The Flint was an automobile marque that was assembled by the Flint Motors Division, Flint, Michigan

Flint, Michigan

Flint is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Genesee County which lies in the...

 between 1923 and 1927. Flint Motors was a wholly owned subsidiary of Durant Motors

Durant Motors

Durant Motors Inc. was established in 1921 by former General Motors CEO William "Billy" Durant following his termination by the GM board of directors and the New York bankers that financed GM.-Corporate relationships:...

 Company (USA).

Assembly

The Flint was considered an assembled car because Durant Motors used components manufactured by outside suppliers to build its automobile lines. The cars were powered by a 6 cylinder Continental engine

Continental Motors Company

Continental Motors Company was an American engine and automobile manufacturer. The company produced engines for various independent manufacturers of automobiles, tractors, and stationary equipment from the 1900s through the 1960s. Continental Motors also produced Continental-branded automobiles in...

, and its body stampings were made by Budd in Philadelphia.

Design origin

The origins of the Flint can be traced back to the Willys

Willys

Willys was the brand name used by Willys-Overland Motors, an American automobile company best known for its design and production of military Jeeps and civilian versions during the 20th century.-Early History:In 1908, John Willys bought the Overland Automotive Division of Standard Wheel Company...

 car company, which had been working on a prototype

Prototype

A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...

 for a proposed 6-cylinder car. Willys had to sell off this prototype as part of its efforts to raise cash during a financial crisis. Once acquired, this prototype was further modified to create the Flint.

Company demise

Following financial troubles at Durant Motors, the Flint was discontinued in 1927. The Flint was priced to compete with Buick

Buick

Buick is a premium brand of General Motors . Buick models are sold in the United States, Canada, Mexico, China, Taiwan, and Israel, with China being its largest market. Buick holds the distinction as the oldest active American make...

, which was also assembled in Flint, Michigan.

Flint Automobile Company

Automobiles produced by Flint should not be confused with those manufactured by the Flint Automobile Company, founded by A. B. C. Hardy in 1901, and which went out of business in 1903 after manufacturing only 52 automobiles in the $750–$850 price range.