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The Anchor Buggy was a short-lived United States automobile manufacturer; the high wheeler was manufactured by the Anchor Buggy and Carriage Company in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, in 1910 and 1911.

An 1890 advertisement for the Anchor Buggy Company featured an optical illusion; when viewed one way the image looked like a young woman, when viewed another way the image looked like an old woman.

(Unrelated to Samuel Levinson’s Anchor Buggy and Carriage Company, Inc. founded in 1958, a manufacturer of miniature replicas who licensed the trade name from the estate)

The Anchor Buggy Co. was founded in 1886 by Alfred F Klausmeyer (Oct. 18, 1860-d. Mar. 28, 1927) and Anthony G. Brunsman (b. May 6, 1866-d. Mar. 16, 1911) - two former employees of Cincinnati’s Anderson, Harris & Co. (aka Anderson & Harris Carriage Co.).

Alfred Frederick Klausmeyer was born on October 18, 1860 in Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio, the youngest child of two German immigrants: William and Emilie (Strobel) Klausmeyer. His father was a well-known Cincinnati piano dealer and instructor and to the blessed union was born 5 children; Emma (b. Aug. 30,1855); Oscar (b.Jul. 3, 1856); Alfred (b. Oct. 18, 1860); Emelia (b. 1862); and William (b. Sep. 28, 1863) Klausmeyer.

Alfred attended the Cincinnati public schools and embarked upon a career as a bookkeeper with Anderson, Harris & Co. a well-known Cincinnati vehicle constructor founded by James R. Anderson and Henry A. Harris and located at the corner of Liberty & Baymiller Sts., Cincinnati. Anderson, Harris & Co.’s stock-keeper, Anthony G. Brunsman, would soon become his business partner.

Anthony G. Brunsman was born on May 6, 1866 in Cincinnati Hamilton County, Ohio to Anthony and Mary E. (Campbell) Brunsman. Siblings included Katie (b. 1861), Frederick (b. 1871), Edward (b.1875), Genvieve (aka Geneva b.1876), Walter J. (b.1880), and Joseph A. Brunsman.

The firm’s early history is undocumented, but they eventually developed a local reputation for building sturdy, lightweight, yet reasonably-priced buggies. The 1887 Cincinnati directory states the firm’s first factory was located at 245 Freeman Ave., Cincinnati; Alfred F. Klausmeyer was listed as president; Anthony G. Brunsman, secretary-treasurer.

By 1890 Cincinnati was the center of US Buggy manufacturing, with more than 60 companies engaged in some aspect of the carriage trade, albeit turning out complete carriages, bodies-in-the-white or vehicle parts. Located in Southwest Cincinnati in what is now called Lower Price Hill, Anchor eventually became one of its largest. Edward and Walter J. Brunsman (Anthony’s younger brothers) joined the firm during the 1890s, and later became active in its management.

Klausmeyer married Carolene Stokes (b. Jul. 10, 1865-d. Sep. 6, 1933) on November 21, 1889 and to the blessed union was born a son, Oscar Alfred Klausmeyer. Brunsman married Harriett Gentry (b. Mar. 1870) in 1892. She passed away sometime after the 1900 US Census and he remarried in 1904 to Caroline Banning, daughter of the late Colonel J. M. Banning, who served in the Federal army during the Civil war.

A number of Cincinnati manufacturers went out of business during the panic of 1893 (Standard Wagon Co., Emerson & Fisher, T.T. Haydock & Co. and Hiram W. Davis & Co.) but Klausmeyer’s financial acumen helped Anchor survive the turmoil.

An 1892 issue of Modern Mechanism described a new fifth wheel recently introudced by the firm:

“The Anchor Buggy Co., of Cincinnati, has successfully applied a new principle in fifth wheels and attachments, both to double and single perch vehicles. The gear is known to the trade as the ‘patent anchor fifth wheel and king-bolt.’ Its chief features are a full-circle top and bottom wheel, with the kingbolt forming a part of five different attachments bolted together in rear of the axle by a double-head bolt, so that all wear can be taken up. Should any part break, this gear will not drop the body by the pulling apart of the front wheels and axle from the spring-bearing; but it is claimed that four breakages must occur before the body can drop sufficiently to endanger the occupant of the vehicle.”

