Owosso Motor Car Company

at Owosso, Michigan


Who's Who
at Autocycles - Litestar - Pulse


The Owosso Motor Car Co. was established by David Vaughn of Owosso, Michigan in the fall of 1984. David already owned the successful VaunGarde Manufacturing business which specialized in RIM injection moulding. They also produced urathane bumpers for G.M.

David approached Jim Bede and Stan Leitner who owned Tomorrow Corp. to make the fiberglass bodies for the Scranton, Iowa built Litestars.

These fiberglass bodies were actually made by E.T.M. Enterprizes of Grand Ledge, MI. 15 bodies were shipped to Scranton Mfg. and assembled with the frames that Scranton made. These Litestars were completed and shipped to distributors and dealers to be used as demonstrators.

Tomorrow Corp. felt that Scranton could not ramp up enough production for the Litestar project, so they made an agreement with the Owosso Motor Car Co. to supply them with 21 Litestars. The frames were made by OMCC and Nero Plastics of Owosso made the fiberglass bodies. These were assembled by OMCC and shipped in 1985.

501 Cheasnut St. Owosso, Michigan was home to the Pulse factory for 18 months


When Jim Bede came to Owosso, he supplied OMCC with the autocycle pictured below and the BD-200 Plans.

The plans were examined and thrown out and OMCC began a re-design from the frame up.

Armin Jocz brought his Scranton Litestar #7 to Owosso.

Here it is at the Dan Marks farm in Corunna, Michigan.

Here it is in Owosso, Michigan

Factory photos from Feb. 1985

Dave sitting in Owosso Litestar #1.

Below, David Vaughn and Jim Fish.

At right are Brad Faber and Jerry Dedic, owners of Nero Plastics of Owosso.

Below, Ed Butcher christening Owosso Litestar #1

David Vaughn with Ed Butcher

Below, Nero Plastics of Owosso used this tool (mold) to make the Pulse body.

Above, open molding method was used to make the body parts. Gel coat is applied using a spray gun and then the stock roll fiberglass is manually laid into the mold, a laminating resin is rolled on and additional fiberglass may be added for reinforcement.

Once hardened the shell is lifted out of the mold and the procedure is repeated to make additional parts.

Brad Faber said Nero Plastics was charging about $400 for one complete set of Pulse body parts in 1986.

These included the Nose Cone, right and left main Body shells, right and left outrigger (top and bottom), upper and lower engine cover (rear end), gas cap cover, roll bar cover, canopy frame, rear seat fiberglass frame, glare shield (under windshield), front wheel well wall and the 2 piece dash.

Nero Plastics manufactured the first 218 Litestar/Pulse bodys for the Owosso Motor Car Co. The final 128 bodys were manufactured by a Fowler, Michigan company using the injected moulding process to form the body parts. This material seems to be a little thinner than those produced by Nero Plastics.

Below, Pulse #185 in 2005
Linda & Steve Schmidt with son Mark (center) who was plant manager of Nero Plastics for 3 years

Below, the OMCC factory officials intertained over 100 dealers and spouses at the
Tomorrow Corporation's 3rd. Litestar Dealer Meeting in February of 1985

Sam Diamond was a welder at OMCC and owned Pulse #31

Above, Stan Leitner sitting in Litestar with Jim Bede on right in 1985

Below, Armin Jocz - Wheels Plus Inc. of Grand Rapids, Michigan was an early Litestar investor


Letter to Chuck Hansen who bought Litestar #2.


Owosso Motor Car Agreement with Carson Masters


Showing off the Litestar in 1985 at the Owosso Chamber of Commerce office

Mike - Chamber Executive Director.....Alex Capitan - City Council member
On left in front.....Ed Butcher.....Dick Campbell - Owosso Argus Press -Editor



Tomorrow Corp. and Owosso Motor Car Co. Split

Due to disagreements with Bede and Leitner, OMCC changed the name of the autocycle to Pulse and severed ties with Tomorrow Corp. in about July of 1985.

Owosso Motor Car Co. built another 325 autocycles beginning in August of 1985 until they closed for good in about February of 1990.


MORE VIDEO of the Pulse Factory:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LbBvkYUMTnQ

http://www.youtube.com/user/autocycles


Pulses in front of the factory at the 2001 National Rally at Owosso, Michigan
Ed Butcher (President of Owosso Motor Car Co.) on left.


OMCC Letter dated Novemeber 4, 1985

This letter talks about reports of bad welds

This letter is about the TV show "The Price is Right" Pulse autocycles


Ronald Karr with Coors Beer - C.T.I. from Southfield, MI drove his Pulse to the 1986 Detroit Auto Show and drew a crowd out in front of Cobo Hall.

Show organizers would not permit him to display the Pulse inside because it is an enclosed motorcycle, "not a car".


The following Pulse photos are circa 1985-89

Below is a pic taken at the Michigan State Capitol in 1985 showing Pulse #50, 57, 121, 131 and #134

Jim Fish with his Pulse #50 at the 1986 Curwood Parade in Owosso, MI

Below, Pulse #85, with Michigan State Representative Buster Spaniola, at the Owosso Curwood Festival parade in 1986

Driving a naked Pulse in the parade


OMCC displayed a Pulse at the Meridian Mall in May 17-19, 1986 for Michigan Products Week.


Don Weekley Pulse display at the 1986 Recreational Vehicle Show
Cobo Hall - Detroit Michigan

Sue Butcher selling Pulses

Miss Michigan with the Pulse

Michigan Pulse Dealer Don Weekley sitting in Pulse #185

Above, Brian Haughton in yellow Pulse #27 and Ed Butcher in white Pulse at the Owosso Curwood Parade in 1987

Below, an unknown number red Pulse in the parade
with the OMCC logo


Ed Butcher

ED.....phone call on Line 1

Hopefully its a prospective buyer and not a creditor.

The Lansing State Journal printed an article about Owosso Motor Car Co. on Sat. August 17, 1985.

According to Ed Butcher, the company had Pulse 3 distributors - Texas, Oregon and Maryland. They had 11 dealers in Oregon, 6 dealers in Texas, 2 dealers in Tennessee and 1 dealer in New Jersey.

The company had sold 78 Pulses by August 1985 and had orders for another 350.

With 35 employees they were turning out 2 Pulses per day.

In August of 1985, the base price of a Pulse was $8,495.00.



August 1985 letter from Sue Butcher to prospective buyers


1985 Lansing Michigan State Journal article about Don Weekley - Pulse Distributor


People Magazine - 1988


The Pulse can be seen in the movie Back To The Future II

Movie Premier night display of Pulses at the Owosso Michigan Cinemas threatre


A Pulse was scene in the opening credits of L.A. Story in 1991


The City of Owosso had a raft race every year during the Curwood Festival.

The employees of Owosso Motor Car Co. and Vaungard entered the race in 1985 and 1986.

Here are some photos.


1989 Pulse Sales Brochure


The Butcher Pulse Story


Litestar and Pulse Videos

More about Pulse Delivery Trailers


Litestar Pulse Index


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Last Update: 11-20-20......

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