 1929. This Phone Directory is courtesy of Bob
Lashbrook.
1940 - First GM-UAW National Agreement
This is shows the cover of the first
Agreement along with the inside the back cover the results of the
election. Everett Vinson was Ted Vinson's father and it is his
handwriting that recorded the voting results. Note that the union
was identified as CIO rather than UAW. Photos courtesy of Ted Vinson
/ Madison County Historical Society.
1944
- Rochester Products Division Pre-War Product Line
Rochester Products had the same product lines
as several other GM component divisions.
1944
- Our War Job
76 Pages.
Total Employment: ~ 20,000 in 1944
1952 - Plant 11 Opens
The opening of Plant 11. From the
November 7, 1952 Clan.
December 17, 1965. The headline to
this issue of the Clan speaks volumes to what DR was.
1962 - Plant
18 Commemorative Booklet
There is no date on the booklet but it is assumed to be
1962 when Plant 18 opened.
1962 - Number of Parts manufactured (Does not
include purchased parts) in a day in Anderson
This is something Ted Vincent put together in
1962 to show how many parts DR manufactured in a day. He was
able to save this and it is now at the Madison County Historical Society.
At this time all DR manufacturing was with the exception of batteries was
in Anderson. Not included are the military products such as but not
limited to Missile Batteries that were being made in Plant 11.
1964 - Plant Six -
Regulators and Relays
Click on the image to learn about Plant 6 and regulator
manufacturing
1974 - Land and Buildings
Photos and layouts from this 1974
Plant Engineering Land and Building Manual can be found in the Plant Photo Pages
by plant number.
1977? - Facts for Plant 7 Open House
Note that this appears this was done after
1976 as it references the energy used in 1977. I was in Plant 7 in 1977
and early 1978 and do not remember a visiting day. From the
information above the column dimmer switch was still the predominant
method of dimming lights on a GM vehicle.
The tour route.
1978 - Drive I
The 1978 Delco-Remy Investigative Vehicle
(Drive I). This one of a kind electric vehicle was built up in
several weeks in response to a challenge General Manager Ed Czapor
received from his supervisor in a meeting in Detroit. The
Vice-President of the GM component divisions wondered why DR was not
working harder on electric cars. In response the Drive I was built
up on a Honda chassis that was purchased out of a local junk yard and
equipped with electric motor drive and batteries. The body was
constructed of wood made by the pattern makers in the Foundry. When
the the VP of GM component divisions arrived several weeks later at the
Anderson Airport (where this pho was taken) for a meeting he was greeted
by Mr. Czapor and the Drive I. Mr. Czapor then took the VP for a
ride up and down the taxi-way or runway, which was the only time it was
driven in public. Word was received several weeks later from Detroit
to scrap the Drive I.
Here is the only known piece left from the
Drive I. Courtesy of Ted Vinson / Madison County Historical
Society.
The Cross Section. Courtesy of Ted
Vinson / Madison County Historical Society.
1984- Delco-Remy
Your entry into the World of Automotive Electrical Systems
1984-
Innovation through Evolving Technology
1988
- Delco-Remy Manufacturing Plants
This is s table compiling information on DR manufacturing plant sales,
floor space and employment. Delco-Remy had $1.881 billion in sales
in 1988. If it had been a standalone company it would have been 189
on the Fortune 500 for the year.
Manufacturing Employment: 11,898
1995 - Land and Buildings
Photos and layouts from this 1995 Plant
Engineering Land and Building Manual can be found in the Plant Photo Pages
by plant number. While this was technically done after Delco-Remy
ceased to exist as a separate division, the plants were essentially the
same has they were in 1994. These photos and layouts therefore
capture the end
of DR.
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