They were amongst the first buggy manufacturers to operate a production line and were also credited with being the first to paint and varnish wheels using centrifugal force. Up until that time carriages were built by a single craftsman of in larger firms by a group of craftsmen under the direction of a journeyman. Anchor established a production line where the vehicles travelled from one station to another, each employee completing the same job on each carriage, after which it passed to the next worker who completed an entirely different task.

Business increased exponentially throughout the 1890s and at its peak (1897) Anchor manufactured 125 buggies, surreys and phaetons a day. By that time an associated firm, the Lion Buggy Company, manufactured an additional 90 vehicles per day – the two firms constructing a combined 25,000 vehicles during their banner year of 1897. Shortly after the formation of Lion Buggy, Anchor established a satellite factory in the southwest Cincinnati suburb of Storrs to help meet demand, although information on the facility is scarce.

Lion had been formed in the mid-1890s by Henry R. Liebman and Edward Brunsman (Anthony’s brother) to handle the increased demand for buggies and carriages. Its listing in the 1899 Cincinnati directory follows:

“Lion Buggy Co. (Henry R. Liebman & Edward Brunsman) Wholesale Carriage Manufacturers for the Trade, W. 8th and C.H. & D.R.R.; Telephone 7117.”

The firm’s Manhattan export office did a brisk trade in the Caribbean and South and Central America, although the bulk of the firm’s business was in the mid-west.

In the late 1890s Anchor constructed an oversized buggy that helped advertise the firm’s buggies at various fair and expositions across the mid-west. The ‘Largest Buggy Ever Built’ was exactly twice the size of a standard buggy and featured massive 80” (82”?) front and 88” (90”?) rear wheels. The 15-foot high buggy also made the rounds of Anchor Buggy dealers who insured that the event was well publicized by the local press. A typical visit was included in the January 4, 1901 issue of the Des Moines Daily News:

“BIGGEST BUGGY IN TOWN.

“Top of Vehicle Fifteen Feet High With Eight Foot Wheels, On Street.

“The largest top buggy ever seen in Des Moines is being shown the streets daily. It was made by the Anchor Buggy company of Cincinnati and is to be taken from here to Omaha for exhibition. The wheels of the rig are ninety, and eighty-two inches and it is fifteen feet high.”

Little is knonw about Anchor's subsidiary save fro the following item in the April 1904 issue of Carriage Monthly:

“The Lion Buggy Co.

“The Lion Buggy Co., Cincinnati, Ohio, were originally established in 1896, and subsequently incorporated in 1902. Their capacity is 25,000 vehicles annually. The officers are A. G. Brunsman. president; H. H. Goodall, vice-president.”

By the end of the decade plans were being made for the manufacture of an Anchor automobile, the project progressing to the point where the firm was formally incorporated as a stock company, the October 27, 1910 American Machinist reporting:

“Anchor Buggy Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, has been incorporated to manufacture and sell vehicles of every description, including motor cars. Incorporators. Anthony G. Brunsman, Alfred F. Klausmeyer. Earle M. Galbraith, W.J. Brunsman and O.E. Schroth. Capital, $400,000.”

Anchor constructed a reported 50 demonstrators which were shown to and driven by the firm’s leading distributors in late 1910/early 1911. Photographs and a prospectus of the attractive $1,850 35 h.p. 4-cylinder touring car were sent out to several hundred Anchor Buggy vendors and a reported 5,000 orders were received.

Plans for the automobile were put on hold in mid-March after one of the firm’s two principals passed away unexpectedly, the April 1911 issue of The Hub reporting:

“ANTHONY G. BRUNSMAN.

“The quite unanticipated demise of Mr. Brunsman, president of the Anchor Buggy Company, on March 16, at his home in Cincinnati will be a great shock to his hosts of friends. Literally hosts of friends, as there was no man in the vehicle building industry so widely popular.

“Mr. Brunsman had been for some time a semi-invalid, but it was nothing that rest and abstinence from business could not mend, it was thought, and even very shortly before his demise he was up and about the house, acting more like one in a sanatorium than in the invalid state, hence, as said, the end came with the unexpectedness of a shock.

