Makes › Amherst › Amherst 40 (1911) · Prototype · Visionary project · 1911 Ultra Rare
Amherst
Amherst 40 (1911)
A Canadian 40 hp touring car that could be converted into a light truck, built in three examples by the Canadian Two-in-One Auto Co. of Amherstburg before the company closed and series production never began.
Still being researched: identification guide, full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 3 Built
- Years
- 1911
- Engine
- Not yet verified
- Power
- 29.8 kW / 40.6 PSFactory: 40 hp · converted
- Top speed
- Not yet verified
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Not yet verified
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- Not yet verified
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The Amherst 40 was the only car of the Canadian Two-in-One Auto Company, a short-lived venture backed by Detroit promoters and by the town of Amherstburg, Ontario. It was promoted as the first conventional-looking touring car that could be changed into a light truck. Only three cars were completed, so it is a small but well-documented episode of early Canadian motoring.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model productioncars completed (one prototype plus two more) before the company was wound up | 31 | Factory production | Independently researched |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
The company was formed late in 1911 by a group of Detroit promoters and some local Canadians, and the town took a major financial role in it. A prototype built from imported parts was close enough to completion by August to tow a broken-down vehicle almost 20 miles over rough roads back into town.
The finished 40 hp car was shown to the town on 24 August and was then shipped to the Canadian National Exhibition. In September the Detroit promoters were dropped for refusing to pay their share of the stock. Two more cars were completed before the company was forced into bankruptcy, and a local doctor drove one of them for several years.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard Amherst 40 (1911).
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | Not yet verified |
| Displacement | Not yet verified |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Power | 29.8 kW / 40.6 PSFactory: 40 hp · converted2Nominal rating quoted as '40 h.p. vehicle'. |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Gears | Not yet verified |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Not yet verified |
| Rear suspension | Not yet verified |
| Brakes | Not yet verified |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Not yet verified |
| Wheelbase | Not yet verified |
| Length | Not yet verified |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | Not yet verified |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
Canadian Two-in-One Auto Co., Amherstburg (Windsor Public Library, local industry history) Level C
- 3 cars completed (one prototype plus two more) before the company was wound up
-
2
Canadian Two-in-One Auto Co., Amherstburg, 1912-1914 Level C Windsor Public Library (archived page)
- the completed 40 h.p. vehicle was displayed
Keep exploring
More from Amherst
This is the only Amherst documented so far.

