HistoricSiteMarkers
Progressive & Modern Era

Holley Motor Company

Bradford, McKean County, Pennsylvania

Marker Inscription

The acclaimed performance carburetor maker began here in 1899. The innovative carburetor on George and Earl Holley's Motorette car gained the attention of Henry Ford. Soon specializing in this technology, they supplied Ford, and later the aircraft industry, and the US military.

Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission

The Story

In 1899, brothers George and Earl Holley began building engines and cars in Bradford, and the carburetor on their Motorette caught the eye of Henry Ford. Specializing in that technology, the Holley Motor Company became a leading supplier to Ford and, in time, to the aircraft industry and the U.S. military. The name endures today as a byword for high-performance carburetors.

Why it matters

Holley's carburetors helped power the rise of the American automobile and later took flight, linking a small Pennsylvania oil town to the century of the internal combustion engine.

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Related people

  • · George Holley
  • · Earl Holley
  • · Henry Ford

Themes & tags

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