1902 Grout Model K

William L. Gout of Orange, Massachusetts was in the sewing business, however, his sons (Carl, Fred, and C.B.) had other aspirations - the automobile. Williams helped his sons establish the Grout Brothers Automobile Company and their earliest car was an experimental steam car built in 1896. They made claims of having built the first automobile factory in the United States, but this was not the case.

During the late 1890s, the Grout Company experimented with gasoline-powered cars before settling on steam to power their 'New Home' Stanhope of 1900. A wagon, coupe, and delivery body styles followed a year later, all powered by steam. The examples produced in the United States were called the Grout, while the ones sent to Europe wore the name 'Weston.'

Gasoline-powered Grouts followed near the end of 1904 and from 1906 onwards, only four-cylinder gasoline automobiles were produced.

The business was prospering, albeit the gasoline-powered cars were not as profitable as the steam versions, however, the father (William) was dissatisfied with the way his sons conducted business. He attached a $200,000 levy on the factory in 1907 which the brothers stated was caused by his advanced age of 74, not by their business practices. A feud ensued and William took over the company and his sons left to find other means of employment. A short time later, William passed away and by 1909, the company was reorganized as the Grout Automobile Company. By September 1913, the plant had been sold at auction.

by Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2020