Huron is an American car company founded in Port Huron, Michigan in 1927, currently headquartered in Detriot, Michigan, with operations across North America and the world.
Background (Lore up to 1946):
The story of the Huron Motor Company as it currently stands begins with Henry Blackstone (1884), a mechanical engineer who had quickly risen the ranks at [insert large American cars company here] to run the [Marque] division, only to leave after conflicts over industrial management philosophy. He was shortly thereafter drafted by US Pace Bank to over see the restructuring of Osprey Tire and Auto and Kaufman Axel, two Michigan based auto parts manufacturers that had fallen into management by the bank.
By streamlining and consolidating the operations of the two company, moving out of tires all together, and moving from consumer focused markets to a business to business transactions with car makers. After bringing the combined companies back into the black, he led a group of investors to take control of the company, rechristened Blackstone Automotive. While growth was strong through the early 20s, ulitimately Blackstone saw himself as a car builder, shackled to a company with all the infrastructure but no product line. However he could never justify moving production from the successful autoparts business to the prototypes he had created. This began the search for a partner.
Blackstone settled on Port Huron Engine Works, a marine engine builder that had been producing cars under the Huron marque since 1908, the most recognizable brand of the small manufacturers that worked with BA. Six years later in 1927, Blackstone Automotive and Port Huron Engine Works merged, officially becoming the Huron motor company and putting into production the Huron 6, (Chrysler 6? Never heard of it), a strait 6 powered car that Americans could actually afford, that year. Huron grew rapidly over the next two years, until the depression hit in 1929. However, with a largely self contained production chain and a relatively small debt load, the contraction was relatively brief, and the company managed to begin growing again by 1934 and over the long slow recovery began acquiring the infrastructure of bankrupted niche auto companies, to the point where by the outbreak of war in 1941, Huron had the capacity to fulfill major engine and vehicle contracts for the military.
Flush with cash after years of operating at close to full capacity, factories ready to move back to civilian production, and a nation wide distribution network, Huron came into 1946 a real competitor to Americas largest car brands.
Planed brands:
Huron (1928-Present): Mass market cars and trucks
Blackstone (1949-Present): A luxury marque, previously Blackstone had been used as a luxury trim level with body and interior designs from Blackstone Auto’s coachworks made for Huron and others, became an independent marque with the introduction of the '49 Ganymede.
Echo (1979-Present): Compacts, Minivans, and budget mass market cars for developing markets
Founded initially in during the height of the malaise years as a way to market budget, fuel efficient compacts (think the Chevette) without damaging the Huron brand. The division took off domestically with the minivan craze, but has been slowly phased out in North America and is today the primary marque used for European market compacts and budget cars intended for developing markets.
First official lore model incoming shortly, watch this space