Edelbrock: Difference between revisions
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==Products== |
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'''Makes''': Edelbrock produces aftermarket parts for automobiles, [[pickup truck|trucks]], [[motorcycle]]s, [[all-terrain vehicles|ATVs]], and [[motorboat|boat]]s for many makes of [[vehicle]]s including [[Ford]], [[Chevrolet]], [[Chrysler]], [[Acura]], [[American Motors|AMC]], [[Buick]], [[Cadillac]], [[Dodge]], [[AMC Eagle|Eagle]], [[GMC (automobile)|GMC]], [[Harley-Davidson]], [[Honda]], [[Jeep]], [[Mercury (automobile)|Mercury]], [[Oldsmobile]], [[Pontiac]], [[Rover (car)|Rover]] and [[Toyota]]. For motorcycles and ATVs, Russell (acquired in 2000) manufactures parts for [[Arctic Cat]], [[ATK motorcycles|ATK]], [[Bombardier]], Honda, [[Kawasaki Heavy Industries|Kawasaki]], [[KTM]], [[Polaris Industries|Polaris]], [[Suzuki]] and [[Yamaha Motor Company|Yamaha]]. Additionally, Edelbrock also sells Speed Bleeders, for bleeding brake lines for [[BMW]], [[Fiat]], [[Infiniti]], [[Isuzu]], [[Lincoln (automobile)|Lincoln]], [[Mazda]], [[Mercedes-Benz]], [[Merkur]], [[Mitsubishi Motors| Mitsubishi]], [[Nissan|Nissan/Datsun]], [[Porsche]], [[Saab (automobile)|Saab]], [[Sterling (car)| Sterling]], [[Subaru]] and [[Volkswagen]]. Edelbrock also manufactures brake lines for [[Hummer]], [[Lexus]], [[Mini Cooper]], and [[Plymouth (automobile)|Plymouth]].<ref name="Edelbrock 2007 Catalog">[http://www.edelbrock.com/automotive_new/misc/company/auto_catalog.shtml 2008 Edelbrock automotive catalog]</ref> |
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'''Products''': [[air cleaner]]s, [[air-fuel meter]]s, [[camshaft]]s, [[carburetor]]s, [[clothing]], [[coil spring]]s, [[crate engine]]s, [[crossmember]]s, [[cylinder head]]s, [[data acquisition]], [[electronic fuel injection]], [[exhaust manifold]]s, [[exhaust system]]s, [[fuel filter]]s, [[fuel pump]]s, [[fuel rail]]s, [[gasket]]s, [[Gear|gear drives]], [[Manifold (automotive engineering)|intake manifold]]s, [[lifter|lifter kits]], [[muffler]]s, [[nitrous]], [[panhard rod]]s, [[piston]]s, [[planogram]]s, [[performance package|power packages]], [[pushrod]]s, [[shock absorber]]s, [[solenoid]]s, [[coil spring|springs]], [[strut bar|strut tower brace]]s, [[supercharger]]s, [[Suspension (vehicle)|suspension components]], [[switch]]es, [[throttle body|throttle bodies]], [[tie rod|tie rod sleeves]], [[roller chain|timing chains]], [[trailing arm]]s, [[turbocharger]]s, [[4-stroke cycle engine valves|valves]], [[rocker covers|valve covers]], [[valvetrain|valvetrain parts]] and [[pump|water pumps]].<ref name="Edelbrock 2007 Catalog"/> |
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'''Russell''' products: [[brake fluid]], [[brake|brake lines]], [[disc brake| brake rotors]], [[bung]]s, [[hose clamp|cushion clamps]], [[ferrule]]s, [[compression fittings|fitting]]s, [[fuel line]]s, [[hose (tubing)|hose]]s, [[o-ring]]s, [[pressure gauge]]s, [[brake bleeding|speed bleeders]], and [[washer (mechanical)|washers]].<ref name="Edelbrock 2007 Catalog"/> |
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==Timeline== |
==Timeline== |
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Revision as of 22:59, 6 November 2008
| File:Logo edelbrock.gif | |
| Company type | Private company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive aftermarket |
| Founded | Beverly Hills, California, USA (1938) |
| Founder | Victor Edelbrock, Sr. |
| Headquarters | Torrance, California |
Key people | Victor Edelbrock, Jr., CEO & President (1962-present) |
| Products | Automotive parts |
| Revenue |  $125.98 million USD (2004)[1] |
| $3.49 millions USD (2004)[1] | |
Number of employees | 722 (2004)[1] |
| Divisions | Automotive Motorcycle Russell fluid transfer Shock Absorbers Foundry |
| Website | www.edelbrock.com |
Edelbrock Corporation is a specialty performance automotive and motorcycle aftermarket parts manufacturer. The company has five locations: its headquarters and three more locations in Torrance, California, including a distribution center and museum, and its foundry in San Jacinto, California. The company was founded in 1938 by Vic Edelbrock.
