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The Carmm Convertible Body Co. was a
short-lived firm formed
to exploit the patents of an Argentinian-born tailor turned inventor
named
Bazel Eli Carrm. Its officers were also involved in the Amco
automobile, an
assembled car manufactured by the American Holding Co. / American
Motors
Inc., (100
Broad St., New York, New York ) for export only between 1919 and
1922.
Other than the prototype, of which several
photographs
exist, it is unknown if any further examples were completed, although
the
design was reported to have been licensed for use on the Amco and Saxon
automobiles.
Surviving records spell his name several
different ways,
with Bazel E. Carrm being the most consistent (95% of the time). His
patents are all in that name as are most of his
directory listings.
However, one census lists him as Basil E. Carmm, the magazine
articles
announcing the debut of his convertible body, all state it was being
offered by the Carmm Convertible
Body Co. of New York City. All the magazine articles were clearly taken
from the same press release so a possibility exists that 'Carmm' was a
typo. Once the pictures were published it was too late to change it, so
the firm adopted the misspelled name as their moniker. We shall likley
never know.
Bazel Eli Carrm was born on January 1, 1881
in Buenos Aires,
Argentina (one source says Alexandria, Egypt). Apprenticed to a tailor
upon reaching his majority, he
emigrated to
the United States in 1902, according to US Census and immigration
records held
in Grayson County, Texas.
Carrm moved to Chicago, Illinois, marrying
Nellie Rankin (age
21) on October 31, 1904. The tailor moved to St. Louis, Missouri where
he
opened up his own shop, his listing in the 1909-1910 St Louis,
Missouri
directory being:
“Bazel E. Carrm, B.E. Carrm & Co.,
tailors, 1021 N.
Grand Ave. r.632 Union Blvd.”
He remained in St Louis into 1916 at which
time he applied
for his first US Patent:
Convertible
Trunk - US1285935 - Filed Jun 26, 1916
- Issued Nov 26, 1918 to Bazel E. Carrm, St Louis, Mo.
The patent didn't mention any automotive
uses for the trunk and within the year Carrm had relocated to Manhattan
where
he’s listed in the 1918
New York City Directory as follows:
“Basil E. Carrm, r. 301 W116th St.”
Shortly thereafter he also applied for
several more patents,
all relating to transformable automobile bodies, the first of which
was assigned to American Motors Inc., the manufacturer of the Amco
automobile:
Automobile Body - US1299426 - Filed Apr
20,
1917 - Issued
Apr 8, 1919 to Bazel E. Carrm assigned to American Motors Inc.
Convertible Automobile Body - US1405486 -
Filed Jan 4, 1918
- Issued Feb 7, 1922 to Bazel E. Carrm
Convertible Vehicle Body - US1426153 -
Filed Feb 26, 1918 -
Issued Aug 15, 1922 to Bazel E. Carrm
Carrm's WWI draft registration card, dated
Sept.
17, 1918 gives
the following information:
“Bazel E. Carmm, Inventor. Employer, Bazel
E. Carmm, 1926
Broadway, NYC, NY. Nearest relative, Helen
Carmm, 228 W
114 St, NY, NY.”
The formation of the Carmm Convertible Body
Co.
was announced to
the automotive trades via 4 photographs and a press release that were
sent out
in June of 1917, the first appearing in the June 9, 1917 issue of
Automobile Topics:
“CARMM CONVERTIBLE TWO BODIES IN ONE
“American Motors, Inc., to Market New
Body—Other
Manufacturers to Be. Licensed—Applicable to Any Chassis Built, Little
or Big.
“So varied are the demands made upon the
carrying capacity of
the average automobile that the owner rarely is quite satisfied with
the body,
whether it be of the roadster or touring type.
“However, everyone ought to be satisfied
with
the new type of
body that is to be placed on the market by the American Motors, Inc.,
New York,
for it is convertible from a two-passenger to a five or
seven-passenger. Not
only that, but it does not look in the least like a convertible body.
It has
the appearance of a true roadster, or of a true touring car, as the
case may
be, and when fully opened there is an abundance of room.
“Not only has the American Motors, Inc.,
made plans for the
production of bodies on a large scale, but it purposes to license
manufacturers
to produce bodies for their own chassis. It is stated that
the Carmm
convertible body can be adapted to any chassis now on the market,
from the
smallest to the largest, and that the cost of manufacture is no greater
than in
a single purpose body of equal quality. Carmm bodies, in sample form,
already
have attracted much interest in the streets of New York, and they are
expected
to appear in commercial form on 1918 cars.
