The Selden Motor Vehicle Company was established by George Selden in 1906. The company began to manufacture automobiles in 1907. Truck production began in 1913. Finding the truck market more favorable, the company ended the production of automobiles by the end of 1914. Selden produced nearly 4000 Liberty trucks during World War 1.
In 1919 the company was reorganized by merging with the independent Selden Truck Sales Company. This merger resulted in the Selden Truck Corporation.
The company produced trucks of 1 to 7 tons capacity. Selden trucks were used by some fire apparatus manufacturers including Buffalo and Hahn.
George Selden died in 1922 and the company was acquired by the Hahn Motor Truck Corporation in 1929.
Selden Patent[]
George Selden was a patent attorney and inventor. He designed a motorized buggy in 1877 and was awarded a patent for his "road engine" in 1895. Broad interpretation of the patent and aggressive enforcement allowed Selden to receive royalties from the manufacture of any automobile using a gasoline engine. In 1903 several small automakers led by Henry Ford refused to pay these royalties which resulted in a patent infringement case. The case went to trial, and Ford won the case on appeal in 1911 effectively voiding Selden's patent. The patent was set to expire in 1912, so the larger effects of the case were the changes to U.S. patent law that followed.
External link to additional information on the Selden Patent[]
Sources[]
- Georgano, G.N. Editor The Complete Encyclopedia of Commercial Vehicles. Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications, 1979.