The beginning
Vic Sr. was born in a small farming community near Wichita, Kansas in 1913. After the family grocery store burned down in 1927, Vic left school at the age of 14 to help support the family by ferrying Model T Fords from Wichita to the many outlying farms in the area. The frequent stops to replace parts that shook loose on the region's dirt roads made Vic an expert in impromptu repair work.[2][3] Soon after, he found work in a local repair shop, working as an auto mechanic.[4] When the Great Depression hit in 1931, Vic Edelbrock went to California to live with his brother. Initially, Vic moved in with his brother, Carl and took a job as an auto mechanic. In order to earn some extra money to open his own repair shop, Vic took an evening job in downtown Los Angeles parking cars at a large apartment complex. It was a chance encounter at this parking complex where Vic bumped into a 19-year-old Irish girl named Katherine (Katie) Collins, who was working as a day maid. Despite the fact that Katie was engaged, Vic managed managed to woo her away from the other bachelor; Vic and Katie married just eight weeks after meeting in 1933.[2]
At the young age of 22, he then teamed up with his new brother-in-law to open his first automobile repair shop on Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills.[3] Business flourished and in 1934 Vic moved into his own shop on the corner of Venice Blvd and Hoover in Los Angeles.[2] Business continued to grow rapidly and he moved his shop 3 more times in the 1930s.[5] In 1936, Vic and Katie gave birth to Vic Jr., their only child.[2]
The Slingshot
In 1938 Vic bought his first project car, a 1932 Ford Roadster.[6] Vic joined with Tommy Thickston to design a new intake manifold for the roadster's flathead engine. Unhappy with the performance of that, Vic designed his own manifold, nicknamed The Slingshot.[7] Most notably, the new manifold allowed two Stromberg 97 carburetors to be used, eliminating a bottleneck which limited horsepower for the engine.[8] The manifold was tested for quality at the Rosamond dry lakes(occupied today by Edwards Air Force Base), which was routinely a testing ground for Edelbrock and many other car clubs and racing associations.[3] After stripping off the fenders and hubcaps, Vic drove it in 7.41 seconds at a speed of 121.45 mph (195.45 km/h), achieving a national speed record in the flying quarter mile on 16 November 1941.[9][10] Originally, Vic had no intention of producing any additional manifolds, but the overwhelming response following his phenomenal speed in a 1932 Ford prompted Vic to make more. This was the first product commercially sold by Vic Edelbrock and marked the beginning of the company as it is known today. Edelbrock manufactured 100 of the Slingshot manifolds.[2]
The early years
During World War II, Vic's machinist skills were put to work welding in the Long Beach shipyards and hand fabricating aircraft parts. Due to a ban on auto racing from the Office of Defense Transportation, there was no racing during the war, but Vic secretly designed and developed a new line of products.[2] After the war, Victor Edelbrock, Sr., produced aluminum racing cylinder heads, in addition to manifolds, which quickly gained him notability among hot rodding hobbyists. Parts to increase an engine's performance were not readily available. So the racers built their own. Soon Vic found himself building pieces first for his friends and then for customers.[11]
To deal with the enormous amount of mail he was receiving, Vic created the company's first catalog, entitled 'Edelbrock Power and Speed Equipment' in 1946 with the help of Pete Petersen. This quickly hastened the transformation of the Edelbrock company from a repair garage into a performance parts manufacturer. Then, in 1947, Edelbrock produced the first cylinder heads for the Ford flathead.
