The Car That Iowa Built – Do You Know About Iowa’s Only Automotive Manufacturer?

Iowa is a top producer of a bunch of stuff.  Iowa is known as the food-producing capital of the world and produces one-fourteenth of the country’s food supply. The main agricultural products are corn, mmmm, corn, soybeans, hogs & cattle.   

Things started well in the beginning

The one thing Iowa hasn’t cornered the market on is automobiles.  It’s not for a lack of trying.  They gave it their all, or at least put one automotive foot forward back in the early 1900’s. The Colby Motor Company, based in Mason City, Iowa, was poised for success from the outset. With backing from local banks and a team of seasoned managers, they rolled out their first car in 1911.

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What Cars Did Colby Offer?

Colby offered seven different body styles, and intriguingly, the most traditional designs featured an underslung chassis. Equipped with a robust 40 hp engine on a lightweight frame, Colby quickly made a name for itself in the racing world, including the Elgin road races. Under the guidance of experienced Indianapolis driver Billy Pierce, the Colby "Red Devil" won several races before Pierce's tragic death later that year while racing the same car. Ooh, that's not good.  

Why didn't things work out?

The remainder of Colby Motor Company's history is marked by confusion and controversy, including allegations of financial misconduct involving a wealthy Iowan widow. I'm surprised to hear that.  Luckily that kind of thing doesn't happen anymore.  While it is claimed that around a thousand cars were produced, only one is known to have survived. Despite the company's brief existence, some of its former offices and staff contributed to other emerging auto manufacturers in Iowa, though none achieved significant success. After just three years, Colby went out of business, and its semi-racing roadster was only cataloged in 1912.