As the company struggled through financial difficulties in 1913, Lexington Motor Car Company was purchased by E.W. Ansted, who was tasked with creating a six-cylinder Howard. After a couple years of the ‘Lexington-Howard’ company, the Lexington Motor Car Company once again resumed using it’s former name. However, the inclusion of Ansted wasn’t a bad thing, as he supplemented the four-cylinder engines with a ‘light six’ (capable of producing 29 horsepower) or ‘supreme six’ (capable of 41 horsepower) engine.
These new engines resulted in a popularity boom for Lexington, and the company again moved factories in 1915. Their new location included the iconic smokestack with the Lexington name written on the side. Among the changes in the next five years were the revamping of the car’s frame, including a new rigid box cross-section that eliminated any jamming door issues. Emergency brakes were soon added, and hardtop enclosures were included thereafter.
As this time, Lexington cars were generally in the middle of the pack in regards to pricing. The Thoroughbred Six sold for $2,875, which was essentially the priciest car on the market, but the Minute Man Six tourer and convertible sedan sold for $1,185 and $1,350, respectively. Meanwhile, the Enger 40 ($2,000), the Oakland 40 ($1,600) and Colt Runabout ($1,500) all topped the Lexington vehicles, while the Oldsmobile Runabout ($650) and Ford Model T ($440) cost significantly less.
