Vim Motors Were Made in Sandusky

The boat above, owned by Ed Hinkey and a Mr. Pfeil in 1911, was powered by a 35 horsepower motor manufactured by the Vim Motor Company. On the reverse side of this picture postcard is the owners' positive description of the Vim Motor and its performance.

An article in the April 12, 1907 issue of the Sandusky Register stated that the Vim Motor Manufacturing Company had recently been incorporated by C.P. Barber, W.L. Fiesinger, H.W. Parsons, Herman Kugel and E.C. Knopf. The business was established at the southeast corner of Hancock and Market Street, but by 1911 the company had re-located to the southwest corner of Water and Meigs Street, close to Battery Park. Eventually the company had a plant on the west end of Monroe Street, and a repair shop at 636 East Water Street. In 1911 the Vim Motor Company made nineteen different sizes of marine engines, ranging from 3 to 55 horsepower. “Put real Vim in your boat” was the slogan used in this 1916 advertisement which appeared in a Power Boating magazine in 1916:

By that time, the Vim Motor Company had branched out into farm engines as well as marine engines. This advertisement appeared in Popular Mechanics in January, 1916:

During World War I, the Vim Motor Company merged with the Sandusky Forge Company, and began manufacturing munitions for the war effort. After the war’s end, the company faltered, and went into receivership in 1920. In the 1950s, Ruby’s Fisheries was located at the site of the former Vim Motor Company, now the parking lot for the Erie County Senior Center.