“Mr. Brunsman was in his prime, being only forty-five. He had fought the business fight, won out handsomely and was preparing to enjoy the fruits of victory. He had been a strenuous worker from the day he organized the Anchor Buggy Company in 1886.

“His business career had all the monotony of success, it might be written, which is the best testimony to 'his ability. With it all he was public spirited and broad-gauged to the highest limit. He loved his native city which had afforded him the stage for his life's action, and he was ever full of sympathy for every broad movement of his trade.

“As president of the Carriage Builders' National Association, and as president of the local Carriage Makers' Club he was distinguished among his business associates. He was also prominent in social matters, being a member of the Business Men's, Queen City, Avondale and Hamilton County Golf Clubs, and was affiliated with the Elks.

“Mr. Brunsman is survived by a widow, two brothers. W.J. Brunsman, and two sisters, Miss Genevieve Brunsman and Mrs. A. Schnitter.”

Cincinnati bankers got cold feet after the loss of Brunsman, and series production of the Anchor Automobile was shelved and the demonstrators liquidated through Anchor’s New York distributor, Herbert G. Woodrough, 256 Broadway, Room 610.

The October 21, 1911 issue of Implement Age provided a preview of the firm’s upcoming exhibit at the Tri-State Vehicle and Implement Dealers' Association annual convention:

“The Anchor Buggy Company

“Located at the corner of the C. H. & D. R. E., Eighth and Gest streets, will be found by the visitor to the Tri-State Show who desires to inspect the leading carriage factories of Cincinnati the plant of the Anchor “Buggy Company, one of Cincinnati's large wholesale carriage manufacturing concerns. The business was founded in 1887 by A. Klausmeyer and A. G. Brunsman, who are still at the helm in the company's affairs. Incorporated in 1910, the business of this concern has grown with the growth of the carriage industry in Cincinnati, and it is now in the forefront of the business in this carriage-making center.

“In capacity, the producing capabilities of the Anchor Buggy Company rank very favorably with those of the leading manufacturers in similar lines in the United States, being about forty-five thousand vehicles per annum. The plant covers almost two acres and the factory is one of the largest in the Queen City, if not the largest. It requires two large factory buildings to produce the vehicles sold annually, and a force of three hundred and fifty men is employed in the plant. In all respects this plant is a model one, the cut herewith printed showing its general character and extent.

“Light pleasure vehicles are the main output of the Anchor Buggy Company. These are made in all styles and varieties, and adapted to the needs of the general public. Members of the Tri-State Vehicle and Implement Dealers' Association, and others who may be in attendance at the Cincinnati Exposition, will see a very fine exhibit of vehicles made by this concern, and those who wish to visit the factory will have the opportunity of seeing just how these vehicles are made, and of forming an idea of the carp that is taken in order that the product of the plant may reach the highest point of excellence in both material and construction.

“A very handsome catalogue is issued by this company, which will be gladly sent to dealers upon application. The company's trade extends from coast to coast, a large export trade being also carried on.”

The October 1911 edition of the Hub included the following tribute given by J.F. Taylor at the annual convention of the CBNA (Carriage Builder’s National Association):

“Mr. J.F. Taylor: It has devolved on me to endeavor to express regrets for the departure of our friend Anthony G. Brunsman. I speak of a man who was known to every member of the association, respected by all, loved by many, and loved most by those who knew him best.

“‘I had known Mr. Brunsman for twenty years. Some of you remember him thirty years ago. You knew him in his youth, when as a lad he worked for Anderson, Harris & Co., in Cincinnati, Ohio, sweeping out the office and building the fire; a few years thereafter, when he had gathered together a small capital, and without much experience, stepped forth in the great arena of life to contend for trade and success; at a time when such prominent firms as The Standard Wagon Co., Emerson & Fisher, T. T. Haydock & Co. and Hiram W. Davis & Co., were the prominent factors in the line. During the panic period of 1893. all these went down in the storm, but our friend's enterprise weathered the storm and sailed on into smoother waters. He established a business that was known from the Atlantic to the Pacific; and at the time of his death he stood as one of the representative carriage manufacturers of the United States, known in all our country, whose trade reached into foreign lands. He was indeed a success, and it can be said of him that he was not only a success in a business way but in all the noble qualities which go to make up a manly life.