“The Carmm body, named for its inventor,
who
is a native of
Buenos Aires, Argentina, though now an American citizen, is exceedingly
simple
in construction and, what is even more important, is simple in
operation. It
can be converted, either way, in about two minutes. -The forward part,
to the
back of the front seat, is of conventional construction. The conversion
is all
confined to the rear end. The rear doors, hinged at the front, swing
both
ways, in and out. The entire rear sear structure—seat proper and its
outside
bodywork—swings on trunnions at the forward lower edge. The
transformation is
so complete that the practical effect is to make two cars grow where
only one
grew before.”
The second appeared in the June 25, 1917
issue of The Automobile
Journal:
“Body Conversions For 1918
“American Motors Marketing Coach Which
Folds
and Unfolds as
Roadster or Touring Car
“Of the hundreds o£ body innovations
introduced in the past
few years, none has attracted the widespread attention that is being
claimed by
the new Carmm convertible body, which is being marketed by
the
American Motors, Inc., makers of the American Six.
“This body, an invention of a native of
Buenos Aires, can be
converted in two minutes time into either a neat runabout or roadster
type, or
a touring body with seating capacity for seven passengers. The
conversion is
simple and does not require any extraordinary apparatus or fixtures
that
distort the lines of the body, which is of the full stream line type,
and when
set in either type has nothing to distinguish it from the regular
bodies except
the individual steps in place of a running board.”
The third appeared in the June 1917 issue of
the Accessory and Garage
Journal:
“Roadster Within Touring Car
“Carmm Body, A Convertible Device,
Forerunner
of 1918 Vogue
in Automobile Coachwork
“The American Motors Inc makers of the
American Six will
market the new Carmm convertible body. This body invented by a native
of
Buenos
Aires of the name which it bears is convertible into either a roadster
five-passenger or seven-passenger body in a few minutes
“The convertible arrangement is all
confined
behind the front
seats, which are of standard design. When folded the car is a true
roadster
type and when opened up it has the appearance of a touring car.
“The makers claim that the construction is
so
safe and simple
that it can be manipulated by a child. it can be made to fit any
chassis from a
Ford to an extreme wheelbase. There is nothing odd about its
appearance, and,
when folded into the different sizes it affords the same comfort and
convenience for the occupants as standard bodies.
“When in roadster form a simple adjustment
releases the rear
end of the body so that it can be instantly dropped back, forming the
tonneau
for a five or seven-passenger body. The doors are folded compactly into
the
seats and can be opened either in or out.
“The American Motors, Inc., plans to
produce
the bodies on a
large scale, and it is also intended to grant the privilege to
manufacturers to
build under the Carmm patents.”
Several months later the announcement was
published in the October 1, 1917 issue of Motor West:
“Carmm Body Changes Roadster to Touring Car
“The Carmm convertible body will be
an optional
equipment on more than one leading car when next year's models are
placed on
the market. A change from a two-passenger roadster model to a five or
seven-passenger touring car in two minutes can be made in two minutes
with the
Carmm body, an operation which is easy for a child. The new body, of a
revolutionary type, is the invention of a native of Buenos Aires, named
Carmm,
who has become an American citizen, It is controlled by the American
Motors
Co., Inc., New York City. The body mechanically is fool-proof and has
not a
single intricate mechanical detail. Adjusted for two passengers, it
also
permits ample room in the tonneau for an extra passenger. A simple
adjustment
releases the rear end of the body, so it is dropped back, forming the
tonneau.
The doors fold compactly into the seats and can be opened in or out.
When the
body is used as a roadster the doors are enclosed with the two folding
seats in
the tonneau. There is no appearance of bulkiness when the body is
adjusted for
two passengers, although when opened for seven passengers it has a
surprising
amount of comfortable room in the tonneau. The Carmm
convertible body
can be built to fit any chassis from a Ford to the highest priced
models of
longest wheelbase. There is no freakishness in the lines of the body
adjusted
for two passengers or when converted into a capacious and comfortable
seven-passenger car. roomy enough to accommodate a whole family. Plans
have
been made by the American Motors. Inc., to produce the bodies on a
large scale
and orders have been placed by several manufacturers for deliveries in
time for
the first appearance of the 1918 cars. Privilege will also be granted
to
manufacturers to build under Carmm patents.”
The firm - exhibiting the the Carmm
Universal Auto Body - was listed as an upcoming exhibitor at the 1918
National Auto Show, which was held at New York's Grand Central
Palace. The also were listed as an exhibitor at the 1919 New York
Automobile Salon, the
February 2, 1919 edition of the Syracuse
Herald reporting:
“In the 69th Regiment Armory (Twenty
Sixth St &
Lexington Ave) are shown several Liberty Motors and a wide variety of
body
designs, the following companies exhibiting: Carmm Body Company, Blue
Ribbon
Body Company, Brooks-Ostruk Company and Holbrook Company.”
