Page 6 - Champion Get the Facts booklets

Champion - A History

Like so many of the most famous names in the automotive world,
2 the history of the Champion Spark Plug company stretches back

to the very earliest days of the industry.

1860 The first sparking plug
is patented

1890 The first-ever known mention of a spark plug is recorded in a
1907 patent for an internal combustion engine made by the Belgian
1909 engineer, Jean Lenoir.

Commercial motor car
production begins

Thirty years later, Benz started the world's first ever commercial
production of motor cars; however, cars were still, more-or-less,
being individually hand-built from components and put together
to order until 1913 when Henry Ford revolutionised mass
production methods with his moving conveyor-belt to bring
components to the assembly line.

The Stranahans set up in
Boston, Massachusetts

Much of the innovation in automotive technology was pioneered
in Europe which meant America had to import many components,
which is exactly what the brothers, Robert and Frank Stranahan,
began doing in their home town of Boston.

The Champion brand name
is founded

The poor quality of imported spark plugs prompted Robert to
design their own, which the brothers manufactured and marketed
as the Champion X. Contrary to popular opinion, the name was
chosen well before the Stranahans employed one Albert
Champion as a salesman. When he left to set up his own spark
plug company, because the Champion name was already taken,
he had to use his initials - AC.