“‘In the height of his success, when his sun was at its zenith, everything seemed to him ready for the enjoyment of the harvest from the seed he had sown—he had built himself one of the finest residences in Cincinnati, and was now ready, as he told me one day, just before he changed from a partnership to a corporation—to retire from active management of his business affairs, he says, ‘I want to close this up and get away. I have worked hard and worked long, and I want to travel and go to Europe,’ and just as he was getting ready to enjoy life the sudden call came and he passed into the Great Beyond. We have our great men—men who remain whom we honor, and we wish they could remain with us many years more, and the longer they stay with us, the dearer they become; I think it was some such sad event as this, which caused the poet to write those words: ‘The good die first, and those whose hearts are dry as summer dust burn to the socket.’

“‘I would honor the genius of a man like Anthony G. Brunsman down among men, simple in all his ways, even when he had gained a fortune; the same plain fellow, ready with his hand-shake, always gentle and kind, with a smile upon his face, even while his vitality was being preyed upon by an insidious disease. Unselfish and loving, he sowed the seeds of kindness; high-minded; and of generous spirit; a delicate sense of honor, truthful and faithful to all trusts and duties; doing bravely and cheerfully day by day, those things which fell to his hands; submitting to the sorrows of life because of his belief in a wisdom above his own.

“‘There come moments when some intimate experience is confided to us and then in the pause of talk we become aware that we are in the presence of a human soul behind the familiar face of our friend, and that we are on holy ground. One day in New York, one Sunday evening, as we passed along the street above Forty-second, we heard music, and as we stopped we looked up and saw a church, and we walked in and for a half an hour we listened to the grandest music than it has been my pleasure to hear. As we came out of the church there was a feeling in his heart and in mine that made us open in our communications, and wc talked of things then that we had never talked of before, he spoke of dark nights that he had passed through. He spoke of the deep waters that he had crossed.

“‘It showed me there was a depth to his nature like the depth of the ocean, and underneath it all there was a place where the storm of life came not, which made me think of the caves beneath the ocean. In the ocean are caves deep and silent and lone, while above roll the waves, beneath these are none.’

“‘Gentlemen, in conclusion I would further say in respect to his memory, let it remain with us as an incentive for more earnest efforts and nobler life, and as he sleeps in his last resting place "may the grass be green above him, the friend of our bygone days. None knew thee but to love thee; none named thee but to praise.’”

Anchor’s new president, Earl M. Galbraith, provided the following review of the firm’s activities during the preceding year in the January 1912 issue of The Hub:

“Looking Backward Looking Forward Trade Opinions and Forecasts by Vehicle Builders of Distinction Men Who Feel the Pulse and Diagnose With Skill

“An Eminently Satisfactory Year

“E.M. Galbraith Anchor Buggy Co., Cincinnati, O. When we glance over the past year we are compelled to smile as we think of the predictions for an unusually poor business in the vehicle line made prior to the opening of the season. It is true that after the first of May the volume of orders was not as great as in the year previous but the year taken as a whole was we believe an eminently satisfactory one to those manufacturers who are conducting their business along business lines. As for the future this we believe depends entirely upon seasonable weather. An early winter and good roads in March and April would make the coming year one of the best that we have ever experienced. A late winter and an overabundance of rain and snow in March and April would make the season a backward and undoubtedly a discouraging one to both the dealers and the manufacturers. First orders for shipment in January and February are now on file to a number to insure the full operation of our plant for those months. We also feel that we are not over stating conditions when we say that the carriage trade manufacturer and dealer will enjoy a business as large in proportion as does the manufacturer or dealer in any other line.”

Galbraith made an appearance on the CNBA convention which was covered in the November 1913 issue of Carriage Monthly:

“President Hull: This magnificent address will be responded to by Mr. E.M. Galbraith, president of the Anchor Buggy Company, Cincinnati.