American Motors Inc. (unrelated to the
significantly later American Motors Corp.) a firm involved in the
export trade, annoucned in the January 15, 1918 issue of Motor West
that Saxon had purchased a license to use/manufacture the Carmm
convertible body:
“Takes Over Saxon Export.
“Saxon cars for the export trade will be
handled by the
American Motors, Inc., of New York City. Instead of operating under its
own
name the American Motors, Inc., will be known as the Saxon Motor Car
Corp.,
Export Department. J. J. Cavanaugh, formerly assistant export manager
at the Saxon,
will handle the factory detail of the export business. At the same time
that
the American Motors. Inc., took over the export end of the Saxon, it
sold to
the Saxon company a license to use the Carmm convertible body, the
first to be
granted.”
American Motors Inc.' also manufactured a
touring car designed for the export trade exclusively. The claimed to
have 41
foreign branches in Europe, and its designer,
D.M. Eller stated he expected to produce 7000 to 8000 automobiles
during 1920. Priced at $1400.00 f.o.b., the Amco was a four-door
5-passenger touring
car, its slogan being “The car for
any
clime or climb”. It was equipped with a 19.6 h.p. 4-cylinder
Herschell-Spillman 192.4 cu. in. engine and featured a
3-speed selective type transmission, 114 inch wheelbase, artillery type
wheels,
31 inch x 4 inch wheels, leather interior and a one man top. A 1920
press release stated:
“Amco is the name of a new American made
passenger car to be
made by the American Motors, Inc., for export trade only. In other
words, the
Amco is a foreign car made in America but sold abroad only. The car is
laid out
to meet European requirements entirely, having right-hand drive. The
car is to
be an assembled proposition made up of parts prominent in the
automotive world.
The wheelbase is 114 in. but the springs are exceptionally long for
such a
short car, 76 per cent of the wheelbase being spring underlaid. Since
the car
is to be sold in a foreign market special attention has been given the
design
of the cooling system and it is claimed by the company that cooling
surface is
ample to take care of strenuous service in tropical climate. The Amco
was
designed by D. M. Eller and was fitted with a British body and either
left or
right hand steering could be had.” Production was begun in
Norwalk, CT,
but soon
moved to Stamford after merging with the Springfield Motors and
Davenport
Foundry located there. It went out of production in 1922.”
Clark & Kimes state Amco:
“Production was begun in Norwalk, CT,
but soon
moved to Stamford after merging with the Springfield Motors and
Davenport
Foundry located there. It went out of production in 1922.”
Carrm was listed in the 1920 NYC Directory
as follows:
“Bazel Eli Carrm, v-pres., Am. Holding Co.,
128 W 114 St.”
According
to securities auctioneer R.M. Smythe & Co., the Carmm
Convertible
Body Company was later accused of fraudulently selling securities to
the public. They uncovered no evidence that it had ever manufactured
any cars or automobile bodies, stating the firm was“ordered to
cease
selling stock in July, 1923 by a court in Brooklyn, N.Y.”
Carrm applied for a fifth US patent in early
1925 while
still living in New York City. This patent was not automotive related,
being an
apparatus for displaying fruit or other objects in an attractive or
ornamental
form.
“Display Apparatus - US1595449 - Filed Jan
2, 1925 - Issued
Aug 10, 1926 to Bazel E. Carrm”
According to the 1930 US Census, Bazel Eli
Carrm was back in
Chicago with his wife Eva; son Alfredo (b.1909 in Missouri); and
daughter Helen
(b. 1911 Missouri). His occupation was inventor, own shop, immigrated
in 1901.
The last bit of information I could locate on Mr. Carrm was his 1942 Draft Registration Card, which places him in New York
City:
“Bazel Ela Carrm,b. Jan. 1, 1882 in
Alexandria, Egypt,
occupation inventor; 46 Charles St., NYC, NY”
© 2015 Mark
Theobald for Coachbuilt.com
Appendix One - Bazel E. Carrm US Patents:
Convertible Trunk - US1285935 - Filed Jun
26, 1916 - Issued Nov 26, 1918
to Bazel E. Carrm
Automobile Body - US1299426 - Filed Apr
20,
1917 - Issued
Apr 8, 1919 to Bazel E. Carrm assigned to American Motors Inc.
Convertible Automobile Body - US1405486 -
Filed Jan 4, 1918
- Issued Feb 7, 1922 to Bazel E. Carrm
Convertible Vehicle Body - US1426153 -
Filed Feb 26, 1918 -
Issued Aug 15, 1922 to Bazel E. Carrm
Display Apparatus - US1595449 - Filed Jan
2, 1925 - Issued
Aug 10, 1926 to Bazel E. Carrm
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