We often are asked, “What does Dort stand for?” If you are not from the Genesee County area, you most likely would not know the answer to this question. The simple answer is, it’s the last name of Josiah Dallas Dort, an early pioneer in the automotive industry and creator of his own car company.
Dort Motor Car Company built luxury automobiles from 1915 until 1924. Their first models were sedans that were assembled in Flint. More than 9,000 cars were sold in the first year, and a second plant was opened in Windsor Ontario, to keep up with demand.
Because of their growing popularity, a roadster model was introduced in 1917 along with a larger five-seat sedan; a coupe model followed in 1918. These luxury cars were priced from $1,065 for a sedan, $815 for an open “convertible” model and the roadster at $695. The Dort vehicles were priced much higher than the Ford Model T, which was selling for $440 in 1917.
By 1920, production had peaked at 30,000. Because of high demand, Dort Motor Car Company designed two higher-end models named the Harvard and Yale in 1923. At that time, an expensive larger factory was built on the east side of Flint, however, the post-World War I recession caused the company financial difficulties. The company sought additional investors with no luck.
By 1924, Dort was exhausted from overwork and worry so he decided to retire and liquidate the company. The new factory was sold to AC Spark Plug, which is the original select employee group that formed our credit union in 1959. Unfortunately, Dort’s retirement ended unexpectedly when he passed away on May 17, 1924, as he was teeing off on the 18th hole of the historic Flint Golf Club.