“Mr. Galbraith:

“Your Honor, Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen. We sincerely appreciate this most cordial invitation extended us on behalf of the great city of St Louis. When we remember that it is but one hundred and ten years since the ground on which we are standing was purchased by our Government from a foreign power and today we see this wonderful city with her beautiful bridges and buildings boulevards and parks we realize that her founders and those who came after them were possessed of the wonderful spirit of progress which is typical of these United States. So I say we appreciate this your welcome I esteem it a great honor to represent the Carriage Builders National Association for this industry has played a vital part in the development of the civilization in which we glory. In the day when the railroad train was a dream of the future and the steamboat a phantom of the imagination the Conestoga wagon and the prairie schooner were dragging the paths for the future commerce of the nation.

“Carriage building is a man's job. In a peculiar sense carriage building is an assembling industry. Metals from the mines, wood from the forests, leather cloth and a hundred other things must be brought together and the iron worker, and the wood worker, and the tanner, and the draftsman, the upholsterer, and the painter must mold them into the finished product. The world is our market and we are an important link in the economic changes. While we have not reached that state of perfection of the wonderful One Hoss Shay of sacred memory, progress is always our watchword and as long as Dan Cupid smiles upon us, the manufacture of buggies will not perish from the earth. We are glad that you are glad, Mr. Mayor, that we are here and we trust that you will be equally sorry to see us depart. I thank you.”

Anchor's lsiting in the 1915 Cincinnati directory follows:

“Alfred F. Klausmeyer, president; Earl M. Galbraith, vice-president and treasurer; W.J. Brunsman, Secretary, Buggy Manufacturers, C.H. & D. Ry. B. 8th and Gest; Telephone West 2188.”

Shortly thereafter, Alfred’s son, Oscar Alfred Klausmeyer (b. November 22, 1890-d. May 11, 1969), joined the firm, eventually becoming its secretary.

As their carriage business floundered, Anchor turend to the manufactur of  automobile windshields and enclsoed tops for roadsters and touring cars, the November 10, 1916 issue of The Automobile Journal announced the firm's latest offerings for Ford and Oakland automobiles:

“The Anchor Buggy Company, Cincinnati, O., makes the Anchor sedan glass enclosed top for Ford touring cars and the Anchor coupe glass enclosed top for the two rear doors, equipped with improved anti-rattling attachments, are furnished for $5 extra. For similar equipment in both front and rear doors, which is called the Anchor sedan (style C), the price is $87. The price of the Anchor coupe for Ford roadsters is $62.50 without ventilating windows and $67.50 with. Additional equipment may be had for both types, including a frosted dome electric light wired complete to attach to batteries for $5; storm curtains made of water proofed rubber, with mica lights, to be used when side windows and doors are taken out, $10; storm curtains for runabout top, $7.50.

“Top for Oakland 32.

“The Anchor glass enclosed top for a regular Oakland 32 body is a regular coach construction of pressed steel and wood, with solid deck roof, covered with water proof upholstering material. The doors and top of car open together and the hardware throughout is of neat design. Whipcord lining is used on the interior of the top, which is also equipped with electric dome light. The price of this type is $125. For the same model Oakland roadster Anchor tops are made of similar design and material at a price of $100. All prices are f. o. b. Cincinnati.”

The Anchor Top for Fords was pictured in theDecember 1916 issue of The American Chauffeur with the following caption:

“A neat sedan top for Ford touring cars is being placed on the market by The Anchor Buggy Company, Cincinnati, Ohio. It is made of pressed steel and wood, with large windows in the sides and a large oval window in the rear, which are set in in a way so as to cause no rattle or squeak. The roof is a solid deck panel, padded and covered with waterproof material. The doors open wide, giving easy entrance and exit. The inside of the top is lined with whipcord cloth. The front posts are made of polished wood. For warm weather driving, the side panels can be detached.

“The Anchor Buggy Company will send further particulars to the readers of The AMERICAN CHAUFFEUR who write for same.”