One of the very first companies to use an engine dynamometer, Edelbrock moved to a 5,000 sq ft (460 m2). "purpose-built" shop in 1949 to develop more manifolds, cylinder heads and racing pistons. In the early 1950s, Edelbrock continued to dominate the dry lakes and expanded racing to the Bonneville Speedway.[2]
Racing fame
After the war, the CRA (California Roadster Association) was formed to run oval races with dual-purpose roadsters that could run lakes or track. It transformed through the years into what we know today as sprint cars.[12] In 1946, Edelbrock entered racing history in the field of midget car racing. Edelbrock's team toured the dirt track racing circuit of Southern California with Bobby Meeks tuning the cars and drivers such as Walt Faulkner, Perry Grimm, Cal Niday, Danny Oakes, Harry Stockman, Bill Vukovich, Rodger Ward and Bill Zaring.[13][14]
Another major claim to fame for Vic was when he beat all the Offenhauser-powered midget cars; this feat was particularly remarkable due to the fact that the Offenhausers had a great power advantage over all of the other motors.[15] Using a Kurtis Kraft V8-60 midget car powered by a secret blend of 20% nitromethane (disguised with the scent of orange oil),[9] Ward made history on August 10, 1950, when Edelbrock's -powered #27 car broke the winning streak of the "Offy"-equipped midget cars at the famed midget car racing venue Gilmore Stadium.[15] This was the only V8-60 to ever beat the Offys in the entire Gilmore 386-Race history.[16] Then the same car raced at the Orange Show Stadium in San Bernardino the following night and beat the Offenhauser cars again.[17] This feat was never duplicated in the history of midget racing.[11] Edelbrock wasn’t the only racer in the period to be experimenting with nitromethane; Joaquin Arnett and Tony Capanna were fooling around with it in their hot rods, as well. Edelbrock, however, is generally considered to be the man who pulled it all together and made it work.[18] Vic Edelbrock was elected to the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 2005.[15]
Chevrolet small-block engine
Up until 1955, Edelbrock only made parts for Ford, Mercury and Lincoln.[7] Few things affected the company (as well as the development of hot rod market) more than the development of the Gen I Chevrolet Small-Block engine in 1955. Its simple compact design launched a generation of innovations that stood the test of time.
Chevrolet delivered three 3 Gen I engines to Edelbrock for experimentation:
- An Engine to test on their dynamometer
- An engine for boat racing was prepared for boat builder Henry Lauterback and immediately set 2 world records in Miami, Florida [2]
- An engine to test multi-carb manifolds for magazine articles
In 1958, Vic Sr. managed an industry first by designing and achieving one horsepower-per-cubic-inch from a 283 cid small-block Chevy with his new Cross Ram Manifold. This breakthrough led Edelbrock to produce manifolds for Pontiac and Chrysler engines as well.[7]
A critical turning point in the company's history was the 1964 decision to build a small-block Chevy intake manifold for a 4-barrel carburetor. The C-4B manifold was developed with help from Bob Joehnck and opening the door to a whole new line of performance products. Competing with the factory was a risky proposition, but it turned out to be a beneficial one, as it launched the company into fast-forward.[19]
Growth
Victor Edelbrock, Sr., died in 1962, and was succeeded by his son Victor Edelbrock, Jr.[20] Vic Jr. graduated in 1958 with a degree in business from USC and took the role of President and Chief Executive Officer, a position that he still holds today (2008).[21]
Edelbrock joined SEMA (the Specialty Equipment Marketing Association) as a charter member in the 1960s, with Vic Jr. serving as president from 1971 to 1974. Vic was elected in a crucial time in the history of SEMA; Congress enacted the Clean Air Act in 1971 and established the Environmental Protection Agency, which targeted the air pollution caused by internal combustion engines.[2] Vic lead the entire aftermarket industry through its most difficult, turbulent and critical time period.[10]
When gas prices soared in the 1970s, Edelbrock produced a complete line of Streetmaster intake manifolds that improved mileage, as well as performance.[3]
In 1987, Edelbrock moved its facilities to its current location in Torrance, California, where it resides today. The five building corporate facility occupies over 400,000 square feet (37,000 m2).[6]
In 1990, Edelbrock built a new sand-cast aluminum foundry in San Jacinto, The 73,000-square-foot (6,800 m2) facility employed 75-100 workers and gave the company the ability to increase production according to market demands.[22]
In 1994, the Edelbrock corporation began selling shares of stock on the NASDAQ stock exchange and initially raised $21 million[23]
In 2000, Qwiksilver II was acquired and Edelbrock began marketing motorcycle products.[23]
In 2000, Russell Performance Plumbing, a company that manufactures fittings and hoses, was acquired by Edelbrock. The old company in Florida was relocated to Torrance by 2001.
According to the 2004 Edelbrock annual report, as of June 30 the company employed 722 persons, and achieved revenues of $125.98 million USD.[1] Since the company went private again, revenue findings have not been available to the general public.
Timeline
- 1913 - Vic Sr. is born
- 1927 - Family grocery store burns down
- 1931 - Vic Edelbrock moves to California
- 1933 - Vic marries Katie / Vic opens his first repair shop on Wilshire Blvd.
