A Brief History of Hercules Engines
June/July 1988
Robert Booth, Jr.
6501 Ravenna Road Painesville, Ohio 44077
The Hercules Motors Corporation was organized in Canton, Ohio 73
years ago (1915) to supply highs-peed, lightweight gasoline engines
for the fast-growing transportation industry. These engines became
the standard power for the then-major independent truck
manufacturers.
Demand for the engines grew in other industries-farm machinery,
construction, oil-field equipment, generator sets, etc., brought
about by the dependability of the engines and the company's
ingenuity in designing and tailoring them to fit any
application.
In 1931 Hercules and its numerous well-known, manufacturing
customers recognized the need for high-speed, lightweight diesel or
compression-ignition engines, theretofore used only in stationary
and heavy marine application due to size and weight.
Hercules came through with a line of high-speed, lightweight
diesel engines. The new diesels paralleled Hercules line of
gasoline engines and could be used by its customers without radical
design changes in the equipment.
During World War II, Hercules recognized its responsibility to
supply the U.S. and Allied armed forces with infinitely more
engines than could then be produced. The company greatly increased
its capacity to 18,000 engines per month by building additions to
the existing plant, at its own expense, and providing the tools and
equipment to accompany the expansion.
The result: nearly 750,000 Hercules engines, representing 65
million horsepower, went to war in every conceivable type of
mechanized military equipment-tanks, armored cars, scout cars, tank
transporters, landing craft, picket boats, jeeps, amphibious
tractors, rescue craft, trucks for all purposes. Also war-related
equipment: power for generators, welders, agricultural,
construction and maintenance machinery needed to sustain the
greatly expanded economy.
Hercules pioneered again in 1956 with a new line of
interchangeable, overhead-valve gasoline and diesel engines with
three, four, and six cylinders. Identical cylinder blocks,
crankshafts, valves, connecting rods, gear covers, bell housings,
etc. were used for the companion gasoline and diesel engines.