The same picture appeared in the January 15, 1917 issue of the Horseless Age:

“Anchor Sedan Tops

“The Anchor Buggy Co., Cincinnati, Ohio, manufacture glass enclosed tops for Ford cars. The side panels are so constructed that by removing a few bolts, they can be easily detached, making an open top for warm weather use. If preferred, the entire top can be demounted without marring the upholstery or finish of the car. The price of this top is $77.50. The weight of the complete top is 150 pounds or about 75 pounds more than regular Ford top.”

Anchor's new Buick Tops were introduced in the Feb. 15, 1917 issue of the Horseless Age:

“Anchor Glass Enclosed Tops

“The Anchor Buggy Co., Cincinnati, Ohio, Demountable glass enclosed tops for D 44 and D 45 Buick cars. Side panels are so constructed that windows may be easily detached, side curtains can be furnished and tops are constructed of pressed steel and wood. Doors in top and body open as one and dome lights are furnished. The top fits on the regular body irons, the outside is covered with weatherproof material and interior is lined with light whipcord cloth.”

The November 1917 issue of Automobile Dealer and Repairer revelaed the firm was now offering tops for Oakland automobiles:

“The Anchor Top & Body Co., 541 south Street, Cincinnati, O. is offering a complete line of the Anchor glass enclosed tops. These are made in both the sedan and coupe latest styles, as well as for standard makes of cars, such as the Overland model 85-B four and six, the Country Club model 90, Buick models D-34, D-35, D-44, D-45 and E-45. Tops are made for the Oakland models 32, 34 and 50. The tops fit on the regular body irons, have no overhang and are stated not to rattle or squeak. The windows are of bevel glass, of the drop and ventilating type, and the doors open as one. The interiors are attractively lined with light whipcord cloth and each is equipped with dome electric light. The finish outside is high grade in every respect. The Anchor tops are shipped completely set up, and it is claimed that they can be readily installed on any car for which they are designed. The prices vary from $62.50 to $165, according to the car and model.”

Withint the year the firm added Oldsmobile and Overland to its list of custom-made tops, the October 3, 1918 issue of Motor Age reporting:

“Anchor Body Tops

“A transformation from an open car into a sedan or coupe is effected through the installation of Anchor tops which are made by the Anchor Top & Body Co., Cincinnati, Ohio. These tops are made of pressed steel and wood with large glass windows rigidly set in the sides and back. Water-proof upholstering material covers the roof, which is of solid deck panel, heavily padded. The front posts of the top are made of highly polished wood and fit snugly around the windshield. The doors correspond exactly with the doors of the car or model for which the top is designed, whether it is Ford, Overland, Oakland, Oldsmobile or Buick. The interior is finished in whipcord and every top includes a dome light. Thirty years of experience in fine carriage making preceded the perfection of these tops.”

Within the month aline for Dodge Bros. automobiles became availaible, the December 5, 1918 issue of Motor Age reporting:

“The Anchor Top & Body Co., Cincinnati, Ohio, manufactures demountable glass-inclosed tops for Buick, Overland, Oakland, Ford, Dodge Brothers and Oldsmobile cars. Prices range from $77.50 to $250. Tops are installed by both consumers and dealers, and the average length of time required for installing is 4 or 5 hr. The tops are so arranged that doors open with regular body doors, except on Fords, and are equipped with ventilating windows on all four doors. An electric dome light is furnished on all models except the Ford. Anchor tops are made of hard wood, reinforced with pressed steel, and a rigid deck is covered with a weatherproof material while the sides including window and door sections are highly finished wood. The windows are arranged so that the upper or outer panes slide in felt channels. Special. fasteners hold this glass in any position. Installation is easily made, as the top comes ready to be replaced on the car body. The top irons to which the regular extension top is attached are used as the foundation for Anchor tops. Each iron is marked where it is to be used and how it is to be fastened.”

The August 1919 issue of Automobile Dealer and Repairer revelaed that Anchor was now building complete limousine and landaulette bodies for the Ford Model T:

“The New Anchor Limousine and Landaulet Bodies for the Ford. Not the least of the successful phases of last Winter's automobile show was the many valuable ideas which exhibitors obtained and have since developed. One of the best of these, at least for Ford dealers and taxi-cab companies, has materialized in a handsome new town car body made for the Ford chassis, which is now being delivered in quantities by George W. Copp Co., Inc., who have recently taken over the showroom at 236 West 54th Street, just west of Broadway.