- 1934 - Vic moves into a new shop on Venice and Hoover in Los Angeles
- 1936 - Vic Edelbrock, Jr. is born
- 1938 - Vic buys a 1932 Ford Roadster and designs the first Edelbrock product: the Slingshot manifold
- 1941 - Sept 28 - Vic Edelbrock, Sr. sets land speed record in a V8 roadster
- 1941-45 - Vic contributes to the WWII war effort by fabricating parts in the Long Beach shipyard
- 1945 - Vic designs his first aluminum racing cylinder heads for flathead Fords
- 1946 - First Edelbrock catalog published
- 1948 - Vic purchases a Clayton engine dynamometer[4]
- 1950 - Edelbrock moves to its first purpose-built shop on Jefferson Blvd.
- 1951 - The first streamliner powered by a Flathead Ford to go over 200 mph (320 km/h) is the Edelbrock-equipped Bachelor-Xydias SoCal Special[24]
- 1958 - Vic Jr. Graduates USC / Edelbrock is the first to achieve one horsepower per cubic inch
- 1959 - Vic Jr. marries Nancy Crook[9]
- 1962 - Vic Edelbrock, Sr. dies of cancer at the age of 49
- 1966 - Edelbrock builds a race boat for astronauts Gus Grissom and Gordon Cooper
- 1968 - Edelbrock moves to El Segundo, California
- 1971-74 - Vic Edelbrock, Jr. serves as president of SEMA
- 1975 - Car Craft names Edelbrock as "Manufacturer of the Year"[11]
- 1987 - Edelbrock Moves to Torrance, California
- 1990 - Sand cast aluminum foundry is built in San Jacinto, California
- 1994 - Edelbrock goes public on the NASDAQ stock exchange[1]
- 1995 - Begins manufacturing Harley-Davidson motorcycle products
- 1998 - Edelbrock Corporate (including shock & exhaust) receives QS-9000 and ISO 9001:1994 certification
- 1999 - New distribution center opens, including Vic's Garage, a museum of his cars
- 2000 - Edelbrock acquires Russell Performance Plumbing
- 2001 - QS-9000 and ISO 9001:1994 certification is extended to the distribution center
- 2002 - QS-9000 and ISO 9001:1994 certification is extended to the Russell division
- 2003 - Vic Edelbrock Sr.'s historic original 1932 Ford Roadster is acquired and restored.
- 2004 - Edelbrock goes private
- 2005 - ISO 9001:2000 certification is achieved by all Edelbrock divisions and replaces the previous certifications of QS-9000 and ISO 9001:1994
- 2007 - The Edelbrock foundry begins construction of a new permanent mold facility
Notes and References
- ^ a b c d e SEC listing
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Madigan, Tom. Edelbrock: Made in USA, Tehabi Books, 2005.
- ^ a b c d Edelbrock Corporation annual report 1999, Edelbrock Corporation, 1999.
- ^ a b History at Edelbrock's official website
- ^ "Edelbrock Corporation - Company Profile, Information, Business Description, History, Background Information on Edelbrock Corporation". www.referenceforbusiness.com. Retrieved 2008-05-14.
- ^ a b Corvette Fever periodical, Retrieved June 26 2007
- ^ a b c Historic Route 66 article, Retrieved March 18 2008
- ^ Canadian Classics & Performance, January 2004
- ^ a b c Almquist, Ed. "Hot Rod Pioneers, The Creators of the Fastest Sport on Wheels", Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc., 2000.
- ^ a b All Chevy Magazine article, August 1988, Michael Lufty
- ^ a b c McFarland, Jim. "The Great Manifold Bolt-On!", Edelbrock Corporation, 1982.
- ^ Storer, Jay. "Speed Equipment History - Street Rodder Magazine". www.streetrodderweb.com. Retrieved 2008-05-14.
- ^ Anderson, Stephen K. "Historical Reunion: Repeating History Through a Car and a Great American Family". American Rodder magazine, May 2004. Retrieved 5 August 2008
- ^ Circle Track magazine article, December 1989, Tom Madigan
- ^ a b c Biography at the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame
- ^ Circle Track magazine article, January 1990
- ^ Rodger Ward article
- ^ DragTimes.com article on nitromethane
- ^ Berggren, Dick, Stock Car Racing article, March, 1998
- ^ "Vic Edelbrock Jr. To Be Honored", Street Rodder magazine, Retrieved June 26 2007
- ^ Vic Bio at Edelbrock website media center
- ^ SEMA News, 1990.
- ^ a b [1], FundingUniverse.com article, retrieved 4 August, 2008.
- ^ Oilstick.com NHRA museum article Groak, Bill, 2004.