The Clinton Outboard has its roots in Clinton, Michigan. Clinton Machine
Company had been manufacturing gears for tank turrets during WW II.
After the war, owner Don Thomas saw a need and decided to manufacture a
line of small gasoline engine.
His company and sales grew rapidly. Toward the end of 1946, the company
employed over 1000 employees. And, by 1949 with soaring sales, they had
out-grown the plant in Michigan.
In 1950 Don Thomas purchased a factory in Maquoketa, Iowa.
This factory had manufactured huge industrial saws made by the Maquoketa
Company.
Up to 1954, Clinton Engines had manufactured single cylinder air cooled
engines, inboard engines and chain saws. Clinton introduced its first Outboard
motors in 1954. Through the years
the Clinton Outboards have been sold under many different brand names and
through many different sales outlets.
The Outboard Industry was changing in the early 60'sand Clinton needed
capital to modernize their plant. Mr. Thomas was unable to raise the capital
required and sold the company to "The Charnay Group of New York".
With the new management team in place, Clinton Engines floundered for
awhile with very little improvement.
During the company’s operation, it was one of the largest suppliers of these
engines. Although Clinton engines were
used principally on power lawn mowers, hundreds of original-equipment
manufacturers used Clinton engines on their power equipment.
Among the thousands of applications in
which Clinton engines played a vital role were garden tillers, paint sprayers,
post-hole augers, tractors, well-drilling equipment, rail-spike hammers,
sprayers, compressors, emergency generators, and many other areas for home,
industry, and agriculture. One of the
largest outlets for Clinton engines was the power lawn mower market — an
estimated two-thirds of the corporation’s engines went into this field.
In addition, Clinton also produced complete lines of chainsaws and air-cooled
outboards from 3 to 9.9 horsepower engines at the Maquoketa, Iowa, plant.
Clinton engines were sold and serviced
by more than 12,000 dealers in the United States and had 88 outlets
Clinton engines were sold and serviced by more than 62 Distributors, 845 Service
Distributors, 12,000 dealers, 800 OEM Accounts in the United States and 88
outlets in off shore countries.
An estimated two-thirds of Clinton’s 2 and 4 cycle engines went into the power
mower market.
In 1952, Clinton introduced its own line of chain saws.
The saws were used in agriculture, home
construction, and by utility companies for clearing land, landscaping, and
cutting timber and pulpwood.
In 1953, Clinton entered the export market. In later years, Clinton accounted
for one-third of all air-cooled engines sold under 10 horsepower overseas.
In 1957, Clinton introduced its own line of 5-horsepower air-cooled outboard
motors. Ideal for fishing, trolling and cruising, they could provide stand-by
auxiliary power for small and medium-sized sailboats, as well as for dinghies,
canoes, or any type of wood, fiberglass or aluminum craft.
In 1966, a 9.9-horsepower air-cooled
unit was added
In 1958 Clinton was given the title of “The World’s Largest Small Engine
Producer”.
During May of 1966 Clinton received the coveted “E” award for excellence in the
export arena from the President of the United States.
Clinton was the first engine
manufacturer to receive such award.
Looking for different type of engine power Clinton designed a Wankel engine
one/half the size of the 1600 Series Red Horse Engine in the early 1960s.
While 80 % of design criteria was met in
order to reduce high rpm and improve the engine torque calculations indicated a
speed reducer would be required. This in
turn created too heavy an engine so the project was canceled.
A display at the Clinton Engines Museum
contains blueprints and engineering sketches along with various engineering
mechanical calculations.
The Government decree in the 1950s to small engine manufacturers was that all
manufactured engines develop at least 95% of the decal horsepower after break
in. Power loss will decrease 3% for each
1,000 ft. above sea level, and 1% for each 10 degrees F. above the std.
temperature of 60 degrees F. Governors
to be set at 3,000 rpm. Production engines shipped not broken in must develop
85% of decal horsepower. A formula Clinton adhered too.
In 1960 Clinton along with the Clevelite Corp. developed a revolutionary new
ignition system, called “Dyna Spark” utilizing the Piezoelectric concept. This
was a fore runner of today’s solid state ignition systems, no points or
condenser. Clinton decided to put the
unit on the commercial engine Clint alloy 407 series.
Proto typing was done and the unit
performed to engineering standards. Last
minute cost increases to Clinton were not acceptable so the project was
canceled. 5 engines of the proto type run were not returned to Clinton.
Today there is only one known engine in
the hands of a collector
Congress in 1962 decreed that a device is needed on all rotary mowers that give
the operator the ability to stop the blade prior to hitting an object. The mower
industry lobbied and failed to defeat the measure at that point in time.
Clinton in 1963 introduced its version
of a “Touch “n Stop” that allowed to operator the requested option . Congress
had second thoughts and killed the idea and Clinton never produced this model
variation.
Clinton was the first in the industry to:
o
Mass produce vertical-shaft engines for rotary lawn mowers
o
Introduce an automotive-type oil pump in a 4-cycle engine and the “dry-type”
automotive air filter
o
Use shell-molded engines
o
Use a cast-iron liner, cast as an integral part of the cylinder block, in
lightweight aluminum engines
In 1966, "Clinton Engines" ran out of money and filed for bankruptcy. The
bankruptcy court approve sale of Clinton Engines to a Mr. Martin Hoffinger of "Lomart
Company". He down scaled
the Clinton operation and reopened in 1967.
They continued to manufacturing small engines.
By 1980 the chain saw and outboard divisions were sold off and
liquidated. The only portion
of Clinton that remained was the Clinton Engines Parts Department.