“It is almost enough in itself to say that the manufacturer of this body is the Anchor Top & Body Co., of Cincinnati, Ohio. This company is one of the oldest of the coach and carriage builders in this country, who, during the past four years, have turned the skill of their splendid organization to the building of automobile tops and bodies. This new body is a beautiful example of the coach builders' art and has been made solid and sturdy to stand up in all kinds of service.

“Every detail of this body has been worked out with a view not only to beauty but service. For instance, heavy imitation brown Spanish leather has been chosen for the upholstery, which gives the interior a clean and really luxurious appearance. The body is very roomy, there being ample room for five average sized people in the rear compartment, and it is made with either a two passenger front seat and doors on each side of the front seat or with the right front door cut away and slats for baggage. In either of these styles it can be had with solid or folding back.

“George W. Copp Co., Inc., have long been distributors of the well-known Anchor Demountable Glass Enclosed Tops for many popular cars, and this enterprising concern have just been appointed distributors also of the new Ustus Limousette for Ford cars. These bodies and tops are on display at the Copp Company's new showroom and form an interesting exhibit.”

Withint the year a Taxicab was added to the list of Model T bodies, a 1920 issue of the American Exporter reporting:

“New tops and bodies for the Ford chassis were announced recently by the Anchor Top & Body Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, Geo. W. Copp Company, Inc., 236 West Fifty-fourth street, New York, distributors. The new Anchor town car FORD LIMOUSINE BODY. One Of four styles made by Anchor Top & Body Company, Others are : taxicab, landaulet and landaulet with two-passenger front seat. Body is larger than the town car formerly sold by the Ford concern, thus giving the Ford a more comfortable…”

The firm's listing in the 1921 Cincinnati Directory follows:

“Anchor Top & Body Co. (The) Alfred F. Klausmeyer, pres.; E.M. Galbraith, v. pres. and gen. mgr.; O.A. Klausmeyer, secy.; Jos. W. Kroeger, treas.; B & O RR b. 8th and Gest.”

The firm remained in business at least into 1922, but disappeared soon after. I've found reference to a Dodge Bros. funeral car that was constructed by the firm, but could located no photographic evidence of same.

©2013 Mark Theobald for Coachbuilt.com

Appendix of US Patents issued to Anchor Buggy/Anchor Top & Body:

Fifth Wheel For Vehicles - US435988 - Grant - Filed Apr 27, 1889 - Issued Sep 9, 1890 to Herman H. Uckotter and assigned to Anchor Buggy Co.
Lazy Back For Vehicle-Seats - US481745 - Grant - Filed Dec 26, 1891 - Issued Aug 30, 1892 to Anthony G. Brunsman & Herman H. Uckotter and assigned to Anchor Buggy Co.
Vehicle Seat - US584971 - Grant - Filed Feb 26, 1896 - Issued Jun 22, 1897 to Herman H. Uckotter and assigned to Anchor Buggy Co.
Vehicle Spring Coupling - US589876 - Grant - Filed Jan 9, 1897 - Issued Sep 14, 1897 to Herman H. Uckotter and assigned to Anchor Buggy Co.
Thill Reinforce - US645995 - Grant - Filed May 27, 1899 - Issued Mar 27, 1900 to Anthony G. Brunsman and assigned to Anchor Buggy Co.
Vehicle Body - US761816 - Grant - Filed Dec 10, 1903 - Issued Jun 7, 1904 to Anthony G. Brunsman and assigned to Anchor Buggy Co.
Shaft Brace - US799970 - Grant - Filed Nov 28, 1904 - Issued Sep 19, 1905 to Anthony G. Brunsman and assigned to Anchor Buggy Co.
Vehicle Reach - US847548 - Grant - Filed Oct 19, 1906 - Issued Mar 19, 1907 to Anthony G. Brunsman and assigned to Anchor Buggy Co.
Automobile Curtain - US1482458 - Grant - Filed Jan 3, 1921 - Issued Feb 5, 1924 to Walter J. Brunsman