Fisher Body: История кузовного производства General Motors

Automobile coachbuilder and division of General Motors

Fisher Body was an automobile coachbuilder founded by the Fisher brothers in 1908 in Detroit, Michigan. In 1984, General Motors dissolved its Fisher Body Division — as part of its extensive North American restructuring. Eight parts making facilities from within the Fisher division were combined with the Guide division, which manufactured headlights and plastic parts, to form the Fisher Guide Division. Other plants formerly operated by Fisher were reorganized to become the Chevrolet Pontiac, GM of Canada and the Buick Oldsmobile Cadillac (BOC) group. The name and its iconic "Body by Fisher" logo were widely known, as General Motors vehicles each displayed a "Body by Fisher" emblem on their door sill plates until Fisher Body's demise.

In 1904 and 1905, the two eldest brothers, Fred and Charles, came to Detroit where their uncle Albert Fisher had established Standard Wagon Works during the latter part of the 1880s. The brothers found work at the C. R. Wilson Company, a manufacturer of horse drawn carriage bodies that was beginning to make bodies for automobile manufacturers. With financing from their uncle, on July 22, 1908, Fred and Charles Fisher established the Fisher Body Company. Their uncle soon wanted out, and the brothers obtained the needed funds from businessman Louis Mendelssohn who became a shareholder and director. Soon Charles and Fred Fisher brought their five younger brothers into the business. Prior to forming the company, Fred Fisher had built the first closed body coupe, the 1905 Cadillac Osceola at the C. R. Wilson Company. The Osceola was requested by Mr. Leland to determine the feasibility of a car body that was closed to the elements. It was built on the chassis of the 1905 Cadillac Model E. Starting in 1910, Fisher became the supplier of all closed bodies for Cadillac, Buick, Oakland and Oldsmobile. In the early years of the company, the Fisher Brothers had to develop new body designs because the "horseless carriage" bodies lacked the strength to withstand the vibration of the new motorcars. By 1913, the Fisher Body Company had the capacity to produce 100,000 cars per year and customers included: Ford, Krit, Chalmers, General Motors, and Studebaker. Highly successful, they expanded into Canada, establishing a plant in Walkerville, Ontario. By 1914 their operations had grown to become the world's largest manufacturer of auto bodies. One reason for their success was the development of interchangeable wooden body parts that did not require hand fitting, as was the case in the construction of carriages. This required the design of new precision woodworking tools. The Fisher Body and Buick chassis were built in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, in the 1920s.

From its beginning in the "horseless carriage shop" in Norwalk, Ohio, to its sale in 1919 and 1926 to General Motors, the Fisher Body Company was built by the Fisher brothers into one of the world's largest manufacturing companies. The company owned of timberland and used more wood, carpet, tacks, and thread than any other manufacturer in the world. It had more than 40 plants and employed more than 100,000 people, and pioneered many improvements in tooling and automobile design including closed all weather bodies. Fisher Body's contribution to the war effort in WWI and WWII included the production of airplanes and tanks. Alfred J. Fisher was Aircraft Director for Fisher Body. Fisher Body developed the unsuccessful Fisher P 75 Eagle heavy fighter.

On August 14, 1944, the Fisher brothers resigned from General Motors to devote their time to other interests, including the Fisher Building on West Grand Boulevard in Detroit. The brothers also mounted a bid to take over Hudson Motors, but their tender offer fell short of its market value and the effort was rejected by stockholders. On January 19, 1972, the last of the Fisher brothers died. The seven brothers donated millions of dollars to schools, churches, and other charitable causes and were active in directing those endeavors. The Fisher family has continued on in the automotive industry with Fisher Corporation (metal stamping), General Safety (seat belts), and Fisher Dynamics (seat mechanisms & structures), in the U. S., Mexico, China, and India. On July 22, 2008, Fisher Coachworks, LLC was launched with Gregory W. Fisher, grandson of Alfred J. Fisher, as CEO. The new company was developing a prototype of the GTB 40, a hybrid electric 40' transit bus developed by Autokinetics of Rochester Hills, Michigan, that uses Nitronic, a stainless steel alloy developed by AK Steel that allows the bus to be half the nominal weight of a standard transit bus and achieve twice the fuel economy. As of 2010, Fisher Coachworks, LLC went out of business after two years, producing only a single prototype bus. On March 3, 2011, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation received a check for $29,000 for all of Fisher CoachWorks’ remaining assets. Alfred J. Fisher Jr., an automotive safety pioneer and son of Fisher Body's Alfred J. Fisher Sr., died June 19, 2012.

+ Mansions in Detroit owned (at one time) by the Fisher family, by address Address Neighborhood Architect Year Area Brother Status 54 Arden Park BoulevardArden Park East BostonGeorge D. Mason191810,800 sq. ft. Frederick J. Private residence 670 West Boston BoulevardBoston EdisonGeorge D. Mason191518,000 sq. ft. Charles T. Private residence 1791 Wellesley DrivePalmer WoodsRichard H. Marr192520,000 sq. ft. William A. Fire in 1994; demolished 383 Lenox AvenueJefferson–ChalmersC. Howard Crane192822,000 sq. ft. Lawrence P. Bhaktivedanta Cultural Center 892 West Boston BoulevardBoston EdisonRichard H. Marr192310,000 sq. ft. Edward F. Private residence 1771 Balmoral DrivePalmer WoodsRichard H. Marr192620,000 sq. ft. Alfred J. Private residence