High School Student Questions About the History of the Buffalo Automobile Industry

Periodically I get requests from high school students working on history projects related to automotive history. Here is one recent example, with specifics centered on Buffalo, New York.

Here you go, Andrew!

1) Was the Buffalo automotive industry one of the core industries that brought Buffalo to its population peak in the mid fifties? 

Yes, undoubtedly so. Remember that the automotive industry pulls along steel, glass, petroleum and the rubber industries. Also there were a number of automotive suppliers in and around Buffalo and the Tonawanda engine plant.  Since Buffalo was closed to Niagara Falls, cheap electric power was a big reason why Buffalo prospered.

Buffalo's decline is in part the result of the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway.

2) Why did Henry Ford initially reject Buffalo, and go build his first factory in Detroit? I understand he eventually built the Fuhrmann plant, but why didn’t he build this earlier, when he visited buffalo in the first decade of the 1900s? 

Well, remember he grew up in Dearborn close to Detroit. Detroit was a Great Lakes port with easy access to iron ore and timber.  Lots of talent and auto industry around Detroit, especially the Olds works in Lansing and Buick in Flint.

3) What prevented any Buffalo-started automotive companies from succeeding over an extended period of time? The most well documented manufacturer, Pierce Arrow, was only in the auto business for 31 years prior to closing its doors.

Economies of scale. Buffalo manufacturers never reached assembly numbers to be competitive. Thomas had a great car, but only served a small market.

4) Is it plausible that automotive assembly (full vehicle, like ford in Dearborn, MI) will ever come back to the city? 

Perhaps, but as electric or autonomous vehicles. But, union labor always will give manufacturers a pause.

5) How has the automotive industry affected Buffalo’s economy throughout its presence in the city? 

Tremendously! Oil shocks in 1973 and 1979 and the resultant realignment of the industry played a big role in the city's decline. New York State's taxes and regulations and Bufflao's weather made sure new industries went elsewhere.